Eircom league and IFA soccer

[The Watcher Pat]

Is there anyone here who would be close enough to both codes to know how Irish League and League of Ireland players compare as sportsmen to County level players?

The GAA players are a lot fitter than the local soccer players...When Armagh won the all Ireland they were guest's at Celtic due to Neil Lennon...Martin O'Neill commented that most of the GAA players were as fit as a lot of the professional players at Celtic...They train as much as professionals during the championship season.

[Rav67]

Would keep an eye out for Derry City and have been to the Brandywell a handful of times and a Cup Final at Lansdowne.  Dublinfella's assertion is absolutely ridiculous, GAA people do not despise local soccer.  A lot of people are very scathing of it because it is a poor product when compared to what everyone is used to seeing every week on television from the EPL, which is the richest league in the world now after all.

[marty88]

big derry city fan, now that kennys back it could be our year.

More people should follow the league, its a very good product.

There will also be all ireland league either this august or the next, there will be huge investment in the league then, hopefully this will attract the general public.

[Main Street]

The GAA players are a lot fitter than the local soccer players...When Armagh won the all Ireland they were guest's at Celtic due to Neil Lennon...Martin O'Neill commented that most of the GAA players were as fit as a lot of the professional players at Celtic...They train as much as professionals during the championship season.

What people neglect to compare is like with like.
In general you can say that the full time LOI player who trains 5 times a week  will be fitter than the GAA player who does 2 training sessions weekly.
If a GAA championship team trains full time then they should be as fit as a full time soccer team.

I grew up supporting Dundalk and Celtic. Celtic were the team of the Gods and the best team in the World. But I was 100% supporting Dundalk when they met in the European Cup.
I´m not from Dundalk  (about 30km away) so it was a support that faded away easy enough over the years. Totally different to the support for the local GAA team which is a part of you no matter what part of the world you are in.

I was in a CBS and later a de la salle secondary school for a few years of the Ban and no one ever took a blind bit of notice of the Ban. The problem was we played soccer too much, every day, before during and after school, all the holidays and only trained a few hours with the Gaelic football team formally.

If I was into going to soccer games I would support local league soccer. 

[Declan]

Didnt have the patience for it though, the Meath and District league is as bad as the premier league for diving and lads rolling round screaming when they get fouled!

Laughed at that one holiness. They've had more games abandoned in the last couple of years than any other local league.

[MW]

[quote author=saffron sam2 link=topic=6235.msg224611#msg224611 date=For example, Sean Ward (Glentoran) played minor football for Antrim and would have had the ability to play senior had he stuck to that game.
[/quote]

Sean's very much a fixture in the Glentoran team now and is one of the more 'cultured' types of defenders. One of our main stars in the Boxing Day win over Linfield.

There have been many who tried both, off the top of my head Colm McCullagh, Timmy Connolly, CJ McGourty, Niall McGinn, Shane McCabe, Ger Houlihan, Devenney, etc.

Shane McCabe as in the new Glens signing? Was he a handy Gaelic footballer at one point?

[saffron sam2]

For example, Sean Ward (Glentoran) played minor football for Antrim and would have had the ability to play senior had he stuck to that game.

Sean's very much a fixture in the Glentoran team now and is one of the more 'cultured' types of defenders. One of our main stars in the Boxing Day win over Linfield.

There have been many who tried both, off the top of my head Colm McCullagh, Timmy Connolly, CJ McGourty, Niall McGinn, Shane McCabe, Ger Houlihan, Devenney, etc.

Shane McCabe as in the new Glens signing? Was he a handy Gaelic footballer at one point?

Was Wardy not to blame for Ballymena's third goal in the 4-2 game.  Haven't got across to see him playing yet, but will do sometime.  Good to see that he is doing well, but he will be welcome back to Antrim if he wants. Still gets the odd game for Sarsfields.

McCabe would be in the Fermanagh panel (see link below) if he could commit. He may play later in the year. His father is a former Fermanagh manager.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7171979.stm

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Many other gaelic footballers made it as professional soccer players Gerry McElhinney (thanks Lynchbhoy), Martin O'Neill, Gerry Armstrong, Anton Rogan, Philip Mulryan, Neil Lennon, Pat Bonner.

Not forgetting the most obvious one...Kevin Moran

Did Niall Quinn not also play for Dublin minors?

[Billys Boots]

Did Niall Quinn not also play for Dublin minors?

I seem to recall him playing for Dublin in hurling and football at minor level - I might be wrong.

[dublinfella]

The GAA players are a lot fitter than the local soccer players...When Armagh won the all Ireland they were guest's at Celtic due to Neil Lennon...Martin O'Neill commented that most of the GAA players were as fit as a lot of the professional players at Celtic...They train as much as professionals during the championship season.

The Univerity of Limerick did a study 3/4 years ago and the LoI players were light years ahead of the intercounty GAA players in terms of aerobic fitness. They are professional athletes and play 40+ competitive games a year.

Martin O'Neill, if he did say that, was being polite. l

[dublinfella]

Did Niall Quinn not also play for Dublin minors?

I seem to recall him playing for Dublin in hurling and football at minor level - I might be wrong.

fairly sure he was a hurler.

Jayo Sherlock had a good LoI career before he got offered more money to stick to the GAA. Alledgedly.

[the Deel Rover]

Many other gaelic footballers made it as professional soccer players Gerry McElhinney (thanks Lynchbhoy), Martin O'Neill, Gerry Armstrong, Anton Rogan, Philip Mulryan, Neil Lennon, Pat Bonner.

Not forgetting the most obvious one...Kevin Moran

Did Niall Quinn not also play for Dublin minors?

Ye i think he played in An All Ireland minor hurling semi fnal with the Dubs in 1983

[Rav67]

Did Niall Quinn not also play for Dublin minors?

I seem to recall him playing for Dublin in hurling and football at minor level - I might be wrong.

fairly sure he was a hurler.

Jayo Sherlock had a good LoI career before he got offered more money to stick to the GAA. Alledgedly.

Quinn is from Tipperary originally but moved to Dublin and represented their minor hurlers.  I heard somewhere he won a national poc fada title as well.

[his holiness nb]

Jayo Sherlock had a good LoI career before he got offered more money to stick to the GAA. Alledgedly.

If you cant back that up I'd remove it quick smart. Naming players along with unproven allegations is bang out of order and could get the whole site in trouble.

[dublinfella]

Jayo Sherlock had a good LoI career before he got offered more money to stick to the GAA. Alledgedly.

If you cant back that up I'd remove it quick smart. Naming players along with unproven allegations is bang out of order and could get the whole site in trouble.

I never said who offered him the money, did I? It can be backed up in an emergency.

You arent a mod,  run along.