National Forum

GAA President & Martin Breheny Article.

(Oldest Posts First)

Great article by Martin Breheny yesterday in relation to the Super 8's. A great journalist but sometimes he is loathe to pinpoint faults in the Association. An organization can never progress if it doesn't allow critical analysis of issues that need addressing. In the GAA many issues are buried & dissenters suppressed, when acknowledgment of the faults & dealing with them leads to a smoother operation. Many of the points raised by him were never fully thought through by officials (highly paid at that) who railroaded the Super 8's through. It might suit Sky but when we get dead rubbers as we will, the public outside the top four will lose interest. What was most shocking this week was listening to the President of the Association defend Dublin having two home games at Croke Park. His justification of this was the financial benefit to Leinster counties ??? What of the rest of us & let me tell you, very few clubs see any direct funding from Croke Park. In fact most teeter on the edge of financial survival after paying Registration, Affiliation & Insurance fees to Croke Park. His ridiculing of Colm O Rourke was very under hand & in poor taste for a man as head of the Association. After his comments this week it's hard to see Dublin ever been on an equal footing to all other counties, they truly are placed above all others. This man does not represent me nor many of the Grassroots after his comments this week.

Uimhir.a.3. (Galway) - Posts: 409 - 12/07/2018 11:13:53    2120927

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So you didn't like the article I take it? Nothing new maybe there is no back story, nothing is about Dublin but actually everything is really about Dublin. The old expression the hurlers on the has surely been surpassed by the footballers on the high horse.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4895 - 12/07/2018 13:47:42    2121000

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Replying To Uimhir.a.3.:  "Great article by Martin Breheny yesterday in relation to the Super 8's. A great journalist but sometimes he is loathe to pinpoint faults in the Association. An organization can never progress if it doesn't allow critical analysis of issues that need addressing. In the GAA many issues are buried & dissenters suppressed, when acknowledgment of the faults & dealing with them leads to a smoother operation. Many of the points raised by him were never fully thought through by officials (highly paid at that) who railroaded the Super 8's through. It might suit Sky but when we get dead rubbers as we will, the public outside the top four will lose interest. What was most shocking this week was listening to the President of the Association defend Dublin having two home games at Croke Park. His justification of this was the financial benefit to Leinster counties ??? What of the rest of us & let me tell you, very few clubs see any direct funding from Croke Park. In fact most teeter on the edge of financial survival after paying Registration, Affiliation & Insurance fees to Croke Park. His ridiculing of Colm O Rourke was very under hand & in poor taste for a man as head of the Association. After his comments this week it's hard to see Dublin ever been on an equal footing to all other counties, they truly are placed above all others. This man does not represent me nor many of the Grassroots after his comments this week."
It's a good article.

His complaints are valid.

The super 8 proposal was driven by money and its commercial potential.

https://www.google.ie/amp/s/amp.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/revealed-the-attendance-figures-for-the-gaa-football-championships-are-a-cause-for-concern-35145508.html

I don't mean this as a negative as I am realistic enough to acknowledge that the GAA need to make money to fund their development projects.

I do worry about the GAA a little though, this sort of thing and the opening up of TV rights to Sky are concerning trends. Does the association NEED the money. They have financial commitments that it feels like they are struggling to make. Can these be rolled back because there's only so much can be done to boost the product.

It's very dangerous right now how dependent we are on the intercounty championship to sustain other areas of development.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4207 - 12/07/2018 16:09:55    2121054

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Replying To arock:  "So you didn't like the article I take it? Nothing new maybe there is no back story, nothing is about Dublin but actually everything is really about Dublin. The old expression the hurlers on the has surely been surpassed by the footballers on the high horse."
I for one are enjoying our time as the center of the universe.

Imagine being driven distraction, obsession or emotional pain by a county that isn't your own, its fascinating.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 12/07/2018 16:17:48    2121058

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I'm not a fan of the Super 8s only because I think it's only going to widen the standards gap between Super 8 teams and lower division teams. But it has potential to have some great games and may give teams a better chance to get to a semi final than just through a one off quarter final. Breheny rarely has anything positive to say about anything. Finds 4 negative points and in a very short article barely addresses any alternative to them. Instead of a Super 8 that can capture the imagination he wants some 'Not so super earlier rounds round robin' competitions with a load of one sided games. Maybe he has an alternative on that point but if he does he's keeping it quiet. He talks about points difference when head to head for tied teams decides their league position. Where is his proposed venue for Dublin's neutral game that can hold season ticket holders for both teams? Every league has a potential for dead rubber games. What is proposal to fix that in a 4 team league? One is possibly to draw the 2nd round games after first round is completed to try and avoid potential dead rubbers but that gives supporters insufficient time to make travel and accommodation plans. Mr Breheny might try being a bit more positive and proactive in his future articles.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7335 - 12/07/2018 17:00:24    2121069

