All-Ireland U21 Football Championship 2014

[Mayo4Sam]

But you do admit theres not "probably 10 or so clubs struggling or if not struggling fighting hard not to struggle"

[Canalman]

But you do admit theres not "probably 10 or so clubs struggling or if not struggling fighting hard not to struggle"

Stand by what I posted.

[INDIANA]

Let's say for a second that you're right and Dublin don't have an advantage due to population (which I'm finding it hard to believe that you're actually saying to someone from Cavan).. Why are they given 1.5 million for games development and Cork, who have more clubs as you've said yourself, get 95k if what the lad above says is true? (If it's not then fair enough)
Surely the only rationale for giving Dublin such a huge amount of funding for games development would be if they were reaching a massively higher proportion of players than the counties that were given so much less?

Genuine questions here as I haven't ever paid much attention to this debate or the Dublin defence to it.

The number one reason its given is because in a study around 1999/2000 the GAA were so alarmed at the lack of penetration of the national games in the capital city they decided they had to do something about it.

Participation numbers had plummeted and were falling every year. For a city of 1m people GAA would be gone soon enough if they didn't.

Now there is definitely a case for redressing the balance and I have no issue with that. I don't see why the GAA doesn't make special funding available to certain counties for development structures. Won't win them an AI but it might in an odd year give them a shot at a provincial crown. But it seems the GAA are intent on stockpiling all their cash.

What they didn't bank on was Dublin organising their development structures so well. people think its money- its not. Its coaching expertise. So many counties were asleep at the wheel slating Dublin when they getting hammered by kilkenny at hurling and kerry and tyrone and football instead of looking after their own development structures.

But the idea that clubs in Dublin are getting it is rubbish. Dublin clubs are leveraged to the hilt in many cases from bad property deals similar to rural clubs. Have to fund raise to to build anything same as every club. We don't get anymore grants then anyone else.

Go and talk to clubs outside the top 6 and ask them how easy it is. My club is in the top 6 , has 2 all ireland club titles in 6 years and is still struggling! So Gods knows how the others are coping.

This is a special group of Dublin footballers. Our minors should have lost to Longford yesterday, Kildare have beaten us at minor level in the last couple of years, Its all cyclical. Kilkenny didn't destroy hurling winning 4 in  arow. Dublin won't at football either and we probably won't even win 2 in a row.

Who are the top 6 you're on about Indiana?
You've mentioned a few times about these top 6 and smaller clubs failing. Its not something I buy.
As someone that played, trained, managed and was on the committee of a small club they issue is too many clubs in a small area. If you look around Crumlin you have Crumlin, James Gaels, Good Council, Robert Emmets and part of TSS all within an asses roar of each other, the first four should look at amalgamations, apart from james and emmets they have good grounds which they own.

Which of these monster clubs would not make your top six?
Ballyboden
Kilmacud
Judes
Na Fianna
Brigids
Vincents
Ballymun

And that list doesnt include Ballinteer, Erins Isle, Slyvesters, Lucan, Tomas Davis, Plunketts and Parnells.

All of these clubs are bigger than anything we have in Mayo

When you go outside of that list there are plenty of other clubs, especially in north county dublin, that are thriving, Raheny, Maurs, Pats, Annes, Mernog, Man O War

Then you have the likes of TSS and Olafs that are going to be monster clubs

Vincents - we have 4 adult football teams and three adult hurling. We are tiny compared to some of the above. We aren't remotely close to the top 6 in dublin size wise.

In short your post is inaccurate.

Erins Isle are struggling badly. Rooted to the bottom of Div 2 and a club that hasn't won anything in years and surrounded by soccer. Its in big trouble.

Balinteer sandwiched between Boden and Crokes it holds its own but its not a big club or anything like it. It currently doesn't have a senior football manager because they haven't been able to get one. More of a hurling club.

Lucan - its largely a hurling club now. Football gone to pot and they are struggling badly at it after being relegated to Div 2.

Thomas Davis- in a soccer district it just holds its own . Past glories a distant memory now. Mired in millions of euros of debt.

Plunketts has 3 adult football teams are you seriously suggesting that a big club?

Parnells is not considered a Dublin club as it has half of Ireland playing for it -its essentially theold Civil  Service club.

Man O War- with a paddyfield for a pitch and one and a half adult football teams is thriving is it? Pass it on to them.

Mearnog- fantastic facilities with no teams to fill them. Has about 3 adult football teams on a good weekend and two adult hurling.

St Annes - two players over 40 playing for their senior team. Two adult football teams which the Mc Nallys still have to play for the second team or they couldn't field/ Thats a thriving big club is it ?.

Raheny is going well but again have very small numbers.

Pats? Tiny, tiny club. A lot of clubs in Mayo are miles bigger.

Olafs? Are you having a laugh? A senior team with an average of 31. Hasn't won an underage championship for donkey's years and Crokes and Boden take all their best players?

In the name of sanity do some god damn research the next time man.

Oh and by the way Innisfails in Dublin just went to the wall this week.

[Farrandeelin]

Your description of Naomh Mearnog reminds me a lot of us in Knockmore.

[muppet]

Mearnog- fantastic facilities with no teams to fill them. Has about 3 adult football teams on a good weekend and two adult hurling.

Indiana I am not on the side of my fellow culchies on this.

