Are professional sports economically viable in Ireland?

[T Fearon]

As has been proven in recent years, Ireland itself isn't economically viable.

[trileacman]

Can we not say yes based on the relative success and stability of 3 Irish rugby provinces. It struggles to accommodate a 4th but can Ireland not be said to be supporting 3 teams, venues, administration staff and academies in Ireland?

[From the Bunker]

No!

[GalwayBayBoy]

The answer is obviously yes. There are 4 professional rugby teams on the island. Numerous professional athletes. Granted many of them are hardly making fortunes but they are professionals in their sports.

You have to have an element of international competition though to fund it. The domestic market in itself isn't large enough.

[Dougal Maguire]

Horse racing seems to be economically viable

[Donnellys Hollow]

Horse racing seems to be economically viable

It could be but it's not at the moment. The game is propped up by government subsidies.

[Eamonnca1]

Would betting revenues not be enough to keep horse racing afloat without the subsidies?

[Declan]

It could be but it's not at the moment. The game is propped up by government subsidies.

That's a topic that nearly deserves its own thread as well

[OakleafCounty]

Obviously professional rugby is viable due to the provincial system and centralised contracts. Soccer is a different animal as there are so many other factors the main one being that 99% of Irish soccer fans support British teams. No club in Ireland pulls in 5% of the local population to watch them. To pay a team of full timers you'd need an average attendance of 5,000 and no club gets that.

[Eamonnca1]

Obviously professional rugby is viable due to the provincial system and centralised contracts. Soccer is a different animal as there are so many other factors the main one being that 99% of Irish soccer fans support British teams. No club in Ireland pulls in 5% of the local population to watch them. To pay a team of full timers you'd need an average attendance of 5,000 and no club gets that.

You got that right. I wonder how much money is spent by people travelling across the water for Old Firm games, and compare that to the money lifted at the gate in Irish soccer.  That's before we even get started on the ones that support Man U and Liverpool and what have you.

[rodney trotter]

An example of the poor attendances in the Airtricity League after the Euro's last Season.
The new Season starts tonight and I think it will  be decent, Limerick are playing in Thomand Park this season after promotion last season.


Airtricity League: Will we ever learn the lessons of Gdansk and Gortakeegan?

"If we ever want to win more than the party, we have to truly value what's on our doorstep," writes Niall Kelly in this week's Airtricity League column.


22/06/12883 Views 3 Comments
Share13 Tweet10 Email1



Local heroes: Drogheda fans roar on their side from the United Park terraces.

Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

AS IRELAND'S EURO 2012 adventure limped to an end against Italy on Monday night, the 30,000-strong green legion — "the best fans in the world" — knocked back the last of the Poznan beer and readied themselves for the journey home.

Where to now, lads?

For most, the answer is unlikely to be one of the country's Airtricity League grounds. When the 2012 season kicked off back in March, the combined attendance for all Premier Division and First Division games stood at just over 12,500. Something doesn't quite add up.

Domestic football's many trials and tribulations are no secret but the bleak reality was hammered home again on Monday when, as Europe fawned over Trap's Army, Monaghan United announced their decision to withdraw from the league for financial reasons.

The timing was not lost on those who love the League of Ireland and once more unto the breach, they dusted off and took up their cross to begin another stirring, passionate defense.

On Tuesday, an open letter written by Catherine O'Mahony landed in TheScore's inbox. After thanking the Irish fans "for doing the country proud off the pitch in Poland in the absence of pride on it," it continued:


Sadly, Ireland are out and I'm sure you'll all be returning home tired and hungover. But you'll still have that buzz, that feeling of belonging. That sense of collective identity and excitement that only live football can bring. There is live football happening every week in your national league and it desperately needs your support.

Shelbourne winger Paddy Kavanagh didn't mince his words when asked if crowd numbers at last night's Dublin derby might suffer because of a clash with Portugal and the Czech Republic's Euro 2012 quarter-final.


Anyone who starts choosing European games over their own homegrown teams would want to have a look at themselves. It's our league and it's our country.

The quality of games in the league is always improving and this year it's better again. Why not come out and watch and support them and have a great night instead of sitting in front of a TV listening to some clown talking crap about foreign players?

It should be possible, though, to have a constructive discussion about the League of Ireland without it descending into some pseudo-nationalist debate between Irish patriots and West Brit barstoolers. Trying to ram the league down reluctant throats will never work. It's human nature to rebel against a sense of obligation, not least when that obligation is going to lead you to a wet and windy terrace for a game that you're not that interested in.

For fans, the frustration mounts when the domestic game is dismissed as "shite" out of hand, often by people who would close the curtains if there was Airtricity League match on in their front garden: "Why would I watch that muck when I can sit in on a Saturday night and watch Xavi and Iniesta?"