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Replying To Uimhir.a.3.:  "Great article by Martin Breheny yesterday in relation to the Super 8's. A great journalist but sometimes he is loathe to pinpoint faults in the Association. An organization can never progress if it doesn't allow critical analysis of issues that need addressing. In the GAA many issues are buried & dissenters suppressed, when acknowledgment of the faults & dealing with them leads to a smoother operation. Many of the points raised by him were never fully thought through by officials (highly paid at that) who railroaded the Super 8's through. It might suit Sky but when we get dead rubbers as we will, the public outside the top four will lose interest. What was most shocking this week was listening to the President of the Association defend Dublin having two home games at Croke Park. His justification of this was the financial benefit to Leinster counties ??? What of the rest of us & let me tell you, very few clubs see any direct funding from Croke Park. In fact most teeter on the edge of financial survival after paying Registration, Affiliation & Insurance fees to Croke Park. His ridiculing of Colm O Rourke was very under hand & in poor taste for a man as head of the Association. After his comments this week it's hard to see Dublin ever been on an equal footing to all other counties, they truly are placed above all others. This man does not represent me nor many of the Grassroots after his comments this week."
Easy on , Mr. President is a Dub. and beyond criticism. I'm afraid you are in trouble.

neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 12/07/2018 17:23:21    2121079

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "link

I'm not a fan of the Super 8s only because I think it's only going to widen the standards gap between Super 8 teams and lower division teams. But it has potential to have some great games and may give teams a better chance to get to a semi final than just through a one off quarter final. Breheny rarely has anything positive to say about anything. Finds 4 negative points and in a very short article barely addresses any alternative to them. Instead of a Super 8 that can capture the imagination he wants some 'Not so super earlier rounds round robin' competitions with a load of one sided games. Maybe he has an alternative on that point but if he does he's keeping it quiet. He talks about points difference when head to head for tied teams decides their league position. Where is his proposed venue for Dublin's neutral game that can hold season ticket holders for both teams? Every league has a potential for dead rubber games. What is proposal to fix that in a 4 team league? One is possibly to draw the 2nd round games after first round is completed to try and avoid potential dead rubbers but that gives supporters insufficient time to make travel and accommodation plans. Mr Breheny might try being a bit more positive and proactive in his future articles."
I'm no defender of the GAA and I've criticised them often enough here in the past but the day Martin Brehony has something positive to say about the GAA or something constructive to offer will be an unusual day indeed.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1902 - 12/07/2018 17:40:21    2121082

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Replying To neverright:  "Easy on , Mr. President is a Dub. and beyond criticism. I'm afraid you are in trouble."
We're box office. Always have been, always will be. We'll comtinue to let the other counties do the blabbing while the champs keep the heads down, the mouths shut and continue with the hard work on the training ground. Some counties talk, some counties do. Dubs do.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 12/07/2018 18:05:56    2121089

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Replying To neverright:  "Easy on , Mr. President is a Dub. and beyond criticism. I'm afraid you are in trouble."
Was he the president for the last ten years when the world feel in ? When Dublin conspired with HQ? The word your looking for is No

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 12/07/2018 18:41:54    2121097

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Replying To Joxer:  "We're box office. Always have been, always will be. We'll comtinue to let the other counties do the blabbing while the champs keep the heads down, the mouths shut and continue with the hard work on the training ground. Some counties talk, some counties do. Dubs do."
Oh! touchy. I don't think Horan plays on the Dub football team although he obviously played a blinder in his position on the County Board. See, I have nothing but praise for the man. Dublin are definitely in his debt.

neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 12/07/2018 23:36:26    2121192

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Replying To neverright:  "Oh! touchy. I don't think Horan plays on the Dub football team although he obviously played a blinder in his position on the County Board. See, I have nothing but praise for the man. Dublin are definitely in his debt."
Horan came through the schools/education board to his position on the Leinster Council and subsequently central council. He never held an executive position on the Dublin County board, so no real reason for Dublin to be in his debt, unless he used mind control to influence the decisions made by his predecessors that Breheny is giving out about.

AHP (Dublin) - Posts: 323 - 13/07/2018 13:23:42    2121317

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Replying To AHP:  "Horan came through the schools/education board to his position on the Leinster Council and subsequently central council. He never held an executive position on the Dublin County board, so no real reason for Dublin to be in his debt, unless he used mind control to influence the decisions made by his predecessors that Breheny is giving out about."
Horan is a mentalist you say? Such cunning and wizardry and you wait until Friday 13th to reveal this. It all makes sense now......

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7335 - 13/07/2018 14:32:23    2121337

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "Horan is a mentalist you say? Such cunning and wizardry and you wait until Friday 13th to reveal this. It all makes sense now......"
Well some of the conspiracy theories aired on here are definitely verging on mental so I suppose it was only a matter of time...

AHP (Dublin) - Posts: 323 - 13/07/2018 14:47:07    2121346

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There may be some teething issues with the Super 8's but nothing that cannot be sorted. Hopefully congress can get these issues debated and sorted for next year. I think we need to give the Super 8's a chance before making a judgement as they have the potential to be really exciting.

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1873 - 13/07/2018 15:12:54    2121357

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Agree with those posters who have pointed out that Brehany has become anti GAA in most of his writing. It is a huge change from his time writing for the ill fated Title. But if you write for the indo...... he who pays the piper etc.

mod (Mayo) - Posts: 859 - 13/07/2018 23:16:22    2121468

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