FORMER IRISH ATHLETE Jerry Kiernan believes GAA players do not train hard enough to warrant grants.
It was announced yesterday that the Irish Sports Council and the GAA were renewing their agreement for the next two years meaning €900,000 will be made available for inter-county players to receive payments of around €400-per-year.
Kiernan, who represented Ireland in the marathon at the 1984 Olympics Games and regularly appears as an athletics analyst on RTE Sport, is opposed to the scheme, however – suggesting there is too much emphasis put on the GAA.
Speaking on Off The Ball last night, Kiernan said: “I think that the GAA are the richest sporting organisation in the country and should be well able to look after themselves.
I watch some of the games occasionally but I don’t particularly like the GAA. I don’t like football in particular. I don’t think there’s much to it, but I watched bits of the national league games over the weekend and what struck me was how unfit players were.
“An athlete I coach, Joe Sweeney, training 120 mile-a-week for the last six months, ran a 30km road race in Holland last weekend and won the race. There was no mention of it on the national airwaves.
“We’re giving so much prominence to a sport that I feel doesn’t deserve it.”
Kiernan added that the commitment to training made by athletes in other sports is not matched by those participating at inter-county level in football and hurling.
“I don’t have a high opinion of their fitness or their commitment to fitness. I understand that it means an awful lot to people in the country and from an economic point of view when you’ve got thousands of people going to the games it means a lot to the country.
“If this money, and it’s only a small amount, wasn’t given to them, would it dilute the attendances at the championships? I don’t think so.”
I believe that the GAA people live in a cloistered world, don’t think beyond what they do and they tell themselves that they’re training hard.
“I always notice as well when they’re commenting on things they often talk about the sacrifices they make. You’ll never hear that among athletes, boxers, swimmers or people who do international running.”
“If there is a finite amount of money involved I would only give it to people who are competing internationally.”
I agree completely. There is no doubt that these lads train like trojans, but it’s training geared around a professional career elsewhere. 3 times a week plus a match on the weekend seems insanely tough when you’re working full-time 9-5 (and it is) but it’s still a long way from the full time, 7-day morning-midday-evening programs that our full-time athletes and sportsmen/women commit to. Money from the ISC should be invested in helping full-time athletes whose full-time dedication in the pursuit of success allows no time for careers on the side. If they really believe that their players deserve a couple of hundred euro a year then the GAA should open up the coffers and pay it out themselves. No doubt they’ve more than enough.
If you think inter county footballers only train 3 times a week you don’t know many inter county footballers
There are athletes who have represented their country with distinction run about 200 KM a week in training and hold down 9-5 job and get nothing or very little financial reward of media recognition for their efforts.
My point concerning the full-time career remains valid though. Grants should be for those who depend SOLELY on their sport as a means of income.
I do take your point, but how much money does the GAA generate in revenue each year for the country?
Surely this must be taken into consideration when giving grants?
The sacrifices GAA players make end up costing them huge amounts of money through missing out on promotion, overtime etc
I’m sorry but inter county gaa players don’t miss out on promotions, they walk into jobs in banks, solicitors, and as teacher from college arranged by the County boards, the big names charge up to 2000€ a time for public appearances. The grants scheme could easily be covered by the gaa organisation itself and then some on top of it.
people the amount of money that gets siphoned of in the GAA is for concern ,i was at a game in thurles years ago and the stadium which holds 56000 when full . was at about three quarters full and they said there was 27000 at the game
Jerry Kiernan is a contrarian and gets his kicks out of kicking up a stink like this. I met him last year while I was in the middle of marathon training, doing about 80 miles a week, and he as good as laughed at me, suggesting I was ‘soft’ for not doing 120.
The problem with some elite runners is that they tend to look down their noses at other sports. There’s a real Spartan, masochistic side to long-distance running, and it attracts people like Kernan, who then love to make silly and meaningless comparisons with GAA and soccer.
It’s like comparing apples and oranges. Most top-level inter-county players are training 5-6 days a week at this stage. Unlike runners, who can pop on a pair of trainers, step out the front door and have a session done in an hour, a GAA player will do at least two collective sessions a week which often involve a large amount of travel home and back and take up entire evenings. Then weekends are as good as gone from January to mid to late summer if they’re lucky. Then it’s probably back to their clubs. For this, they get €400 a year in funding! I think inter-county GAA is currently very close to a tipping point with regard to just how much we can continue to wring out of amateur players. John Mullane’s decision to retire at 31 is a case in point.
Unfortunately, Jerry Kiernan chooses to remain ignorant of this. To him, anyone who isn’t stick thin and pounding the roads seven days a week isn’t fit. But GAA players aren’t training to be long-distance runners; they’re training for a contact sport that requires a completely different kind of fitness. While I agree that there is an over-emphasis on weight training and players bulking up of late, his suggestion that some GAA players are overweight is silly.
