Railway Cup 2007

[turkey+ham]

Was at the match and thought it was pretty good value at the price. Saw some of the best players in the country playing in one of the best arenas in Europe if not the world. Stayed for the hurling and apart from the ref, it was a game where some excellent passages of play took place. They could maybe use it to introduce some experimental rules eg sin bins, and let it replace the bloody international rules shite.
The GAA should stick to this date for a few years, give it a chance to bed in and spend some money selling the idea. A perfect opportunity for clubs to take their juveniles as well - it can be very difficult organising tickets etc for high profile championship matches.

[Puckoon]

Not sure about the whole tourist aspect of day. Croke Park can be a cold, wet miserable experience in March, I'd doubt that many tourists would stay too long for what the interpro's often serve up and the club finals for people who don't know the rules can be hit and miss also.
              On top of that I'm sure there's many a club manger who'd be less than pleased to have bands and inter-county players floating around on the biggest day in the clubs history, while his trying to focus club players.
               Sometimes things just pas their sell by date and the Railway cup/interprovincals is one of them.

Cant buy it darbyo, its a perfect arena for what should be some of the most amazing players to grace the pitch together side by side. It needs a little tweaking here and there to perfect it, but It shouldnt be done away with.

[highking]

In 2008, St Patricks Day falls on a Monday. Here is my idea of how the Interprovincials could be worked into the club finals over that weekend.

Saturday 15th March
Junior Club Hurling Final @4.30
Intermediate Club Hurling Final @6.00
Interprovincial Hurling Final @7.30

Sunday 16th March
Junior Club Football Final @4.30
Intermediate Club Football Final @6.00
Interprovincial Football Final @7.30

Monday 17th March
Senior Club Hurling Final @1.30
Senior Club Football Final @3.30

[Leo]

The only thinking behind putting the Railway cup final along with the All-Ireland club finals is to improve the attenda nce and an admission that the inter-provincials on their own wont generate sufficient interest. How much more tinkering needs to be done with this "failed entity"? It's with O'Leary in the grave. End of story.

[Maguire01]

Aye, we'll play the Railway Cup again in 5 1/2 months.

Why not?

What's the point in leaving it for a year and a half? If it's going to be saved/done properly, then the sooner the better.

[highking]

Aye, we'll play the Railway Cup again in 5 1/2 months.

Why not... If Martin Donnelly is putting E100k a year into it, surely it should be getting a better slot.. I also feel that the time has come for the club championship to be played before Christmas. It seems mad to keep players training and hanging on all over Christmas for what is effectively two more games, which could be played in seven days. With the better standard of pitches and the lights now in Croke Park, surely all club action should be finished up in the one calendar year. Last week Nicky Brennan discussed the exploration of a roofed 20k stadium in Abbottstown, which could be used to get a lot of competitions played over the winter. These would be the Interprovincials, the club Championships, the Sigerson, Fitzgibbon, Ryan and Trench Cups, the colleges and the vocational schools in hurling and football (and ladies as well). In this day and age anything is possible so should be looked at.. Any thoughts...

[stephenite]

That's a fair point regarding the Club Championships finishing earlier - I suppose HQ feels the need for a viable event to be held in Croker on Paddys day as one of the main reasons ?? Maybe not

[Owenmoresider]

Aye, we'll play the Railway Cup again in 5 1/2 months.

When competitions have been changed around it can happen. Last year Sligo had two U21 championships - for the latter it was renamed as U20 and brought forward by a year, with the result that Ballymote won the U21 final, and then had to hand the cup back three weeks later when Tourlestrane won the U20!

[Gnevin]

Changing the day will make f all difference , the interest is not their . I just came back from Parnell Park where there was a good 7K and hte Dublin Club final . I know other counties get even higher figures .


Promotion is about the only thing that can help this . I know many people with a good interest in the GAA who didnt know this was happening .

This could be marketed as the Close of the season celebration of Gaelic Games . Throw together a montage of the finals in 2007. and finish with railway cup and want to see how the story ends ? Any things would be better than the radio ad which was basicly a owe yeah i forgot to tell you their a match on this weekend if you haven't made any plans sure come along for the laugh.

[Owenmoresider]

In 2008, St Patricks Day falls on a Monday. Here is my idea of how the Interprovincials could be worked into the club finals over that weekend.

Saturday 15th March
Junior Club Hurling Final @4.30
Intermediate Club Hurling Final @6.00
Interprovincial Hurling Final @7.30

Sunday 16th March
Junior Club Football Final @4.30
Intermediate Club Football Final @6.00
Interprovincial Football Final @7.30

Monday 17th March
Senior Club Hurling Final @1.30
Senior Club Football Final @3.30

There are NFL and possibly NHL fixtures down for that weekend, so I'm not sure that could happen, but it wouldn't be a bad idea.

BTW on that whole St. Patrick's weekend thing, seeing as Patrick's Day doesn't actually fall on the 17th this year, do we still get the Bank Holiday on the 17th?

