GAA Demographics

[imtommygunn]

I would say Belfast would influence stats on nationalists and soccer. I would be surprised if there weren't quite a lot more playing soccer than Gaelic. There'd be a few other big towns too with that stat - particularly in Antrim. (E.g. there are nationalists in larne, I would wonder about ballymena too and then there's Lisburn).

[marty34]

Any word on what the GAA plan to do in areas where there are 'too many' people?

Are they talking about splitting the Dublin super clubs and starting another club in the likes of Portlaoise, Naas and Kilkenny City etc.?

What are there plans for the over population areas?

Anybody know?

[Baile Brigín 2]

Does this include fat over 40s running around made up local competitions?

Similar stat was bandied about saying that soccer is the most played sport in the Republic.

Which is true when you include the group of mates playing 5 a side of a Tuesday.

Gaelic football most played competitively I would say but most gaelic footballers play a bit of soccer in the winter which inflates the soccer figure, plus the old lads playing to stay fit

Incorrect. The ESRI and CSO do numbers on sport particpation and both have it as soccer, informal/5 a side, then Gaelic football. So the two most played games are both soccer. Every county has more soccer players. Interesting that a player who does both remains primarily a Gaelic player...

[Baile Brigín 2]

I shall indulge your "whataboutery" for the moment, by pointing out that soccer is played/supported/administered in all parts of NI, by all communities. The NI Schools Cup, for example, attracts over 100 entrants every year, comprising state and fee-paying schools, grammar, comprehensive, integrated, technical and Irish language schools from all areas. How does that compare eg with its GAA equivalent, the MacRory Cup?
Whilst all our representative sides, men and women, boys and girls are similarly mixed. The current Manager of the Senior Mens team, Michael O'Neill is ex-GAA, as is his Captain, Conor Bradley.
And I can tell you from my own, direct experience that there are more NI supporters from the Nationalist community than you might imagine - even if they don't broadcast it widely.

Anyhow, this is a GAA forum, so back to your Demographics, eh?

Soccer is based on an sectarian entity, any of the above is mere mitigation.

But more nationalists in the 6 play soccer than gaelic games...

That's just false, just like the south soccer dominates in the city like Derry & Belfast where the GAA are very outnumbered but the rest of the 6 counties are dominated by Gaelic games in nationalist areas.

More people play soccer in each of the 26 counties than Gaelic football. Why would that fact be different in the 6?

[GoldCoastRossie]

I don't know why people get their knickers in a twist, I would say more people play soccer recreationally than Gaelic Football in the over 30's. GAA is primarily about competitive football even Gaelic4Dads&Lads can seem over competitive to my old legs and body where I can play over 35 league soccer at a more sedate pace leading the line slowly ....

On demographics my son is in one of 4 primary school classes in one of the 4 primary schools in Bettystown/Laytown/Mornington which means there must be roughly 250/300 six and seven year old boys in our parish and not including anyone who goes to Julianstiown, Balbriggan or Drogheda from the Grangerath end to school.

It is noticeable from the boys in his year in school, only 4 other boys are in the academy on a Sunday morning. There is no real interest from any of the children with Eastern European parentage other than one kid who has a Slovakian dad on the coaching team. The Academy still gets 30-40 kids every Sunday but that means maybe 200 boys aren't playing GAA at all.

Colmcilles and Eastern Gaels are flat out promoting the games in schools and there is not much additional update. My own 6 year old keeps asking to play rugby and he has no interest in GAA bar being made go by me, thankfully the 4 year old daughter is fully indoctrinated into all things Rossie and GAA !

[trueblue1234]

I shall indulge your "whataboutery" for the moment, by pointing out that soccer is played/supported/administered in all parts of NI, by all communities. The NI Schools Cup, for example, attracts over 100 entrants every year, comprising state and fee-paying schools, grammar, comprehensive, integrated, technical and Irish language schools from all areas. How does that compare eg with its GAA equivalent, the MacRory Cup?
Whilst all our representative sides, men and women, boys and girls are similarly mixed. The current Manager of the Senior Mens team, Michael O'Neill is ex-GAA, as is his Captain, Conor Bradley.
And I can tell you from my own, direct experience that there are more NI supporters from the Nationalist community than you might imagine - even if they don't broadcast it widely.

Anyhow, this is a GAA forum, so back to your Demographics, eh?

Soccer is based on an sectarian entity, any of the above is mere mitigation.

But more nationalists in the 6 play soccer than gaelic games...

That's just false, just like the south soccer dominates in the city like Derry & Belfast where the GAA are very outnumbered but the rest of the 6 counties are dominated by Gaelic games in nationalist areas.

More people play soccer in each of the 26 counties than Gaelic football. Why would that fact be different in the 6?

Did you actually have a stat when you posted that previously? Or was it based on the above? I was quite surprised firstly, that that was the case, and secondly that they actually had that data.

[Orior]

Does Lisburn have a soccer team?
Does Lisburn have a Gaelic football team?

What the hell is wrong with Lisburn?

[bennydorano]

Was Distillery officially a Lisburn team? Also the best named local soccer team ever Sporting Lisburn

[tiempo]

Enniskillen Santos, total facepalm every time i seen it in print

[seafoid]

Does Lisburn have a soccer team?
Does Lisburn have a Gaelic football team?

What the hell is wrong with Lisburn?

Lisburn Distillery got into financial trouble and had to sell their ground. They got relegated from the Championship.They don't have much money.

[BigGreenField]

Does Lisburn have a soccer team?
Does Lisburn have a Gaelic football team?

What the hell is wrong with Lisburn?

St Pats,'doing good work seeing as they have to arm wrestle the unhelpful local council and the MOD on pitches.

[gallsman]

https://archive.is/2025.12.07-071259/https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/colm-orourke-radical-change-is-needed-to-save-rural-gaa-clubs-and-communities-they-serve-heres-how/a1391440626.html

Good article from O'Rourke on it just, and not just because it mentions us a few times 

[imtommygunn]

Does Lisburn have a soccer team?
Does Lisburn have a Gaelic football team?

What the hell is wrong with Lisburn?

St Pats,'doing good work seeing as they have to arm wrestle the unhelpful local council and the MOD on pitches.

They've improved a lot over last number of years. It'd be good to see them up to top end intermediate or even senior. Lisburn always was a fight to get a team in with the demographics and seem a bitter place. I would have used to play them in lower leagues and they were dreadful but they have improved a lot and seem to be holding their own in division 2 which is good to see. I would expect them to keep improving.

[general_lee]

Lisburn would be getting slightly greener, would that be fair to say? They along with Antrim (another town getting a bit greener) seem to have improved significantly on the field.

[BigGreenField]

Does Lisburn have a soccer team?
Does Lisburn have a Gaelic football team?

What the hell is wrong with Lisburn?

St Pats,'doing good work seeing as they have to arm wrestle the unhelpful local council and the MOD on pitches.

They've improved a lot over last number of years. It'd be good to see them up to top end intermediate or even senior. Lisburn always was a fight to get a team in with the demographics and seem a bitter place. I would have used to play them in lower leagues and they were dreadful but they have improved a lot and seem to be holding their own in division 2 which is good to see. I would expect them to keep improving.

The demographics tilt in the last 10/15years has been marked in support of them, next big step is improved facilities.

If they could get Wallace or Friends to field a Gaa team that would turbo charge them, seems unlikely though.

For Antrim county the unploughed field is the likes of Methody/Inst/Wallace/Friends/Bra who all have significant Gaa populations and not school outlet - I'll send like an alliance party meeting with hopes here but at some
Point they will.