Jerry mentions his own athlete, Joe Sweeney, who is currently funded to the tune of €12,000 per year by the Irish Sports Council (30 times what a GAA player will get out of the scheme). Joe had a very poor result in the European Cross Country, finishing 27th, and he could be in danger of losing that funding. If that happened you can guarantee that Kiernan would raise hell, telling the world about how dedicated his athlete is and all the sacrifices he makes.
Jerry seems to have a gripe with the GAA, perhaps something dating back from his times in Brosna. Newstalk love getting him on because he’s great radio when he has a go like this, but sometimes he’s just talking complete and utter ráiméis.
Well said discopants
Discopants’ comment is the definitive comment on this story. Well said.
Calling football basic? Running isn’t exactly rocket science. He got the attention he was looking for so i suppose.
Nail on the head!!
You obviously know very little about running.
Christopher,
Nobody is saying it’s not a tough sport. But to dismiss football as basic and hold up running as a comparison? Explain what skill there is to running… Not hard work, not tactics., what skill is involved?
Robert, running may be straightforward but competitive running is anything but.
I used to be involved with a senior London ased rugby club some thirty years ago and to spice up the pre-season training one year we brought in an Olympics class sprint coach for a couple of sessions and the difference he made in just two sessions was extraordinary. Three of our backs were full interationals at the time and even they ade serious improvements in pace. By the way, the first and second team trained two nights a week at the club and had structured self anaged daily sessions to fit in with their jobs. This included gym sessions and road work. Oh! the romance of the amateur era!
I can see where running for could improve sprinting, but in a marathon?
Anyway I’m not getting onto a snagging match with other sports, unlike Kiernan I have respect for other sports and sports people
*running = form
Hurling a great skilful game – football turnip kickers !
You are talking absolute nonsense Gerry.
What a bitter little man is Mr Kiernan. The GAA is a fantastic organisation that has worked hard to get where it is. Maybe Irish athletics should take a leaf from the GAA’s book.
I guess poor old Gerry couldn’t master the solo. Will he be asking Sexton to donate some of his money to the local badminton club next?
I’ve no doubt athletes train hard and sacrifice a lot in the pursuit of success but its their career. Kiernan, once more displays his ignorance of anything outside his own sport. Ask him to try running with a ball at the pace inter county footballers do and trying the hop and solo. GAA clubs up and down the country are all inclusive and don’t discriminate against children or adults because of a perceived lack of talent like athletics does.
read what he’s saying . because he’s right ! it’s an amateur sport apparently , if it is then money should not be part of it. Pride in the jersey or money , if their not happy don’t play ..Jerry Kiernan is right
Chris,
I presume you feel the same about amateur boxers then?
Can’t say I disagree with that…
The GAA have more money than everyone in the entire country put together!! I agree they should cough up themselves and maybe other sports could benefit from that money….
As a sub-four minute mile runner and an Olympian athlete his opinions must be respected.
as a person who, in his own words “doesn’t particularly like the GAA and doesn’t like gaelic football in particular” i don’t really think his opinion should be respected. its clear he knows next to nothing about the GAA
I listened to the interview last night with Jerry. He sounded bitter, angry & negative. He is not comparing like with like. He seems to think that every athelete/sports person should aim for the Olympics and won’t tolerate anything less. Unless you are at the level of Ussain Bolt he won’t entertain you. No understanding, very narrow minded.
Elitist idiot. He’s only short of saying that GAA folks are too common for him to associate with. Well he’s entitled to his opinion.
Why he would express such an opinion on a national forum is beyond me.
I’ve always wondered why I don’t like the man, -that attitude comes across whenever he is commentating / analysing on TV.
I happen to agree with the money point, which is expressed by dermot o’shea much more articulately and with more subtlety than Kieran was able to put it.
The guy has some nerve considering his sport is well funded by government but doesnt produce much stars.
For a country of our size, our distinction on the Athletics world stage is formidable.
I think you are been a bit generous about that Dermot.
@Dermot: we have a population of 4 million. Jamaica has a population of 2.7 million. So are we still formidable?
The GAA invests huge amounts every year into grassroots, from kids teams to inter county. Some ill informed stereotypical comments here regarding the GAA.
I think the London 2012 memories are still too fresh. Historically the Irish have punched above their weight in track and field – long distance runners (in a low-altitude, shite-weather country) being a particular example. Sonia O’Sullivan, Eamon Coughlan, Eileen O’Keeffe, Derval O’Rourke.
