Setanta Rate County Web Sites

[Dinny Breen]

Well, we've rated the GAA's sites county-by-county and the results bear little in common with their respective on-field performances.

Tommy Murphy Cup runners-up Leitrim and All-Ireland SFC Qualifier Round One departees Antrim are the best maintained and visually enticing websites, while All-Ireland football champions Kerry have not updated their site since claiming the Sam Maguire Cup in autumn.

We have analysed each county website and given ratings based on their e-communication structure, site appearance, regularity of updates, local and national news diet and other useful features.

The sites have then been placed accordingly in a four-division league, similar to the structure the 2008 National Leagues will take.

Antrim have arguably the best website alongside Leitrim's. The Saffron site has all its club league tables and updates results via the clubs who are obligated to text in scores to a hotline where all the information is collated.

During the championship there were updates on county teams and panels, a diet of national news and a photo gallery.

It also has a special feature - which other counties would do well to copy - a forum is available to users whereby they can question an administration team on a wide range of topical issues.

Tyrone's site, meanwhile, could well challenge the top two in 2007. It has been recently launched and avails all the latest in terms of flash plug-ins etc and a lovely map showing where all the clubs are located. So there are no excuses for being late games.

Counties like Donegal and Derry, have made it into the top tier primarily as a result of their regularity of updates and volume of information, but their aesthetic features somewhat detract from the overall product.

Kerry would have secured a place in Division One but for the fact that once the championship was sown up, information dried up. Perhaps it was overloaded by a 34th All-Ireland crown.

A number of counties would effectively be better off not having a site so bad is their offering. If we play a name and shame game, the likes of Westmeath, Waterford, Cork and even All-Ireland hurling champions Kilkenny are all in dire need of a complete makeover.

London's website, meanwhile, was shut down over abuse received on its discussion forum. While it can still be accessed it has not been updated in months.

DIVISION 1

Leitrim - www.leitrimgaa.ie
Antrim -
Longford -
Dublin -
Tyrone - www.tyronegaa.ie
Kildare -
Donegal -
Derry -

DIVISION 2

Meath -
Tipperary -
Kerry -
Galway - www.galwaygaa.ie
Mayo - www.mayogaa.com
Offaly - http://offaly.gaa.ie < http://offaly.gaa.ie>
Clare -
Down -