Lack of GAA knowledge

Can you believe the lack of knowledge in relation to Gaélic games worldwide?

One of the most ancient games in the world and the fastest field and ball sport in the world (Hurling) and one of the best (Gaelic football). Now if you were to ask someone outside of Ireland about our beloved sport, there is a very good chance that they would have no clue about what the GAA is!

Would you put it down to ignorance or lack of promotion of the games?

totally agree. hardly anyone is england knows what GAA is - but it is suprising how many you do meet who do. In the summer I was on holiday on the Isles of Scilly the week Tipp were beaten by Waterford in the All-Ireland semi ,and as I was walking along the harbour wearing a Tipperary polo shirt a bloke comes up to me in a Mayo polo shirt, shakes my hand and says "hard luck on Sunday mate". We went on to spend the next ten minutes or so discussing Tipp U21's chances in the final vs. Kilkenny, before he got on the ferry. It is fairly common for me to be wearing some kind of jacket, jersey or shirt GAA related and people often notice the logo and comment on it. Went to the cinema in York a few weeks back and ended up sat wearing a Tipperary shirt right next to a guy in Galway shirt. Was at the local (football) soccer club the other night and saw a lass playing in black and amber. 'That's a Hull City shirt' says the guy with me but sure it was a Kilkenny shirt. Yesterday I saw a guy in town wearing a Meath shirt. Last time I was at the shopping outlet place there was someone in an old Tipp jersey. Was pucking around up at me local playing field when some guy came up behind me and asks 'hey where'd ye get your hurl from?'. There is a lot of people who DO know, but also a lot of people who don't.

In agreement with you there homies

I've always wondered if gaelic games were shown on BBC television in England (not BBC Ulster) during the summer, how popular they might become. People are starved for some summer sport over there when there's no world cup or euro championships on. I remember the first broadcast the BBC did from Croke Park for the rugby match with France. They were in awe of the stadium. John Inverdale himself wrote a great article about his enjoyment of the all-ireland final for 2006. Said he couldn't get over how a hero like Henry Shefflin will be back at work the following week after winning the biggest prize in his sport.

However, when you start opening up TV rights, Sky Sports will always be lurking in the back. I can't see too many people over in the UK looking to sign up to the pay for view channels like Setanta or Sky Sports just to see what all the fuss is about for Gaelic Games. If it was shown on terrestial tv over there it would get better exposure

holymoly wrote:In agreement with you there homies

I've always wondered if gaelic games were shown on BBC television in England (not BBC Ulster) during the summer, how popular they might become. People are starved for some summer sport over there when there's no world cup or euro championships on. I remember the first broadcast the BBC did from Croke Park for the rugby match with France. They were in awe of the stadium. John Inverdale himself wrote a great article about his enjoyment of the all-ireland final for 2006. Said he couldn't get over how a hero like Henry Shefflin will be back at work the following week after winning the biggest prize in his sport.

However, when you start opening up TV rights, Sky Sports will always be lurking in the back. I can't see too many people over in the UK looking to sign up to the pay for view channels like Setanta or Sky Sports just to see what all the fuss is about for Gaelic Games. If it was shown on terrestial tv over there it would get better exposure

we can only dream holy.....

You boys are off your heads!!!

Was done years ago and I mean years ago. They used to show the highlights of the championship from provionsial finals onwards. Rem I was working in Newcastle many moons ago 15/16 years ago and I got to see the all-ireland semis and finals on the box not to sure but i think it was C4 who showed them at the time.
You would be surprised how many look at the games any fall for them straight away. Rules are simple enough- well you have no silly offside thing to explain which most people can't.
Remember been in Turkey and saw the All-Ireland between Meath & Kerry and also saw the Kerry Tyrone (Part 1) one in Boston and the the amount of non irish looking at the games was very high

Channel 4 Jim? must've been a heck of a long time ago. the best we can get here is PPV setanta - and they don't show that much for the price you pay them. RTE media player or LW radio for me i'm afraid - or live in Ireland of course!

i know you can get setanta online. i have seem some matches that way most notable dublin tyrone not to sure if its a deal done with eircom or not. if you go to the eircom site you can access setanta

Administrator wrote:Can you believe the lack of knowledge in relation to Gaélic games worldwide?

One of the most ancient games in the world and the fastest field and ball sport in the world (Hurling) and one of the best (Gaelic football). Now if you were to ask someone outside of Ireland about our beloved sport, there is a very good chance that they would have no clue about what the GAA is!

Would you put it down to ignorance or lack of promotion of the games?

Can you believe the lack of knowledge in relation to Gaelic games and culture in Ireland?

