Structure

[Man of Kent]

Please stay with me.............................

I understand how the provincial side of the All-Ireland works, but what do you people think of how the competition is structured?

To the uneducated the whole thing appears a bit/very lopsided.

Munster has only six counties; two big hitters in Cork & Kerry and no championship in over a century from the other four, while Connacht has seven counties including London & NY!

On the other hand Ulster & Leinster contain eight and eleven side and seem much more competitive.

Bearing in mind your get a pass to the last eight by winning your province is it fair???

[Jinxy]

If you're going to make a go of following Gaelic games you'd do well not to think too much about the way we do things.
You'll only give yourself a headache.

[Man of Kent]

Ok. Point taken.

However the whole thing is so soaked in tradition and history it seems only right and proper to make an attempt to understand how thing work!

For example.................................someone explain the parade!

[Zulu]

Please stay with me.............................

I understand how the provincial side of the All-Ireland works, but what do you people think of how the competition is structured?

To the uneducated the whole thing appears a bit/very lopsided.

Munster has only six counties; two big hitters in Cork & Kerry and no championship in over a century from the other four, while Connacht has seven counties including London & NY!

On the other hand Ulster & Leinster contain eight and eleven side and seem much more competitive.

Bearing in mind your get a pass to the last eight by winning your province is it fair???

No it's not fair MoK, and we must have the most idiotic competitive structure in world sport. Traditions that no longer serve their purpose shouldn't be retained. To do so is daft but unfortunately common sense is not always common in the GAA. I'd personally get rid of the provincial championships but I can understand some of the reasons that people want to keep them. However, the current structure where our first competitions have passed without notice, bar arguments about university player availability, and our second most important competition is about to start with players and managers falling over themselves to tell us how unimportant it all is, is a complete disaster.

[Man of Kent]

The first is the O'Byrne Cup etc. and the second is the league competition? Have I got that much right.

From an ignorant position I can understand why what I understand to be pre-season games are not taken seriously, but I'm amazed the league is not respected.

[orangeman]

Traditiion is a big thing in the GAA. The current system as far as the provincial councils are concerned have served them well.

The provincial championships are the big money spinner for the provincial councils and always has been.

My interpretation of the unwillingness to even contemplate a change to the status quo lies in the major doubts amongst provincial council officers who remain to be convinced that there is another model out there that will provide the same revenue steams that currently exist.

[Jinxy]

The first is the O'Byrne Cup etc. and the second is the league competition? Have I got that much right.

From an ignorant position I can understand why what I understand to be pre-season games are not taken seriously, but I'm amazed the league is not respected.

In fairness the leagues are taken seriously enough, it's just that a lot of teams don't kill themselves trying to win them.
The games are very competitive though as nobody wants to be relegated obviously.
You get some great games on the final day of the leagues as all the sums are being done and promotion/relegation is decided.

[Zulu]

The league is far better than the championship IMO but it is talked down ad nauseum, as Jinxy says it does produce some great games and nobody wants to get relegated but most counties aren't too bothered either as long as they stay up. Other sports try to convince you meaningless competitions are vitally important whereas we try to tell you that important competitions don't really matter.

I think the GAA doesn't want to push the boat out for fear that it may not be able to control where it goes. In the meantime other sports continue to grow in the vacuum we've created.

[Captain Obvious]

The league is far better than the championship IMO but it is talked down ad nauseum, as Jinxy says it does produce some great games and nobody wants to get relegated but most counties aren't too bothered either as long as they stay up. Other sports try to convince you meaningless competitions are vitally important whereas we try to tell you that important competitions don't really matter.

I think the GAA doesn't want to push the boat out for fear that it may not be able to control where it goes. In the meantime other sports continue to grow in the vacuum we've created.

Huge money is pumped into other sports to make it grow,no matter how much they grow our All Ireland final days are still some of the biggest sporting days in Europe.

[Zulu]

I wouldn't say rugby has grown due to finance but through, in part, plenty of media exposure. Our biggest days are huge but we don't give supporters or the general sporting public enough of them. We are grossly underselling ourselves and it will hurt us in the future and even if it doesn't it's madness continuing with a daft season that serves noone well.

[RadioGAAGAA]

Our biggest days are huge but we don't give supporters or the general sporting public enough of them.

But you advocate abandoning the provincial championships where most games are to local rivals and the match is (usually) geographically much closer to the support?

Bit of a contradiction there is it not?

[AZOffaly]

I wouldn't say rugby has grown due to finance but through, in part, plenty of media exposure. Our biggest days are huge but we don't give supporters or the general sporting public enough of them. We are grossly underselling ourselves and it will hurt us in the future and even if it doesn't it's madness continuing with a daft season that serves noone well.

I don't agree with you about the provincial system, but I do agree that we let the summer drift by until about August. One thing I'd like to see is more double headers. One of the best weekends in the year is the Football 1/4 finals in Croker. 4 games in 2 days. 2 double headers. I think double headers of big championship matches in good venues would be a big buzz. Venues like Casement, Portlaoise, Limerick, Killarney, Cork, Thurles, Galway, Clones, etc etc could hold a double header of big games, while other great venues like Mullingar, Tullamore, The Hyde, Wexford Park, Nowlan Park could easily hold double headers of smaller games. Bigger crowds at the venue, better atmosphere, and better value for paying punters and neutrals.

[Jinxy]

We need to schedule matches for maximum exposure and effect.
And give them exciting made-up names like 'Judgement Day!' for provincial finals.
Or 'Semi-judgement Day! (but you're still in it so it's not too bad if you lose)'.