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I would love Dublin to say fine - we'll play in Parnell Park, there won't be tickets for opposition fans and there will be 1-1.5m less in funds to share amongst other counties and we will still win.

Show us this increased partcipation, year by year breakdown, number of new clubs and green areas purchased to facilitate. [/b]

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/money-talk-is-wide-of-the-mark-37297041.html

With the help of State funding the GAA's market share has increased impressively in the capital. The cumulative growth rate in Gaelic football among children between the ages of eight and 12, from 2011 to this year is almost 42 per cent. Over the same period in hurling, the cumulative rate of growth is 64.1 per cent. Could any of this have been seen as a sure thing, a no-brainer? Not that long ago, carrying a hurl in many parts of Dublin might mark you out as a bit odd, and almost certainly from the country. It is a different place now. That is the real story of the investment in Dublin and there are many more like it untold.

Absolutely brilliant to see such growth in youth participation rates.

But this is clearly a bad thing in some people's eyes.

Those people are miserable cranks.

The cumulative growth rate in Gaelic football among children between the ages of eight and 12, from 2011 to this year is almost 42 per cent. Over the same period in hurling, the cumulative rate of growth is 64.1 per cent

Would like to see a source, is this growth in clubs or growth in schools, if schools how many are then engaging with clubs, primary school programs generally last a school term, are we seeing an increase in school teams entering competitions.

Basically what is KPI for the millions spent, surely new clubs and new green field sites should be part of that conversation? We keep hearing Dublin are doing a wonderful job, at winning All-Ireland's in football and making their hurlers competitive absolutely but growing the game, I see no new clubs I see no new grounds I see a stadium in Parnell Park at a par with Newbridge, with even worse parking. So if the GAA are pumping millions into Dublin GAA, what is the actual benefit to the organisation as a whole, is it really to maintain the same footprint year after year?

If you listen to Jarlath Burns on the Parkinson podcast he explains how Dublin used the GAA funding - Every player development coach who went into schools was linked to a club in order to increase participation rates in clubs. The primary focus though was on giving kids the chance to play GAA whether they chose to go on and play with clubs was not the be all and end all.

In terms of new grounds etc as he also pointed out his own club only need to fork out about 300k to get enough land to build a clubhouse/pitch etc but in Dublin the figure would be closer to a 10m+ in certain areas.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/gaa-gamble-pays-off-for-coach-1.1009056 - A description of what the Gaelic Development officer does in Dublin

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/football/we-can-all-take-lessons-from-dublin-winning-blueprint-403728.html - a Kerry take from 2 years ago about what counties can learn from Dublin in terms of development and using development officers

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/jim-gavin-defends-the-investment-in-dublin-gaa-1.2526138 - Jim Gavin telling other counties what to do to get increased funding again from two years ago

I guess the guys can have a week celebrating before getting started on winning the famous 5 in-a-row...Hopefully Dermo will be back to take part!!

You could certainly come up with a team, on paper anyway, where every player would be in the view of the majority better or at least as good as his Dublin counterpart.
The odds would still be on the Dubs to win and win well because of their greater teamwork and their unrivalled preparation, physical and psychological, over any knocked together side you'd care to mention.
I mean Michael Murphy and Paul Geaney would make any team in the land but getting them, Ciaran McManus, Lee Keegan and everyone you'd probably consider together for training sessions would be a logistical nightmare.
Y'see, to properly appreciate the effect the present Dublin team has on the GAA as a whole, you'd need to consider what it would take to build another county side that would equal or at least approximate the Dubs in every facet of the game – clone of Dublin.
You would need to begin by merging some counties for starters.
If you started with the least heavily populated Leitrim (31,972 ) and worked your way up to Wicklow, (142,425) merging the populations as you go, you'd get a total almost identical to that of County Dublin. (All courtesy of CSO, 2016 via Wikipedia.)
That's a total of 16 present counties, all rolled into one!
So the equivalent of 15 county boards and 15 senior intercounty panels go by the board, to begin with.
How many players get to play for their counties at senior level in the course of a year? If all types of games are included, I'd say a (very) conservative estimate would be 40 per county.
So if all 16 merged, 40x15 or 600 players would be denied the chance to play intercounty football every year. That would only be the beginning. Where you now have 16 senior clubs championships, you'd only have one. Assloads of senior clubs would have to amalgamate, go out of existence or downgrade.
Imagine the domino effect on clubs of lesser status!
You'd have far bigger, richer and better organised clubs but only a fraction of the number we have at present and given that they'd have to draw their memberships from a wide area so intimate contact with small local communities would be severed.
If if you somehow managed to effect this super merger and all the consequent changes, you'd still face one huge disadvantage- those counties are spread throughout the country while all of Dublin's population and resources, (40% of the republic's total according to Simon Coveney earlier this year) are concentrated in the third smallest county in the country.
So, all in all, any side capable of going toe to toe with Dublin doesn't exist right now

So how come Dublin only won 1 All Ireland in the nearly 30 years between the last one of the Heffo era in '83 & Gilroys in 2011? That is 1 paltry All Ireland in nearly three decades. All your CSO stats about population were as true then, as they are now. Explain that one then..