@Lord Loverrocket: Granted Jamaica are incredibly strong in a certain, confined discipline but unless you thought that “Cool Runnings” was a documentary, they’re not particularly strong across the entire athletics spectrum. This is getting away from the point that if GAA players feel themselves deserving of financial support (for which I honestly think there’s a strong argument) then they either need to fall under a government-directed sports council/grant provider, or else force their own association to cough up!!
dermot, outside of sonja and eamon coughlan and john treacy you could hardly call us “formidable” on the world stage
Cathal, the overall principle of those deserving of GOVERNMENT grants – for me – remains fixed. If people believe that Irish athletes are underperforming then they need to think long and hard about exactly what it takes to achieve a qualifying time/score for an international meet or indeed the Olympics. I have no doubt to the effort put in by the footballers, but owing to the GAA’s own (justified) pride a being self-sufficient I think that they should be reimbursing their players themselves and not getting grants from the ISC. Admittedly, Jerry’s language is regrettable.
Jamaica can easily send its athletes to train in the states. It’s also invested heavily in world class facilities and coaches. Oh and athletics comes second to cricket as their national sport, athletics comes after gaa, soccer, rugby, equestrian sports, golf and probably a few more in this country. Completely different cases.
I’m a member of the gaa. The “investments” into the underage is only seen at intercounty just a level not at grassroots that’s a line they spin to make themselves seem generous.
Cul camps. Scor na nOg. Cumann na mBunscoil. All grassroots. All under 12. All financed directly by the GAA. Start looking beyond the parochial problems
Good point ger. The cul camps are a brilliant initiative, without doubt, but scor(na nog and sinsear) as a branch of the gaa has declined drastically in recent years due to lack of promotion and interest from youth. Saddens me as a former all Ireland finalist in scor. Cumann na mbunscoil is also fantastic but dependent on the presence of an interested party in the school.
Kiernan needs to go off and read up on what the GAA is actually all about. It’s a huge part of our society and is the lifeblood of many areas of the country.
If he thinks players are unfit he clearly hasn’t a clue what he’s talking about, it’s a slur on them.
But the fact he actually says he doesn’t like the game tells us all we need to know. It’s pure bitterness.
It should also be noted that the GAA is backing the IRFU’s effort to host the Rugby World Cup for 2023 which, if it succeeds, would be a huge boost for the country as a whole. The GAA is not perfect by any means but it does its best and deserves our gratitude. It doesn’t deserve sly, smart arse elitist comments on the airwaves from someone who clearly can’t stand to see other sports be successful.
Jerry has some points in there I guess, possibly he’s looking for attention. It’s laughable calling GAA sports basic, he’s now opened his sport to similar arguments and it’s his own fault. kids learn how to run before they master catching a ball or scoring a point, I know there is a lot more to running than that but that’s the level of comment this type of language generates, he should know enough about sports not to call another basic, and enough about life not to approach his argument from this point of view.
Club houses and pitches are built largely by communities, it brings people together, sucess grants locals hero status for life even at minor or intermediate level, there is no harm in that. It might be the attention and not the €400 a year that people play for or that unrecognised athletes might be envious of.
We have an issue with funding sports in this country, the boxers have shown us what a little money can help achieve, but attacking other sports is not the way to further your sports case in my opinion.
People that know so little about something should probably keep their opinions to themselves. He’s says there’s not much to football, I’d imagine there’s a bit more involved than running. Is the athlete he’s talking about also holding down a full time job during his 120 mile a week training? Considering the amount of money we waste in this country I don’t think €900k is an awful lot. In fact, I don’t think it’s anywhere near enough for a sport that generates so much revenue for small, medium and large businesses throughout the country.
Exactly, €900,000 isn’t a lot of money and is easily affordable by the GAA. Gerry Keirnan will get a lot of criticism for his comments but at the end of the day we should be more critical of the GAA for not stumping up the cash themselves.
There are more to both sides of this argument than both sides are saying. firstly; The GAA- i agree the players are committed, train hard when they train and there is a big time constraint on their lives, but does anyone think that happens in every inter county team? no. there is an elitist group in the GAA also, the same teams we see in Croke Park every year. Those teams have to train more than others, but what of the other 20-odd intercounty teams? i hardly think the lads in Carlow or Louth will, to quote an earlier comment,’ give up 10 months of socialising’ is simply ludicrous. Players will go out throughout these months up until the summer when it gets very serious, I’ve seen them and I know them, at all levels from inter-county to minor inter county teams. Also, nobody seemed to mention the fact that the GAA’s annual revenue is roughly 78 MILLION EURO A YEAR. And why Irish sports council feel the need to give them money is beyond me.
Secondly- ‘Elitist Athletes’ most of you don’t realise the system in place for athletics, and how little money there is for the athletes. I currently have an Olympian living in my house who’s life is dedicated to training and the value of his grant, 12,000 euro for the year, with no other income i bet you can guess that is tough to live on.
