Strike averted

[deiseach]

I don't see that comparison you make as being ridiculous at all. If you said professional rugby or top level basketball or even Eircom bloody league then i'd say fair enough ... but junior soccer 
For hundreds and hundreds of rural villages in Ireland, they are defined by their church, their national school and their GAA club. I can only think of tops 2 parishes / villages in Mayo where the soccer club in anyway contributes in defining the area, and in one of the 2 cases its more because of the ridiculous name of the soccer club

I can't speak for all aprts of Ireland, but I can certainly speak about my own patch. I see the vibrant junior soccer leagues in Waterford. Several of my work colleagues are heavily involved, entirely without monetary reward. They would be entitled to take a dim view of those who believe that their efforts are less culturally worthwhile than the GAA boys. All of them like Gaelic games to a greater or lesser degree and certainly have no hangups. I wouldn't blame them though if they started muttering among themselves that Dessie and co are playing the Irishness card to the detriment of other spoirts.

[rrhf]

Its roots in the time wher we let our guard down in Celtic Tiger Ireland,,,  pay for play as defined by Bertie moves another step forward... Thank the Lord we averted strike action