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Railway Cup- Revamp

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With club finals now been played off in the calendar year, St.Patricks Day is now a free day in the GAA calendar. Would a March madnesss style blitz for football and hurling be a good spectacle ? It could be played with 15min halves, so a 5 hour event with a bit of music and fireworks thrown in could be held. I would far prefer to attend something like this than the Americanised Parades rhubarb (USA) - Posts: 26 - 18/09/2021 02:55:01 2381421 Link
Replying To rhubarb: "With club finals now been played off in the calendar year, St.Patricks Day is now a free day in the GAA calendar. Would a March madnesss style blitz for football and hurling be a good spectacle ? It could be played with 15min halves, so a 5 hour event with a bit of music and fireworks thrown in could be held. I would far prefer to attend something like this than the Americanised Parades" It is such a shame that the same interest that is in the International Rules isn't in the Railway Cup johnocarroll17 (Limerick) - Posts: 408 - 18/09/2021 14:15:44 2381455 Link
How about Finals only - Ulster/Munster v Connacht/Leinster in both codes ? They would be true All Star games. omahant (USA) - Posts: 2590 - 18/09/2021 18:49:23 2381488 Link
I think All-Ireland champions or All stars against the rest for the Railway cup or something would be interesting. Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2660 - 18/09/2021 19:04:32 2381493 Link
That train has left the station, The Railway Cups are a thing of the past, Gaelic games are televised nowadays, the stars are there on telly on big match days. I can't see any desire to restore them. The days when players from the smaller counties, got a chance to play in Croke Park, with players from the stronger teams were the highlight of the Railway Cups. Society has moved on too, a lot more choices for people to spend their leisure time. I note some of the posters on this topic, are from outside Ireland, have you seen the Railway Cup games in their heyday? MicktheMiller (Offaly) - Posts: 421 - 18/09/2021 19:09:37 2381496 Link
Was at an all Ireland club football semi final about twenty five years ago. A railway cup match followed between Leinster and Ulster. The club match finished and the stands emptied even though some great players were playing the second game. As others pointed out we can see the players on TV now so the novelty is gone. Can't see them coming back. carlovia (None) - Posts: 1517 - 18/09/2021 19:37:41 2381501 Link
Nooooooo, anything but that, and that's coming from someone who played in it! realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8592 - 18/09/2021 19:47:20 2381504 Link
Replying To carlovia: "Was at an all Ireland club football semi final about twenty five years ago. A railway cup match followed between Leinster and Ulster. The club match finished and the stands emptied even though some great players were playing the second game. As others pointed out we can see the players on TV now so the novelty is gone. Can't see them coming back." I remember that game alright johnocarroll17 (Limerick) - Posts: 408 - 18/09/2021 20:33:57 2381514 Link
Think it was a great opportunity for great players from weaker counties play in games with and against fellow great players from other counties in meaningful games that they had a good chance of winning. The Cups in both football and hurling suffered from poor promotion. If they are to come back and attract the crowds they attracted in the 50s and 60s they would have to be promoted properly as meaningful games. Squad members would have to be released from their counry squads in February for an evening or 2 every week training if the semis and finals were to be played the week before Paddys Day. The hurling and football would have to be top drawer. Decent sponsorship and tv coverage would be a must also. Alot if work would gave to be put in. But it would be great to see! Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11848 - 18/09/2021 20:57:37 2381523 Link
Think it was a great opportunity for great players from weaker counties play in games with and against fellow great players from other counties in meaningful games that they had a good chance of winning. The Cups in both football and hurling suffered from poor promotion. If they are to come back and attract the crowds they attracted in the 50s and 60s they would have to be promoted properly as meaningful games. Squad members would have to be released from their counry squads in February for an evening or 2 every week training if the semis and finals were to be played the week before Paddys Day. The hurling and football would have to be top drawer. Decent sponsorship and tv coverage would be a must also. Alot if work would gave to be put in. But it would be great to see! Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11848 - 18/09/2021 20:58:24 2381524 Link
It could be interesting to divide the country into 10 to 16 equally populated regions (staying within Prov boundaries) - with a KO from that. Or, if replacing inter-county, have it league based as well. omahant (USA) - Posts: 2590 - 19/09/2021 15:24:58 2381620 Link
I loved the Railway Cup. Competitive, but not win at all costs, so usually open. Always found it interesting to see lads who were normally enemies on the same side. But you have to retain a provincial identity. We like that much more in Ulster. I'd say a federal Ireland, with regional parliaments in Cork and Galway also, would go some way towards reviving provincial identities. essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 19/09/2021 17:17:38 2381656 Link