Also, I myself are part of the ‘High Performance System’ and have represented Ireland internationally at Worlds and this year I will be European Juniors. I train 7 days a week. doing about 70km, while doing my leaving cert, and I’ve never received a penny off the Irish Sports Council or the other Athletics Associations. So let me be clear, there is elitist athletes, but they are rare and most are like me, doing it, (to quote one of the most over used phrases in gaa history) ‘ for the love of the game’
There are a lot of good people in the gaa, but don’t go on to slam athletics just because the results arent there.
Consider this, the budget for the Irsh olympic boxers is the same as Donegal Gaa, and look what the boxers achieved.
Luke, genuine question, what return should the taxpayer expect for this yearly 12k investment into your housemate.
Look, you can ask this question for any investment in sport like universities giving scholarships to athletes across a wide range. I think its almost for the prestige. 1% of the worlds population is Olympians, so that in itself is a prestigious title. The more elite sports people Ireland has the better it is for public image. There is obviously good reasons for it when almost every country in the world invest in athletics. But when Ireland’s sport investment for 2012 was 32 million euro, does 12k seem much? and to put it in perspective, a person on the dole can earn over 9k a year, not including any other benefits. It isn’t a glamorous lifestyle by any means
I listened to the whole programme on newstalk last night..he clearly has a grudge against the gaa.he probably wasnt picked as a youngster..he said top inter county players are a stone or stone and a half overweight…hes on another planet. His whole tone towards the gaa players was disgusting..shame on him
What a horrible mullet. I’d love to see Jerry come down to a local GAA club, nevermind a county set-up and see how things really work.
What an utter, utter clown of a man. Clearly he know nothign about the commitment that players are giving up for the GAA. Guys, and girls, doing full time jobs around the country and having to commute back home twice or three times a week for training. People opting out of socialising with their family and friends for 10 months of the year despite the fact that they are amateurs and stand to gain very little from the sport in the long run outside of the satisfaction that it gives them.
If Jerry wants to give training a go just to see how ‘little’ there is to the game then I’m sure it could be arranged to have him train with a senior county side for six week and see where he stands at the end of it.
Do other Irish amateur athletes not put in as much time and effort as that, then, no? That’s the point he’s making.
Other irish athletes don’t generate even a small portion of the money the GAA generates for the country
Other sports don’t have as much money as the GAA already has. It doesn’t mean they deserve less recognition for their sacrifices or achievements. What a terrible attitude.
John, I never made reference top what other amateur athletes do, unlike Mr Kiernan. I was reacting to what he said about GAA players, their training methods and how he said: “I don’t think there’s much to it, but I watched bits of the national league games over the weekend and what struck me was how unfit players were”.
That would be like me saying that running is only putting one foot in front of the other and criticising how long distance runners have poor hand eye coordination and are unable to kick a point from the sideline.
That’s fair enough, but my point on recognition for their achievements and coverage thereof still stands. It’s weighed hugely in the GAA’s favour, and always has been.
And just to be clear, I don’t want to detract from your commitments and achievements, or any other GAA players’ either. I’m just stating that it would be nice to have some balance.
Well it’s always going to be given the prominence that GAA hold in Irish society and tradition.
In fairness it’s not the first time Kiernan has made a clown of himself with comments like these – the set to with James Nolan on RTE in 2004 being the previous occasion that springs to mind.
Balance is fair enough, if hard training and commitment is being put in.
But to go on national airwaves and utter bile like this that he cannot back up is only doing more harm to the runners and athletes that are trying to raise sponsorship.
I can accept your points Sir. However the sports to which Mr Kiernan refers to are the most popular in the country. Where I have an issue is in him saying he doesn’t like GAA. Most GAA people support all sports played in the country. They might not go to them all or read about them all. If he doesn’t like GAA sports so be it. Doesn’t mean he is qualified to comment on the training regime of amateur sports people.
I still can’t understand the controversy on GAA. Instead of paying players week by week etc why don’t the GAA contribute to a pension fund for these players that they make so much money from. The more time contributed at inter county the higher the contribution or something. Also contribute to some sort of fund where money would be made available to injured players who have loss of earrings while injured playing. I understand why the GAA want to remain amateur but allowing the players no money out of it is senseless.
You’re right Eoin – hate it when I lose my ‘earrings’ playing :-)
Haha auto correct fail at its finest
Very good suggestion, seeing as they can’t pay them. This would be a better option.
Kieran’s assertion that he doesn’t really like or watch GAA shows that his opinion has zero value in this argument. How can he give an opinion without really studying GAA? He just comes across as a sports snob. Athletics is entitled to more than it gets in this country but attempting to get more by taking from others is the wrong way to go about it.