But with the numbers you quote, Mearnóg would be the biggest club in Mayo.

[Syferus]

Mearnog- fantastic facilities with no teams to fill them. Has about 3 adult football teams on a good weekend and two adult hurling.

Indiana I am not on the side of my fellow culchies on this.

But with the numbers you quote, Mearnóg would be the biggest club in Mayo.

So Knockmore is the biggest club in Mayo and West Roscommon.

[INDIANA]

Mearnog- fantastic facilities with no teams to fill them. Has about 3 adult football teams on a good weekend and two adult hurling.

Indiana I am not on the side of my fellow culchies on this.

But with the numbers you quote, Mearnóg would be the biggest club in Mayo.

With two and a half football teams? I doubt it very much.

Kilmacud and Boden dwarf every other club in Dublin. By a mile.

Ballymun again probably have two and a half adult football teams. Some weeks we are struggling to get 3.

We lost half our senior hurling team to Australia about 3 years ago. Granted we can replace them easier but not with the same quality we can't.

On average a lot of our clubs have far more in common with country clubs then the Independent Media Group lets on.

[muppet]

Mearnog- fantastic facilities with no teams to fill them. Has about 3 adult football teams on a good weekend and two adult hurling.

Indiana I am not on the side of my fellow culchies on this.

But with the numbers you quote, Mearnóg would be the biggest club in Mayo.

With two and a half football teams? I doubt it very much.

Kilmacud and Boden dwarf every other club in Dublin. By a mile.

Ballymun again probably have two and a half adult football teams. Some weeks we are struggling to get 3.

We lost half our senior hurling team to Australia about 3 years ago. Granted we can replace them easier but not with the same quality we can't.

On average a lot of our clubs have far more in common with country clubs then the Independent Media Group lets on.

3 adult football + 2 adult hurling teams is bigger than any Mayo club.

[INDIANA]

Mearnog- fantastic facilities with no teams to fill them. Has about 3 adult football teams on a good weekend and two adult hurling.

Indiana I am not on the side of my fellow culchies on this.

But with the numbers you quote, Mearnóg would be the biggest club in Mayo.

With two and a half football teams? I doubt it very much.

Kilmacud and Boden dwarf every other club in Dublin. By a mile.

Ballymun again probably have two and a half adult football teams. Some weeks we are struggling to get 3.

We lost half our senior hurling team to Australia about 3 years ago. Granted we can replace them easier but not with the same quality we can't.

On average a lot of our clubs have far more in common with country clubs then the Independent Media Group lets on.

3 adult football + 2 adult hurling teams is bigger than any Mayo club.

how many clubs do you have?

[BallyhaiseMan]

Cavan have 40 clubs, Should we not get 750,000 per year for Game development if the Dubs with their 80 clubs get 1.5 million? 
5 years ago, Ballyhaise,Killygarry,Baileborough,Killinkere,Mullahoran and Crosserlough all had 3 teams.
32 clubs had second teams, Only two Maghera and Corlough had no second team.

Today only Ramor have a third team, and Maghera,Corlough,Shannon Gaels,Ballyconnel First Ulsters/Kildallan,Munnterconnacht, Belturbet have no second teams.

[Main Street]

Nr of clubs means dick.
Around Carrick in Monaghan, within a short radius of the town there are 5 senior clubs serving a total population of about 8,000.
Clubs in townlands in the middle of nowhere, the Dublin equivalent would be the Stars of Erin, at a crossroads in the Dublin hills, behind a pub, who have  senior status and are  roundabouts Div 9 in the Dublin league.
Though the Monaghan country clubs have facilities that the Stars' don't have,  but Dublin fellahs are not that bothered about a shower after a game, are they?

[Ringfort]

I have a mate took up hurling for liffey gaels recently. The man is 30+ and only in it for the exercise. He says Liffey are somewhere around Div 5 in Dub hurling, its all just flake around, yet Liffey have pitches, facilities etc way superior to his home club, Birr, multiple Leinster and AI winners. This lad played minor for Biffs yet a bulshit Div 5 recreational side in Dub beats all???

[heffo]

I have a mate took up hurling for liffey gaels recently. The man is 30+ and only in it for the exercise. He says Liffey are somewhere around Div 5 in Dub hurling, its all just flake around, yet Liffey have pitches, facilities etc way superior to his home club, Birr, multiple Leinster and AI winners. This lad played minor for Biffs yet a bulshit Div 5 recreational side in Dub beats all???

Liffey Gaels have a clubhouse attached to a council pitch

[Ringfort]

Well who is shitting me here ?

Is the 'clubhouse' the fantastic facilities I hear about, and the pitch itself is some gammy phoenixpark job, or has the
birr man some anti-dub bias? I can only go off the testimony of an ex-biffo minor hurler,a Birr club man, who says the flake-around Dub version is far beyond what the biffo laochra gael are used to

[heffo]

Well who is shitting me here ?

Is the 'clubhouse' the fantastic facilities I hear about, and the pitch itself is some gammy phoenixpark job, or has the
birr man some anti-dub bias? I can only go off the testimony of an ex-biffo minor hurler,a Birr club man, who says the flake-around Dub version is far beyond what the biffo laochra gael are used to

Have a look on their respective websites/Facebook pages and make up you're own mind