[Puckoon]

Theres alot can be done to ressurect/save the interprovincials, it will take some effort, but surely to god its effort worth making.
1. Could it be a curtain raiser to the championship proper? Think charity shield
2. Could it be played over one weekend like the sigerson cup?
3. Could it (it should) replace the international rules series and be played right after the All Ireland.
4. The club championships could be moved forward and it could take over St Patricks, maybe combined with point 2 above. Huge tourism in dublin that weekend. The interprovincials may attract more neutrals to headquarters over a busy St patricks period?

Just a few ideas, its definitely something that can be saved.

[Maguire01]

Theres alot can be done to ressurect/save the interprovincials, it will take some effort, but surely to god its effort worth making.
1. Could it be a curtain raiser to the championship proper? Think charity shield
2. Could it be played over one weekend like the sigerson cup?
3. Could it (it should) replace the international rules series and be played right after the All Ireland.
4. The club championships could be moved forward and it could take over St Patricks, maybe combined with point 2 above. Huge tourism in dublin that weekend. The interprovincials may attract more neutrals to headquarters over a busy St patricks period?

Just a few ideas, its definitely something that can be saved.

How many counties will want to risk their players just before the championship kicks off?

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Just getting back to an earlier point from Tankie about the other provinces having a terrible support compared to Dublin/Leinster. I see there was 7000 at the Dublin County final. I cant speak for other counties but there was over 11000 at the Tyrone County final, as well as 6000 and 8000 at the semi finals. When you consider the attendances the Dubs get for big games and the population its quite easy to see who has the more genuine fans. As I pointed out above Tyrone actually had a higher average at county home league games (leaving out the croke lights game) than Dublin. Im sure this is repeated in some other counties to. Makes you wonder about the great Dublin supporters that boys like Tankie keep going on about.

[Tankie]

Just getting back to an earlier point from Tankie about the other provinces having a terrible support compared to Dublin/Leinster. I see there was 7000 at the Dublin County final. I cant speak for other counties but there was over 11000 at the Tyrone County final, as well as 6000 and 8000 at the semi finals. When you consider the attendances the Dubs get for big games and the population its quite easy to see who has the more genuine fans. As I pointed out above Tyrone actually had a higher average at county home league games (leaving out the croke lights game) than Dublin. Im sure this is repeated in some other counties to. Makes you wonder about the great Dublin supporters that boys like Tankie keep going on about.

what are you talking about. I made the point that the railway cup is dead as people couldnt be bothered going to it.

you mentioned league attendances and you conveniently leave out the game under lights, two leagues have been advertised properly in Dublin since 2002, Dublin v Armagh (55k turned up), Dublin v Tyrone (82k turned up). at the league games in general between 8k - 10k is the normal for a home game but i have agued the point that the GAA needs to promote Dublin league games as and we have already seem what can turn out. In yearly average Dublin have the biggest attendance, i really don't buy into the real supporter idea, Yes i go to all dublin games, but the notion that everyone will do that is crazy. I said it before and got shot down for it, when i said the Dulin market is competitive for peoples money and the GAA should play their cards right.

This Friday the will be 15k - 20k at the Leinster v Connacht interpro, its widely known that the GAA have the summer market sown up in Dublin for peoples sporting attention but for the winter game rugby is making huge in roads but its still up for grabs!

[Maguire01]

Just getting back to an earlier point from Tankie about the other provinces having a terrible support compared to Dublin/Leinster. I see there was 7000 at the Dublin County final. I cant speak for other counties but there was over 11000 at the Tyrone County final, as well as 6000 and 8000 at the semi finals. When you consider the attendances the Dubs get for big games and the population its quite easy to see who has the more genuine fans. As I pointed out above Tyrone actually had a higher average at county home league games (leaving out the croke lights game) than Dublin. Im sure this is repeated in some other counties to. Makes you wonder about the great Dublin supporters that boys like Tankie keep going on about.

what are you talking about. I made the point that the railway cup is dead as people couldnt be bothered going to it.

you mentioned league attendances and you conveniently leave out the game under lights, two leagues have been advertised properly in Dublin since 2002, Dublin v Armagh (55k turned up), Dublin v Tyrone (82k turned up). at the league games in general between 8k - 10k is the normal for a home game but i have agued the point that the GAA needs to promote Dublin league games as and we have already seem what can turn out. In yearly average Dublin have the biggest attendance, i really don't buy into the real supporter idea, Yes i go to all dublin games, but the notion that everyone will do that is crazy. I said it before and got shot down for it, when i said the Dulin market is competitive for peoples money and the GAA should play their cards right.

This Friday the will be 15k - 20k at the Leinster v Connacht interpro, its widely known that the GAA have the summer market sown up in Dublin for peoples sporting attention but for the winter game rugby is making huge in roads but its still up for grabs!

Y'see, real fans don't need to see an advertisement on the TV or hear it on the radio to know that their team are playing!