I don’t much like jerry Kieran neither do I much like the gaa but he is wrong here. Gaelic football and hurling are hugely popular with the general public and for this reason alone the players deserve the grant. I can’t for the life of me understand the popularity of Gaelic football: it’s a game requiring minimum skill levels. It didnt grow organically like hurling but was invented by a group of men sitting in a room and it has all the hallmarks. They still can’t decide on the rules ffs.on fitness levels in gaa: part time soccer players in the eircom league can play up to 3 games a week thro the season but gaa players and managers complain if they have to play 2 weeks in a row, can never understand that.
I don’t know this jerry bit did joe Sweeney have to get into a car like Lee Chin last Sunday when the Wexford football game was postponed and drive 200 plus miles home from Wexford to play the Walsh Cup Fina arriving just before throw in. No he bloody well didn’t. Or did he like many inter county players have to work Sunday night after their match? No he didn’t. Or drive back to College Sunday night or early Monday morning? Eh no likely. Inter county players are in the midst of a very heavy training schedule and many would have trained Saturday before their match Sunday. Most panels now train Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and match Sunday. If you don’t like it don’t watch it. You will find most GAA people quite like Athletics as they watch most sports. What a stupid comment from someone whom I would have had admiration for.!
He’s not talking about himself, he’s talking about other Irish athletes who put in as much if not more training than inter county GAA players but get not nearly the amount of coverage, funding or recognition for it.
whether it’s wrong or right, people are going to give recognition and media coverage to the sports that the general public are entertained by(the GAA being hugely popular) i know our international athletes are working very hard but that won’t sell newspapers or give high ratings on tv
@john, that’s not the GAAs fault. It’s the national sport. Yes, it makes a lot of money but not just for itself. It’s a huge contributor to the economy. As such, gaa players should be entitled to a good bit of funding. Athletics needs to work on its image, yes its way down the pecking order but rugby was once a minority sport in this country too. Maybe athletics Ireland needs to acknowledge they aren’t as popular and until they are, preferential treatment will be given to others
I agree completely. Why should he state provide grants when their own organisation can more than afford to reward them financially. These sports grants should be reserved for full time athletes competing regaularly on the international stage.
I’d like see him tog out and play 70 minutes of an all Ireland hurling final against men from Kilkenny, Tipperary or Galway. He wouldn’t last 10 minutes.
The idiot should engage brain before opening mouth
Do they declare the 400 for tax purposes?
(Sorry, couldn’t resist bringing in the compliance aspect).
“Tax? Shure that’s only for that crowd up in Dublin.” :)
Irish athletes have won 6 track and field medals since the GAA ceded control of athletics in 1922, between 1896 and 1922 with the GAA in charge we won 26 track and field medal with Irish athletes representing different countries dominating events.
Competition has increased just a small bit since 1922!!!
Where does all the GAA money actually go…??
It is the Gaelic ATHLETIC association, – not the G. Football A.
More big paychecks for the old boys at the top, perhaps…??
It is invested back into grassroots. There are very few people within the GAA who are actually paid – from the people who mark the local pitches, coach local teams or county development squads to the stewarts who show you to your seat in Croker.
They help clubs in need of coaches, run courses etc and because of this allow clubs to run their services in the communities for a lot cheaper than most other sports.
He’s wrong about the effort too, most county teams have players training in the gym as well as field training and that is also on top of their own club commitments so yes they do sacrifice to play for their county.
ok we should put down our hurleys, throw out our footballs and take off running because it is called the Gaelic ATHLETIC association . . .
@Cathy, with respect, regarding your comment on investment in grassroots- I live in a strong hurling area.
Im very aware through friends involved in clubs of the difficulties that they encounter vis. funding basic projects. It appears to me that the GAA invests minimally in ‘grassroots’ preferring instead to exploit volunteerism and local or community fundraising. For an organisation as wealthy as the GAA this is cynical in the extreme. Its evident that theyre solely interested in maintaining a heirarchy of powerbases through county towns and regional centers. This isnt rocket science.
I would neither agree nor disagree with what Gerry says regarding GAA as it’s not my sport, and I see that his views on training and fitness are generating a lot of heat here, but I can certainly say that the money issue and myth of grassroots investment is more intriguing.
More like Grab All Association!
the security personel are paid in brown paper envelopes. that’s how i was paid and told to say nothing.
I’m publicly calling out Gerry Kiernan. He is welcome to train with our senior team for a week, including match preparation for the weekend and travel. Then and only then can he be truly objective in his bitter and antagonistic views regarding the GAA
Gerry ,it’s a long time since 1984 ,put yer money where your big mouth is ,typical crap from people living off medals or near medals for years ,the gaa prove themselves every year ,we have some of the worst atheletes track and field ,London proved that
Think he’s wrong on the effort part but there is way too much emphasis on field sports in this country.
