I love Gaelic Games But not the GAA

[thejuice]

Obviously i love Gaelic football and hurling but the GAA wreck my head. While they're not as bad as the FAI, but for every good thing they do, they do a load of bullshit as well. Officials and club men can be right bastards sometimes. For every sound person I've met you meet a load of pricks as well. The rule book issues, the stadiums now.

I think the GAA have alienated alot of people from the very sports they're trying to promote, no thats not a reference to "the North, and Catholic and Prodestant(perhaps can we avoid that for one thread)", even on a more local level in every community there people who walked away not because they didnt enjoy the sports but something off the field. I can think of several people in my own locallity.

Ive been sometimes tempted to walk away some times but I just keep my head down because its being on the field that i really enjoy. Sometimes I've imagined an organisation that started promoting and running gaelic games and had nothing to do with the GAA, a chance to re-write the rule book, no lobbying, no old dinosaurs stomping the corridors, to start from scratch.

[Star Spangler]

Maybe your problem is you just don't get on with other people! 

[clarshack]

juice does make some good points. the bullshit factor has gradually got worse over the last few years. dont care what anybody says but theres no need for half the meetings and conferences that goes on.  The GAA should be about PLAYING Football & Hurling!

[Gabriel_Hurl]

the amount of administration and red tape and committees

and people wonder why volunteers can't be bothered anymore

[magickingdom]

not trying to trivialise what your saying juice but its the very same in any large organisation..

[deiseach]

How exactly do people expect things to get done if there isn't discussion followed by agreement on a course of action?

[tyrone86]

How exactly do people expect things to get done if there isn't discussion followed by agreement on a course of action?

I agree wholeheartedly. It has to be remembered that many average GAA clubs now have club accounts that are equivalent to that of a small business. The games are still an important part of the association, but by the same token it has expanded to beyond what it was. 10 years ago a strategic plan would have been unheard of. Now, the majority of clubs are moving in this direction, and indeed will require it for lottery, central council and state funding. 15 years ago only the most progressive clubs would have youth officers. Any club without one now would almost be considered pariahs.  Compare and contrast the facilities of the recent past and now. Many clubs need 2 pitches to accommodate the amount of training and games. Some clubs have training facilities that would put an average county side of 20/30 years ago to shame.  I'm only able to speak for my own county but you can count on one hand the number of clubs where you would be unable to get a shower - and at those grounds the pitch is first class and future plans are in place. People might think that these conferences are a waste of time, but if best practice becomes the norm surely it can only benefit your local community.

Whilst politics and personality disputes can discourage people from taking an active part in the Association, people have to remember that the club belongs to the entire GAA fraternity of the area, not the club committee. At every level of the Association the same problem exists. People don't want to put themselves forward for jobs they feel they're capable of or have something to contribute too for fear of offending people and thus too often the same faces remain.

[marty88]

The title should read, I love Gaelic games, as well as a good moan

[Rav67]

Officials and clubmen are volunteers, and are what keep the GAA going and ensure you can play the games you love so you should appreciate them.  Of course many are thran and can be ignorant and stubborn and sometimes alienate people, but that's Ireland for you, people fall out all the time!  Things are exactly the same in all walks of life.  You don't have to like everyone who keeps things going in your club but you can still be grateful for them.

[Hardy]

Thran?

(For my dictionary of "Ulster English").

[Rav67]

Thran?

(For my dictionary of "Ulster English").

Thran - commonly used to describe someone of a stubborn nature e.g. "He knows he was wrong, but he's too thran to apologise"

Got that from the BBC NI page, seems like a fair enough explanation!

[Hardy]

Thanks. The collection is growing nicely.

thran
wile
wheen
seen (for saw)
done (for did)
the day (for today)
our boy (my brother)
thon
bake, gub
street (for yard)

[Hardy]

Me either until it was used here a few weeks ago. (The other type of yard, btw).