For all of the league's faults — and God knows that's no short list — nothing will ever get better without support. Not the standard, not the grounds, not the facilities, nothing. And in this day and age, the most basic and direct means of support is with bums on seats.

It shouldn't be a chore. Why would it be? After all, 30,000 spared no expense to trek to Poland and cheer on a rather average group of players who were prepared to live and die by the honesty and intensity of their effort.

The dual blows of Gdansk and Gortakeegan are more closely linked than many care to admit. It's only one small part of a big picture but if we ever want to make something of ourselves on the international stage — if we ever want to win more than the party — we have to truly value what's on our doorstep.

[OakleafCounty]

An example of the poor attendances in the Airtricity League after the Euro's last Season.
The new Season starts tonight and I think it will  be decent, Limerick are playing in Thomand Park this season after promotion last season.


Airtricity League: Will we ever learn the lessons of Gdansk and Gortakeegan?

"If we ever want to win more than the party, we have to truly value what's on our doorstep," writes Niall Kelly in this week's Airtricity League column.


22/06/12883 Views 3 Comments
Share13 Tweet10 Email1



Local heroes: Drogheda fans roar on their side from the United Park terraces.

Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

AS IRELAND'S EURO 2012 adventure limped to an end against Italy on Monday night, the 30,000-strong green legion — "the best fans in the world" — knocked back the last of the Poznan beer and readied themselves for the journey home.

Where to now, lads?

For most, the answer is unlikely to be one of the country's Airtricity League grounds. When the 2012 season kicked off back in March, the combined attendance for all Premier Division and First Division games stood at just over 12,500. Something doesn't quite add up.

Domestic football's many trials and tribulations are no secret but the bleak reality was hammered home again on Monday when, as Europe fawned over Trap's Army, Monaghan United announced their decision to withdraw from the league for financial reasons.

The timing was not lost on those who love the League of Ireland and once more unto the breach, they dusted off and took up their cross to begin another stirring, passionate defense.

On Tuesday, an open letter written by Catherine O'Mahony landed in TheScore's inbox. After thanking the Irish fans "for doing the country proud off the pitch in Poland in the absence of pride on it," it continued:


Sadly, Ireland are out and I'm sure you'll all be returning home tired and hungover. But you'll still have that buzz, that feeling of belonging. That sense of collective identity and excitement that only live football can bring. There is live football happening every week in your national league and it desperately needs your support.

Shelbourne winger Paddy Kavanagh didn't mince his words when asked if crowd numbers at last night's Dublin derby might suffer because of a clash with Portugal and the Czech Republic's Euro 2012 quarter-final.


Anyone who starts choosing European games over their own homegrown teams would want to have a look at themselves. It's our league and it's our country.

The quality of games in the league is always improving and this year it's better again. Why not come out and watch and support them and have a great night instead of sitting in front of a TV listening to some clown talking crap about foreign players?

It should be possible, though, to have a constructive discussion about the League of Ireland without it descending into some pseudo-nationalist debate between Irish patriots and West Brit barstoolers. Trying to ram the league down reluctant throats will never work. It's human nature to rebel against a sense of obligation, not least when that obligation is going to lead you to a wet and windy terrace for a game that you're not that interested in.

For fans, the frustration mounts when the domestic game is dismissed as "shite" out of hand, often by people who would close the curtains if there was Airtricity League match on in their front garden: "Why would I watch that muck when I can sit in on a Saturday night and watch Xavi and Iniesta?"

For all of the league's faults — and God knows that's no short list — nothing will ever get better without support. Not the standard, not the grounds, not the facilities, nothing. And in this day and age, the most basic and direct means of support is with bums on seats.

It shouldn't be a chore. Why would it be? After all, 30,000 spared no expense to trek to Poland and cheer on a rather average group of players who were prepared to live and die by the honesty and intensity of their effort.

The dual blows of Gdansk and Gortakeegan are more closely linked than many care to admit. It's only one small part of a big picture but if we ever want to make something of ourselves on the international stage — if we ever want to win more than the party — we have to truly value what's on our doorstep.

Great article. "Best fans in the world".

[Capt Pat]

The GAA could go pro but are not willing to go pro. They need more games to make it work. There would have to be a champions league or NFL type system to generate more games. The market is there for it.

[supersarsfields]

Horse racing seems to be economically viable

Not for me!! 

[seafoid]

"Anyone who starts choosing European games over their own homegrown teams would want to have a look at themselves. It's our league and it's our country."

By the same token, anyone who wants to watch Bruce Springsteen instead of the second year musical at the local school would want to have a look at themselves. 
It's a free market. If punters aren't interested it's up to the LoI to make them interested.
LoI soccer doesn't have the imagination of the people. That is GAA. And rubby (when they play well) And Man u and Liverpool in selected areas.