This is chalk and cheese u can’t compare athletics with gaa…most athletes wouldn’t last ten minutes on a gaa pitch and vice versa 95 percent of gaa players wouldn’t finish a marathon…but to criticise players is unfair especially when the man has no interest or never played the games…maybe if athletics Ireland promoted itself better they mite get more sponsorship
I agree with you that his views are too extreme. The interview was almost like sending Hitler to a Peace convention. But to say most athlete’s wouldn’t last 10 minutes on a gaa pitch, you’re really going to have to specify the level they would be playing at. I’m an athlete myself who played gaa up until minor and I was fitter than every player on the pitch bar one or two. Gaa is similar to athletics that there may be 5% that are top quality athletes but the rest aren’t.
Well said, Luke. A lot in the GAA (and rugby and soccer) don’t have a clue how dedicated participants of other amateur sports are.
Sounds like Jerry is throwing his toys out of the pram.. go RUN after them before you lose them! Pure conceited argument to call Gaelic Football basic and brand inter-county footballers unfit.. have a run out on the pitch there Jerry and see how long you last at 8 stone and getting hit from all sides as you try to play such a basic game! Oh and i’d happily give you a €400 grant to cut the mullet :-)
Absolutely right Gerry. About time somebody stood up to this organisation. Hard men? A bunch of whiners and moaners. There’s always something wrong with them.
Well said Gerry; I have noticed how shocking the league is and poor ball skills. As for fitness; never got the whole crap that went on in the GAA, when they just end up beating the crap out of each other.
As for a grant; try GAA are minted! Time to look at how Government monies are spent in this institution!
Missing the point…. You win an Olympic or World athletics medal and the country gets worldwide recognition. The fact that Kerry, Dublin or Donegal win an All Ireland championship means nothing to the rest of the world. GAA games are parochial, played only in Ireland and by obscure exile clubs elsewhere.
Are you so insecure that you need world wide recognition? Why not worry about your own sports, and let the vainglorious panic over the worlds perceptions? The ties and bonds created by a shared love of your native sports are not as vain, or insecure, as the ones you seem to hold in such high regard. A people proudly focused on their own cultures sports appears stronger and secure in their own identity, when viewed from the outside.
Totally agree, I would rather be competitive on the world level than win a cup for my parish
Alex,
You don’t have many friends do you?
And why would you think that?
Alex,
Personal choice, but I would rather win something with the lads I have grown up with for the last 15 years than be an also ran on the world stage. That’s a no brainer for me
The GAA is hugely popular, promotes hard work and physical well being, so why shouldn’t it be placed in high regard? It is a team sport, which is played in all counties, and unites small towns and villages in a way no other body could do. I admire athletics, and love to go for a jog a few times a week, but it pales in comparison the role the GAA plays in Irish society. An athlete winning some race is great, but your county winning an all Ireland is glorious!
And many people have argued the GAA is rolling in it and should pay their own way, but that is just not true. Maintaining stadiums, paying staff, giving assistance to struggling clubs, paying bank loans, utilities, promoting the sport and developing grounds is a hugely expensive operation. The government gives this assistance because it is aware that the GAA could not pay for it on its own, as it does not have the resources. We are a small country and the GAA is part of who we are, so it is not able to compete with soccer and other foreign games without assistance.
Gerry you are way off the mark, begrudgery is not the best way to make a point. The GAA is the most powerful amateur sporting organisation in the world, that didn’t happen by chance or national funding, it has happened as a result of hard work and commitment by many in every parish in the country. The GAA is not all about county teams or all Ireland finals it’s about under 10s 12s 14s 18s 21s junior and intermediate, representative of all sections of society male and female. The successful players give hugh commitment and make many personal sacrifices to play at the highest level.
He watched a national league game and thought players didn’t look fit. That’s because the league is only a training ground for the championship and blooding younger players. As for there not being much to it, well this is coming from a guy who basically walks but just a little faster. He sounds a little bitter to me, probably because he was sh1t at football.
Well said gerry….i agree completely
I will never forget the nite years back George hook gave the deciding vote on sports star of the year to Henry shefflin , Gerry was disgusted dervla was not picked , hook just answered ‘she won silver Gerry , she didn’t win ” classic .
ALL GAA players have a day job whereas these “elite” athletes don’t, so who is actually working harder? The person who works all day to earn money and then trains 5-6 nights a week with a match most Sundays for nothing or the person who has their day structured around training and gets paid for it?
I’ve always said there should be a system in place that sets out targets these “elite” athletes have to meet in order to keep their grant. We saw a very poor performance from most of our athletes in the Olympics (except the boxers of course) but yet they all continue to receive their grant.
If an athlete doesn’t even make it out of their heat in a major tournament he/she should have the grant reduced. It should be an incentive based grant system. At the moment it’s a complete waste of money as most of our athletes can only win things in Ireland (Fionnuala Britton the one exception other than the boxers). All the money should be invested in the boxing and in people like Britton who can actually compete with the best.