Replying To realdub: "Nooooooo, anything but that, and that's coming from someone who played in it!" Out of interest, why was it so bad? essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 19/09/2021 17:19:19 2381657 Link
Replying To essmac: "I loved the Railway Cup. Competitive, but not win at all costs, so usually open. Always found it interesting to see lads who were normally enemies on the same side. But you have to retain a provincial identity. We like that much more in Ulster. I'd say a federal Ireland, with regional parliaments in Cork and Galway also, would go some way towards reviving provincial identities." You could be on to a political settlement there too - with Stormont running a 9-county government within the Federal mix. Any interest in getting the Scots in too to make it more attractive to the other side ? omahant (USA) - Posts: 2590 - 19/09/2021 17:56:02 2381667 Link
It certainly lost its appeal and would take some great initiative to revive in some form. For the weaker counties like us it was the ultimate recognition for a player. While All-Stars is a paper transaction playing for you province recognized that you were the best player in a position to achieve a on the field win. Like I said that disappeared and became another step in the demise of the lesser counties. Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2660 - 19/09/2021 18:12:57 2381671 Link
Replying To essmac: "I loved the Railway Cup. Competitive, but not win at all costs, so usually open. Always found it interesting to see lads who were normally enemies on the same side. But you have to retain a provincial identity. We like that much more in Ulster. I'd say a federal Ireland, with regional parliaments in Cork and Galway also, would go some way towards reviving provincial identities." I think your point on polical identity is important. Obviously people from Ulster consider Ulster to be an important part of their make up, I think Munster and Connacht people are similar but maybe not to the same extent as Ulster. I'm not sure if it exists at all in Leinster, certainly not in Dublin in anyways I don't think. Personally I've never considered myself a Leinsterman. I'm from Dublin, then Ireland next. I'm no extra link to someone in Longford in comparison to Ulster, Munster or Connacht. MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 19/09/2021 19:29:02 2381689 Link
Replying To rhubarb: "With club finals now been played off in the calendar year, St.Patricks Day is now a free day in the GAA calendar. Would a March madnesss style blitz for football and hurling be a good spectacle ? It could be played with 15min halves, so a 5 hour event with a bit of music and fireworks thrown in could be held. I would far prefer to attend something like this than the Americanised Parades" With club finals now been played off in the calendar year, St.Patricks Day is now a free day in the GAA calendar. Would a March madnesss style blitz for football and hurling be a good spectacle ? It could be played with 15min halves, so a 5 hour event with a bit of music and fireworks thrown in could be held. I would far prefer to attend something like this than the Americanised Parades rhubarb (USA) - Posts: 25 - 18/09/2021 02:55:01 15 minute halves? Who would be bothered for a half hour of action. RHF (Cavan) - Posts: 848 - 19/09/2021 20:54:09 2381707 Link
I don't think there is a place. The March 17th date might be free,but Inter County season will be condensed from next year so managers won't want to release players. Connacht pulled out of the Railway Cup the last time it was on. It has run its course. A good concept but no demand for it,unless the game was in Armagh or Tyrone where there would be a healthy crowd FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2763 - 19/09/2021 21:29:28 2381719 Link
Replying To MesAmis: "I think your point on polical identity is important. Obviously people from Ulster consider Ulster to be an important part of their make up, I think Munster and Connacht people are similar but maybe not to the same extent as Ulster. I'm not sure if it exists at all in Leinster, certainly not in Dublin in anyways I don't think. Personally I've never considered myself a Leinsterman. I'm from Dublin, then Ireland next. I'm no extra link to someone in Longford in comparison to Ulster, Munster or Connacht." That's very interesting - and I think you're right about the other provinces too. Shows why R Cup not so popular. Ulster (9 counties) matters to me though. I always shout for Ulster teams. Commuting up from Dublin, I always felt I was "home" when I got into Monaghan or Cavan ... I used to live in England, and found it a bit sad that their counties meant nothing to them. Many English people I asked didn't even know what county they were from. I guess we're going the same way with the provinces. essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 19/09/2021 22:21:56 2381728 Link
Replying To omahant: "You could be on to a political settlement there too - with Stormont running a 9-county government within the Federal mix. Any interest in getting the Scots in too to make it more attractive to the other side ?" Joking aside, I've often thought that. The South is too Dublin-centric. Donegal is a political afterthought. A 9 county Ulster could be under joint authority to keep the flag lovers happy, but with as much devolved as possible. It'd be good for the West and for Munster too. Cork would be a regional capital, make up for years of playing second fiddle to Kerry in the football. As far as possible, local decisions should be taken by local people. But if that's what it will take to rescue the Railway Cup, then it's fair to say it's had its day. essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 19/09/2021 22:27:42 2381729 Link