Money, Dublin and the GAA

[five points]

35 years ago there wasn’t the population imbalance there is now.

There was. If anything it was worse. The only jobs for young people were, if not in Dublin, in London or New York.

35 years ago there was no TV deals.

I think you need to realize the GAA have pushed into being a business from the moment they decided to redevelop croke Park.

Everything that has been happening since and will happen in the future was the slow road to professionalism that the GAA not the GPA started.

The GAA has been a business for my entire lifetime. And 30 years ago when sponsors names appeared on jerseys there was a lot of talk about a slow road to professionalism.

[caprea]

35 years ago there wasn’t the population imbalance there is now.

There was. If anything it was worse. The only jobs for young people were, if not in Dublin, in London or New York.

Wrong, rural population was 55% of total population in 1960. Now it is 36%. It’s pretty much a straight line fall for the last 60 years.

[Rossfan]

Looking ahead there isn't and won't be the population to support a professional inter County football and hurling set up especially as the games are confined to 1 Country.
I suspect that by mid Century you might see top level hurling having some element of semi Professionalism in it like chaps taking time off work for a few months in the Summer and getting compensated.
Unique, historical, cultural heritage etc etc. Have to ensure the best players can devote themselves to improving skills etc.
Even then the Co system will remain but the main 9 hurling Counties apart from Kilkenny have pretty big populations.

The big population differences are among  the football Counties and the gap between the smaller rural football Counties and the rest won't be closing any time soon .
The one thing helping us to punch above our weight from time to time is the lack of any other major sport in our Counties.

[five points]

Wrong, rural population was 55% of total population in 1960. Now it is 36%. It’s pretty much a straight line fall for the last 60 years.

I'm not wrong (and you quickly changed the goalposts from 35 years ago to 1960). While there was on paper a reasonable population in the north and west of the country in the 80s, there was a dreadful youth unemployment problem which meant that hordes of young people in the 20-30 age bracket emigrated, including a lot of guys who would have made decent county footballers. Those who ended up working in Dublin had to face bad roads snaking through unbypassed towns to get home for county training and games.

[trueblue1234]

Counties are manufactured too - by the Normans and English.
For example Ballyfarnon has nothing in common with Ballyforan except being within the lines drawn on a map by some Norman back in the 1200s.
However they're embedded in us now and from a GAA viewpoint have been there since the beginning.
However the question arises are Counties the best option any more for administering GAA affairs or for fielding representative teams?

 Anyone alive now has grown up with their county. The chances of changing away from a county set up is minimal. You'd lose the attachment you had for your county and I don't believe that would transfer across to a franchise team. MAybe I'm wrong but that would be my opinion.

Why do you think people in Ireland support Liverpool or man utd? There’s no attachment of place..

But there is in the GAA.

Yes, but if the product is shit/completely predictable compared to the English PL or NFL which it now is then people aren’t going to be interested.

I actually agree. But I believe the change will be to break down the stronger areas (And we're talking Dublin here really) Down into smaller geographical areas. It's much easier to do. And for me will be the logical steps to take. The GAA don't want less teams.

[caprea]

Wrong, rural population was 55% of total population in 1960. Now it is 36%. It’s pretty much a straight line fall for the last 60 years.

I'm not wrong (and you quickly changed the goalposts from 35 years ago to 1960). While there was on paper a reasonable population in the north and west of the country in the 80s, there was a dreadful youth unemployment problem which meant that hordes of young people in the 20-30 age bracket emigrated, including a lot of guys who would have made decent county footballers. Those who ended up working in Dublin had to face bad roads snaking through unbypassed towns to get home for county training and games.

You are wrong. https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/IRL/ireland/rural-population

If it’s 1960 or any other year since the trend is constant gradual move from rural to urban.

[Rossfan]

Splitting Dublin into 4 is a no brainer but until Central GAA and the other 31 Counties get some backbone and push it through we won't be seeing it.
Rural depopukation in the BMW ( and most other Counties) has been ongoing since 1845

[five points]

Wrong, rural population was 55% of total population in 1960. Now it is 36%. It’s pretty much a straight line fall for the last 60 years.

I'm not wrong (and you quickly changed the goalposts from 35 years ago to 1960). While there was on paper a reasonable population in the north and west of the country in the 80s, there was a dreadful youth unemployment problem which meant that hordes of young people in the 20-30 age bracket emigrated, including a lot sof guys who would have made decent county footballers. Those who ended up working in Dublin had to face bad roads snaking through unbypassed towns to get home for county training and games.

You are wrong. https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/IRL/ireland/rural-population

If it’s 1960 or any other year since the trend is constant gradual move from rural to urban.

I'm not wrong. I made no claim in relation to trends since 1960, but merely made some observations about the 80s that you'll struggle to find in official statistics.

The population imbalance in GAA terms was at least as bad in 1985 as it is now (in my opinion it was worse) even if the overall statistical population imbalance has worsened since.

It's not a particularly complex or important point, and I suspect we're in agreement on the broad thrust here.

[caprea]

you'll struggle to find in official statistics.

You may struggle but I won’t and I’ve provided them to you.

[Eire90]

if dublin is split does that mean the club teams will be split aswell so we could see a north dublin club championship

[imtommygunn]

There is not a hope in hell dublin will be split up. Absolutely not a chance.

[Baile Brigín 2]

if dublin is split does that mean the club teams will be split aswell so we could see a north dublin club championship

Presumably. How many clubs in the Corpo area? I make it 14 or so, with 4 senior football and 5 hurling. So the Central Dublin Capitals become, by a mile, the smallest county by participation and club numbers

The Dun Laoighre Kingsmen are a mid level hurling power and the Fingal Flyers and South Dublin Moneyballs both are decent football teams with zero fans.
Who pays for your facilities if your cash cow has less players than Leitrim?

[Lar Naparka]

Splitting Dublin into 4 is a no brainer but until Central GAA and the other 31 Counties get some backbone and push it through we won't be seeing it.
Rural depopukation in the BMW ( and most other Counties) has been ongoing since 1845

Yup. The population of Mayo in the early 1840s was greater than that of Dublin.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Splitting Dublin into 4 is a no brainer but until Central GAA and the other 31 Counties get some backbone and push it through we won't be seeing it.
Rural depopukation in the BMW ( and most other Counties) has been ongoing since 1845

Yup. The population of Mayo in the early 1840s was greater than that of Dublin.

Astoundingly that appears to be the case.

YLSNED

[Substandard]

Splitting Dublin into 4 is a no brainer but until Central GAA and the other 31 Counties get some backbone and push it through we won't be seeing it.
Rural depopukation in the BMW ( and most other Counties) has been ongoing since 1845

Yup. The population of Mayo in the early 1840s was greater than that of Dublin.

Astoundingly that appears to be the case.

YLSNED

Had to google YLSNED.

YLSNED.