Intresting & worrying ESRI report on sport and the GAA

[scalder]

Intresting report lads which points up a relative decline of Gaelic Games in Ireland over other sports, hurling has it seems held its own or even increased but football seems to have slumped over the past 2 decades.

http://www.esri.ie/UserFiles/publications/20080410120627/RS002.pdf
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[Billys Boots]

The data show that the Sports Capital Programme currently devotes the lion's share of the available resources to sports that have relatively low and declining popularity, especially Gaelic games.

That's Policy Implication #3 of 10.

[his holiness nb]

Not suprised, how much battering and nit picking from the media towards the GAA alongside glamourization of the other sports can take place before its instilled into the minds of young lads and lasses.

Its the society we live in where anything tradionally Irish is backwards and bad.

[Billys Boots]

In fairness your Holiness, this research is based on participation rates, and doesn't appear to have been influenced by media concerns - it's more concerned with getting value from euros (in health benefit terms, and avoidance of medical infrastructure costs) from the sports capital programme, if you get my drift. 

[his holiness nb]

In fairness your Holiness, this research is based on participation rates, and doesn't appear to have been influenced by media concerns - it's more concerned with getting value from euros (in health benefit terms, and avoidance of medical infrastructure costs) from the sports capital programme, if you get my drift. 

I'm not suggestion the research is influenced by media concerns Billy, more so the results indicate how this has affected our games.

[Billys Boots]

There's been a fall-off (in percentage terms) in participation in all team sports, with massive increases in individual's sports.  The actual numbers participating in Gaelic games has stagnated (but not fallen) - the GAA are not increasing their participation numbers, while everyone else is.  I'd have thought that our changing lifestyles, as a nation would have been most responsible, with longer working hours, more precious family-time and increasing financial pressures would have pushed people to involvement in individual sports (less time consuming, easier to participate in at a moment's notice etc.), rather than team sports.  For youngsters, I'd imagine particpation in team sports is also increasing (from my experience anyway), but soccer and rugby clubs seem to have an edge, in terms of marketing/attracting participation.

I don't deny your point Holiness, the bad press definitely doesn't help.

[AZOffaly]

I'd imagine the amount of foreigners immigrating to Ireland as well would skew the numbers slightly towards participation in soccer, especially. But I have been saying for a good while here that Soccer and Rugby are very real competitors for both viewers and, more importantly, participants. I think this report bears this out.

[scalder]

Well if this knocks complacency on its head its a good thing, one thing we have in our favour is a supportive Taoiseach but we can't rely on this always being so. We should apply for money to fund an integration officer for immigrants (The FAI got this) and indeed another in the north to work on getting more from a Unionist background involved.

[Gnevin]

The GAA is at saturation level for competivtive playing members however the idea outlined below could be a major improvement

GAELIC GAMES THE GAA are adamant more adults than ever are playing Gaelic games, despite an ERSI/Irish Sports Council report to be made public today that identifies a "relative decline" in the numbers playing Gaelic games compared to other sporting activities.

The GAA's head of games, Pat Daly, pre-empted today's report by revealing record numbers of adults playing club hurling and football.

There are 1,534 male teams registered for club hurling and 2,966 for football in Ireland. This does not include underage, post-primary or third-level teams.

The ERSI/Irish Sports Council report, which will be presented by the economist Dr Pete Lunn in the presence of the new Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Martin Cullen, is entitled "Sporting lives: an analysis of a lifetime of Irish sport" and notes more adults are participating in sports than ever before in Ireland.

It states a majority of adults taking up sport are not joining team games, opting instead for individual pursuits like aerobics and jogging.

"In all team sports there is a drop-off for adults, be it on leaving school, university or around the 30 mark," said a spokesman for the Sports Council.

"Take basketball for example. It has a chronic drop-off rate among teenage females, as once they leave second level (education) they disappear."

Other team sports such as soccer, with indoor and five-a-side, and rugby, with the increasingly popular tag competitions, attract a great many participants in a less-competitive environment, but Daly insists the GAA also continues to entice decent adult numbers to play games in a similarly relaxed environment.

"We are currently working on social and recreational games to cater for that constituency. Our games (football and hurling) are more competitive by their nature, but we are developing another option called mega-touch which is non-physical contact football and hurling that will be the equivalent to tag or indoor soccer. We will be formally launching these over the next 12 months.

"There is certainly no concern from a GAA perspective. We're at a loss as to where they are coming from with this. Right across the board our figures don't reflect a decline, be it relative or otherwise. Our robust statistics make such a statement beyond comprehension."

Meanwhile, the GAA are still awaiting confirmation from the Australian Football League regarding a venue and date for a second International Rules test later this year.

As it stands, the series is in danger of being scrapped as the AFL seem unable to secure a venue outside of Melbourne for the first test (the second is traditionally at the Melbourne Cricket Ground) because of disruption caused by Australia hosting the Rugby League World Cup in October.

The GAA head of marketing, Dermot Power, and the AFL projects manager, Dean Moore, have been liaising, but Croke Park set a deadline of tomorrow for a fixture announcement.

If there is no solution by then, Seán Boylan will not bring an Irish team to Australia to renew a relationship between the two codes that fell apart in 2006 because of what was seen as extreme aggression from the professional Australians.

"There is an urgency attached to the matter now," added Daly. "We need an answer by Friday but there are logistical issues preventing the AFL from sourcing a second venue."

© 2008 The Irish Times

[dublinfella]

Over the past 20 years in review there has been a decline in the rural population. Its hardly rocket science that Gaelic Games would also struggle in these areas when young men were emigrating or moving to urban areas, where soccer and rugby are more established.

I don't see what the media has to do with it, if anything the GAA covereage is better than other domestic sports.

[rrhf]

Dublinfella you have a great point.  The old established clubs like Shamrock Rovers dominate their catchments where they have been for centuries. 

[tyrone86]

Is it that the GAA is declining in popularity or is it that the games have become too serious even at junior club even reserve level? How many  could be brought back into the fold if "social" games where formally introduced?

[dublinfella]

Dublinfella you have a great point.  The old established clubs like Shamrock Rovers dominate their catchments where they have been for centuries. 

I don't know why thats directed at me, but only a fool would deny that the FAI is a far improved organisation and is making inroads into traditionally GAA areas. According to the last ERSI survey on participation there were more soccer players than footballers and hurlers combined.

Maybe that condescending attitude is one of the reasons the GAA is in relative decline?

[dublinfella]

Is it that the GAA is declining in popularity or is it that the games have become too serious even at junior club even reserve level? How many  could be brought back into the fold if "social" games where formally introduced?

5 a side soccer and tag rugby have been roaring successes.

If Gnevins Times article is accurate, the GAA are belatedly catcing up.

[his holiness nb]

According to the last ERSI survey on participation there were more soccer players than footballers and hurlers combined.

Are we talking recreational 5 a side and kickabouts in the local park with jumpers for goalposts here or actual 11 a side, organised matches?
Serious question, these stats about soccer participation rarely clarify this.