How do you think the boxers and Britton got to the stage they’re at now? Using your logic their funding would have been pulled years ago when they weren’t as successful as they are now. Athletes, boxers, rowers etc. are not magical creatures who can win gold medals after one year of government funding. These things take time.
There’s not much to football he says? There’s not much to running around on a road or a track either. That hardly requires much skill in fairness just a large set of lungs.
Firstly If GAA gave money to their players that would be the end of their amateur status.However i do agree that the GAA have money to burn and dont really feed it down through grassroots.Commenting on how unfit players are on a Sunday in mid February is stupid as these boys are in serious hard training geared towards peaking for championship in the summer,these players are as dedicated and train just as hard as any athlete,making huge sacrifices beit financially,family or lifestyle.Sad that someone would begrudge someone a grant of €400 p/a
Does he still sell wallpaper on Talbot St ?
As a runner ive no problem with gaa sports or the money/facilities in the gaa organisation, but the gaa should be encouraged to share some of their facilities with other sports with less resources.especially in rural areas which mightnt have the resources or a good open, flat area to run on. many gaa fields have been closed to runners in recent years and while insurance im sure has played some role in this, there has to be some way around it for the good of all sports and all irish people…
it’s not like the media to knock the GAA. They must hate the month of September
Jerry shouldn’t make comments about a sport he obviously hasn’t a clue about.
Luke 4:24 (KJV)
“And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country”.
The Grab All Association (G.A.A.) should pay their own players. Why should the taxpayer fund an organisation which takes in millions annually from gate receipts and TV rights. If inter county players were paid a basic wage, they could afford to train more often and hence be fitter and quality of the game would improve. Incidentally, no other sporting organisation respects its referees less than the G.A.A. A never ending system of appeals against suspension undermines referees’ authority and an abject failure to publicly back referees who make controversial decisions. Who in their right mind would want to ref a match?
Sporting grants.. Referee’s???? I sort ye lost me.
While I’m glad you recognise that the GAA is a superbly run organisation that is well capable of making a profit, I fail to see your issue with grants being paid. The GAA also generates huge amounts of revenue each year for this country.
Receiving this grant money frees up an extra ?900k for the GAA to pump into developing club pitches, training facilities, and underage structures around the country…. Brilliant stuff
Gerry is a little pixiehead
It’s a tough one really gaa players train really hard. Gerry has said three times a week but he is forgetting club commitments on top of that of which very minimum they train once a week with club making that four nights a week plus often play for there club once a week making that two games a week which means six days a week are taken up. But should the government pay them? I don’t think so! The gaa make phenomenal money each year why they can’t pay the players is beyond me. They say because if they start doing that it will change the face of the game but yet all the big wigs in croke park get handsome salaries. Athletes etc don’t have home stadiums where they can fill each week where they can create income so really do actually need the government to step in to help them fulfill there true abilities! The gaa do not need that hence there players should not either. Without players there is no gaa!!! Time for this massive organization to step up and put the players first and stop being the Grab All Association.
Hard to take him seriously with hair like that. Long live the GAA.
There isnt much to it, he says, like running I say? Surely there’s more to football than simply running.
Gerry thinks that ridiculous walking race thing is a sport!
Funny you should say that when a bunch of GAA players turned up to run in a 5 km running race you never guess who finished far ahead of them? Rob Heffernan the race walker who finished higher than them walking the race. But its okay though he’s in a ridicolous sport. Maybe its about time Ireland started respecting other sports
He should keep quiet considering the failure of most of the Irish track athletes that receive grants
Nearly €200,000 per player per year, they’d want to be good wouldn’t they!!
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/counties-sixfigure-budget-deficits-have-gaa-on-alert-29051723.html
It isn’t “all” about the county teams but that IS where most of the money goes making Gerrys point even more valid. Not to mention under the table “sponsorship” of managers from rich individuals.
This seems to be a complaint based on a grant of €900,000 the government gives to the GAA. A couple of questions, How much tax does the GAA contribute to the state? How much tax do inter county players generate for the state? How much tax do non inter county players contribute to the state? Surely there’s still repayments to the government from the grant for the rebuilding of Croke Park going on. After all this €900,000 is divided between over 2000 footballers & hurlers!!
Exactly, €900k is a paltry sum considering the amount of revenue generated by the GAA. €900k divided amongst roughly 2000 players is paltry. How many so called high performance athletes would that pay for, 5 or 6? Enough said really
The GAA are a drain on our international sporting potential be it to Athletics, Rugby, Basketball or Soccer.
20 counties that are amateur and 12 counties that are more than semi professional. Not really a level playing field and not as well run an organisation as as they claim to be in my book.