Thought we had gone through this in detail before but, in any event, here is my take on what the difference is.In short it comes down to money, pure and simple.
Dublin has lots more of it than any other county in the land , even on a pro rata basis.
Of the total development funding dished out be the GAA, Dublin gets by far the greatest percentage.
Again, this has been done to death on a number of threads. On page two of the Money, Dublin and the GAA thread, you ill find an infographic detailing the total amount of money given out by the GAA in the period 2010-2014. The amount shown is what was given per registered player.
Dublin got €247 while Mayo got €22 and Galway got only €15. If you google gaa development funds, you'll get plenty of info on the subject so, like the stats I gave, the figures are in the public domain.All in all, Dublin got 47% of the total handed out and you'll find that
here or
here and in numerous other sources as well.
Given the marketability of the Dublin brand and the size of the potential market for sponsors Dublin has not problem getting a long, long list of sponsors, sorry "partners."
So, the Dublin panel and management are given top of the range Suburu cars every year whereas Roscommon have to make do with a (by now) second hand bus donate by a wealthy supporter some years ago.
As it takes serious money to pay for the services of nutritionists, physiotherapists, physiotherapists and the likes not to mention renting centres of excellence and the likes, Dublin are way out in front of the rest.
Added to all that, Dublin has a number of very competent, hard-working individuals on the county board and down the line and are backed up by dozens od ex-players and other dedicated volunteers so there is a supremely well-organised development structure there that no other country can hope to match.
Around 2010, after the senior team got hockeyed by Meath in a Leinster semi ( think it was 5-9 to 0-13 points) the CB decided enough was enough and had a comprehensive plan of action drawn up and submitted it to CC, looking for funding. This was the Blue Wave initiative nd if you haven't heard of it, google for it.
This was the prime reason for Dublin getting the lion's shared of the games development kitty.
Finally, because of their new development structures they happen to have a lot of very talented young footballers putting pressure all the time on the already established players so the competition will always be keen for places on the team so don't expect  the Dubs to slacken off any time so and decide that enough is enough.
They will always be there ot thereabouts until the social and economic structure of the country undergoes massive change. Don't hold your breath waiting for this to happen.

And that, yer honour, is my best shot and I don't intend returning to this subject any time soon.

So doesn't the same logic apply to other counties - Like why are Monaghan better than Cork/Kildare/Meath etc?

God I can't wait to see Dublin give Tyrone a lesson after that

Anyone tell Monaghan that you've a better chance of scoring if you put forwards close to goal

Well there is certainly no way Tyrone can complain about the refs again after this performance by Nolan

At the game itself I was livid with Coldrick. Watched it again when I got home and I have cooled a bit. I still think he done us in on some big calls e.g. RoN's free, Ritchy pickup free was a clear foul beforehand by Dub going in with feet etc. However, it masks the main reason we were beat, our shooting. Some of it was down to superb pressure by the Dubs, however, we were guilty of going for some silly shots that should have been recycled.

All in all I'm happy with the progression. If RoN scored at the end it would have set up and interesting last two minutes but the Dubs were clinical in wrapping it up. They do all the small things so well. Very rarely make mistakes and have pace and power to burn. They remind me so much of the great Kilkenny hurling team.

Onwards to Ballybofey were I think we've got a great chance.

Cooper commited a blatant push in the 2nd half and got away with what would have been a tap over free - dublin went straight down and scored. Aside from that he let a lot go but i was glad he did - really enjoyable 2nd half

Tiernan McCann rugby tackled Philly McMahon to the ground in the 1st half. Black card all day long. How Colm Cavanagh got away with 2 cynical fouls is beyond me.

Dubs sat back when they went 6 up and nearly got caught out. Tyrone don't have a good enough forward line to win an all ireland. That free they missed at the end is unforgivable at that level.

Aye and if only you be let take a free you missed again twenty yards closer?? Nah only the dubs get that pleasure.

well when a player blatantly and openly moves closer to the free kick than is allowed then what is supposed to happen??

Dublin had an extremely poor performance last week against Donegal. Apart from Howard, Rock and McCarthy I don't think a single Dublin player played at even 80% of their capability and yet won without difficulty and missed a ridiculous amount of chances against the Ulster champions.

If for no other reason than to shut up all the people who say Dublin only win because of Croke Park I hope Dublin go out and repeat last years result.

As a Dublin fan with Monaghan roots and supporting Monaghan as my 2nd team since the Centenary final against Meath I was f*cking delighted that they lost yesterday.
That was an abomination of a performance from a team which has thoughts of winning Ulster and competing for the All-Ireland.
The sooner O'Rourke learns that with forwards like McCarron/McManus etc that running back to your 45 whenever the opposition have the ball doesn't work without fast athletic players and an ability to kick the ball accurately to your forwards.

At least Ireland had a go today unlike the abysmal style played last week. At least a few fallacies about our game were exposed. Fitness wise we are nowhere close to the Aussies and the fact they can pick up the skill with the ball to outscore us is worrying. Far too many Irish players unable to kick a ball accurately over any distance.

My God though McManus is some player....I'd even take him for the Dublin team in a heartbeat

About as tactically inept a performance as you could get. Who decided letting the Aussie have to extra players around the middle by having our two full forwards deep without tracking defenders as they pushed up to the middle and forced us back.

If Dublin weren`t about now then would people be saying Mayo have it too easy and the GAA needs to change to stop them winning?

Will this be the end of this Mayo team?
The players will be the following ages for next championship
Clarke will be 34, Higgins will be 33, Boyle will be 32, Seamus O'Se will be 31, Andy Moran will be 34

Cluxton is 36.

Higgins was U-21 in 2006 so will be 33.
SOS was minor in 2005 so will be 31.

Higgins was born in Feb 85 so will be 33.

Cluxton is winning titles year in year out so it's easier to come back

Will this be the end of this Mayo team?
The players will be the following ages for next championship
Clarke will be 34, Higgins will be 33, Boyle will be 32, Seamus O'Se will be 31, Andy Moran will be 34