We have handball - a game which can easily be dated to 17th century Ireland (Far older then modern Football), and yet Irish people often wrinkle their noses when they hear it mentioned (or worse- assume I mean the Olympic variety). Is rounders even played anymore?
And the absolute lack of promotion of the Irish Language is sickening from an organisation that has it in it's constitution to promote the language

Would you put it down to ignorance or lack of promotion by the GAA?

Cliste wrote:

Administrator wrote:Can you believe the lack of knowledge in relation to Gaélic games worldwide?

One of the most ancient games in the world and the fastest field and ball sport in the world (Hurling) and one of the best (Gaelic football). Now if you were to ask someone outside of Ireland about our beloved sport, there is a very good chance that they would have no clue about what the GAA is!

Would you put it down to ignorance or lack of promotion of the games?

Can you believe the lack of knowledge in relation to Gaelic games and culture in Ireland?

We have handball - a game which can easily be dated to 17th century Ireland (Far older then modern Football), and yet Irish people often wrinkle their noses when they hear it mentioned (or worse- assume I mean the Olympic variety). Is rounders even played anymore?
And the absolute lack of promotion of the Irish Language is sickening from an organisation that has it in it's constitution to promote the language

Would you put it down to ignorance or lack of promotion by the GAA?

would agree with you
Question how many games are there in the GAA ?
Lets see if people do know about their organisation??

JimWexford wrote:would agree with you
Question how many games are there in the GAA ?
Lets see if people do know about their organisation??

I'm afraid that I'll get this wrong!

Well there's:

Football (Ladies), Hurling (Camogie), Handball (Small, One Wall, Soft&Hardball), Rounders (The national Rounders site has had just a thousand hits(Rounders)), After that there is scór, puc fada, anything else!?

Would the Féile na nGael count?

LilMaighEo wrote:Would the Féile na nGael count?

Is that not just a competition of the above though?

Cliste wrote:

LilMaighEo wrote:Would the Féile na nGael count?

Is that not just a competition of the above though?

Ya, I suppose. What about road bowling?

LilMaighEo wrote:

Cliste wrote:

LilMaighEo wrote:Would the Féile na nGael count?

Is that not just a competition of the above though?

Ya, I suppose. What about road bowling?

It's not a GAA game: Road Bowling webite

We can only expect the GAA to do so much

Ara it's Gaelic though so it's nearly GAA

Cliste you got them all
Football all under the one banner now used to be separate they are somewhat interlinked now

Hurling, Camogie is and always was under this.
Handball as you pointed out
Rounders the game the know alls generally forget

Know not to sure about this but think community games could of started within the GAA but has evolved into its own body.

Feile etc are all separate competitions.

JimWexford wrote:Cliste you got them all
Football all under the one banner now used to be separate they are somewhat interlinked now

Hurling, Camogie is and always was under this.
Handball as you pointed out
Rounders the game the know alls generally forget

Know not to sure about this but think community games could of started within the GAA but has evolved into its own body.

Feile etc are all separate competitions.

Don't doubt me Ha!

I am of the belief however that the GAA only really takes care of the football and hurling. Ladies football, Camogie and Handball all have their own structures broadly under the GAA's control.

There was a motion at our county handball AGM to get the handball to revert to being under the direct control of the GAA structure because the feeling is that instead of taking care of handball the GAA pushes it to the side.

What do you think of the GAA's promotion of it's lesser games (And I want a bit of debate - so if you disagree with me do say!)

Cliste agree with you onearly all points.
I can only really speak from a wexford point of view
Clubs pay a token payment 50/60 euro whilst the pay there affliation for the year. Handball board were always allowed to collect at the hurling county final this has been changed now to the semi finals. Handball have a rep on the county board but very rarely has there ever been a debate regarding handball.
Wexford would have a good tradition of handball but like my club with a few all ireland medals we have an alley that is used for indoor hurling (u-6 to 10's) soccer also use it for underage and then for racketball but regards handball hasn't been used in years.

GAA fails to promote itself full stop and what it promotes are only the big two rounders & handball are left to there own devices as far as I can see

JimWexford wrote:rounders & handball are left to there own devices as far as I can see

Thats it - put simpily! But is that the best strategy?

No far from it.
Hurling and football are all about hand eye co-ordination (hurling more so) what do these "so called" lesser games do, but develop this and more. Fitness levels required are high to keep players fit in the off season.
With so many other distractions and the total acceptance of the queens game in most parishes these two VERY important sports have been left on the back boiler and we talk about the deterioration of our national games looking at the Sunday game(sport now) and they are advertising champion feckin league which have nothing to do with our games.
Most good handballers are usually the most skilful players on GAA teams.