Imagine the medal potential we could have in the Olympics without the GAA? Imagine the talent available to us in Rugby, Soccer, Golf and dare I say it Tennis WITHOUT the GAA being there?
If only…
Athletics, hockey, tennis etc are a drain on our young people who should be playing proper sports like Gaelic Football & Hurling.
Oh be quiet little man. If you knew anything of the history of this country and how the birth of this state are entwined with the GAA you wouldn’t have such an idiotic view. Our indigenous games,uniquely Irish and u talk about tennis??! No disrespect to tennis but Jesus wept man get a grip
Fully professional sports = progress. Eventually the kids will see this and drop the dreaded GAA.
Think about it. If you are talented athletically as a kid why would you bother playing GAA when you could potentially make a professional career out of another sport? Just saying. Its a valid question.
Chances of making a decent living in professional sport? I’m telling you for a fact that many GAA players in all codes, male and female, train and prepare like any professional athlete. The problem is that it’s not the fault of the sportspeople in this country it’s that they are inadequately represented by their sporting bodies. Take for example the AIBA, their record is outstanding for a poorly funded organisation, their two most accomplished coaches had to reinterview for their jobs after the Olympics. The GAA promotes games at all levels nationwide there is no other sporting organisation as far reaching or inclusive.
What a sad, bitter individual you are!! Hurling is the greatest game on earth and the GAA is part of the fabric of communities throughout Ireland.
It’s not all about running Jerry… They kick balls as well so stay clear of GAA grounds for a while
seafóid ó Jerry den chuid is mó
Are the stars counted or weighed?
Isn’t there a rugby thread you should be commenting on Patsy?
As a runner Ive mo problem with gaa sports or the gaa organisation..but the gaa should be encouraged to share/facilitate the needs of some other sports with less resources than they do.ive noticed that lots of gaa clubs have closed off the access to their fields to runners and other sportspeople. and while im sure insurance and fear of theft are reasons for this, in many areas, both rural and urban, there are no flat fields to play sports..a little bit of co-operation and a less inward-looking, sometimes dismissive attitude among gaa clubs would help everyone concerned..
Shame to see a sports man put down another sport like that. Gaa players would never be derogatory to athletics. They know exactly the effort that athletes put in and admire them for that.
It was the sports council that gave them the money if anything he should be annoyed at them and not the gaa.
As a gaa player I love the game but I watched every Irish athlete at the Olympics and tried my best to watch the indoors that we did so well in getting two bronze medals.
I’m a proud Irish sports person and I’m just appalled that he can get away with such throw away comments.
The Irish have some of the greatest distance runner’s ever. I think any sports person who doesn’t does individual sports in this country have a gripe against the GAA because the GAA takes so many potential international sports people are taken to play full time in a sport that does not put us on the map internationally. Then you hear idiots who know nothing about the sacrifice of individual training moan about performance level’s at the olympics when we all know even getting to the Olympics is almost an impossibility.
Bullshit from Jerry but possibly a Newstalk ploy in the event of recent comp from RTE. if I’m right there’s no need, as OTB is the best Irish production on tv or radio. I could be wrong but the comment is too outlandish to take seriously.
Soccer is the worlds most popular sport, they get stupid money. Rugby is a slightly less popular sport world wide, so they get lower wages but they are well looked after. Now scale that down to the difference between GAA and athletics? Its all about public interest.
This is a pointless comparison between running fitness and field sports. The great Christy Ring used to deliberately keep his weight two stone heavier than was natural for him for the sake of power. The modern hurler or footballer is physically stronger than his 1970s counterparts. Kilkenny’s secret ingredient.is strength. I’m not anti-running at all. In fact my daughter was on the team of the year, no, not the lads from Tír Chonaill..
I think Jerry and Ray are still bitter that the Donegal footballers won the sports team of the year award ahead of the womans cross country team. I think the Donegal team were far more of a team over the year than a group of individual athletes running in an event and their results added together to get an average.
It is pointless comparing the two sports in terms of effort and commitment needed, both require huge amounts at elite level and that reduces depending on the level they perform at.
In defence of the gaa, if it was not so prominent in this country you would have a large amount of people who would of hatve very little physical activity week in week out.
I can’t imagine all those people would take up running if there was on gaa because most people who like to play team sports finding it boring and only do it to help them get there fitness up to required to play football or hurling.
You could write a thesis on this arguement but….
1. The Gaa is not only played in Ireland, there are asian games, european championships and American championships…..and more….
The games are being played by people of many nationalities all over the world and the time will come when gaelic football and/or handball will be in the olympics.
2. Personally I think any pay should be based on how difficult it is to make the team you get payed to play on……
An irish boxer for example is picked from a pool of how many boxers, a kilkenny hurler, wexford camogie players etc…….