Originally posted by sam:
What the hell are fingal CC doing backing an eircom league team???

Originally posted by scalder:
"The establishment of the Football Academy complex and Sporting Fingal FC, provides a unique platform for community engagement", O`Brien re-iterated.

This message has been edited - 18-jan-2008 @ 17:05

Originally posted by Seamusin:
Is there anyone on the site here who is privy to DCB meetings and to the kind of issue discussed by the exc utive? Is the DCB aware of this? Is it indifferent? Or, in the background, are there are few shrewd men hammering out a similar proposal for the GAA? Or is it the case that, while individual clubs may be able to engage with the various local authorities, the DCB seems unable to do so?

this is effectively a joint venture between the FAI and Fingal CC to promote professional and amateur soccer in Fingal. I have no objection to this, if Fingal now has a policy of being equally generous in its support of other sporting bodies.

As has been pointed out, most public bodies in the country will have their fill of GAA people. I presume that Fingal is no different. So how is it that this proposal has emerged without any apparent comment from the DCB or Croke Park.

This message has been edited - 18-jan-2008 @ 20:16

Originally posted by scalder:
The GAA nationally need to appoint someone to examine this issue, as I`ve said before how come we only get local authority built 5 A side pitches, in door venues only suitable  for soccer, the funding of soccer coaches in many counties now we have much more elaborate facilities being built across the country. Where are the hurling walls, the handball courts, the larger all weather pitches??
It seems like the GAA is being penalized for having provided our own facilities over the decades, its seems in Ireland that help comes to those who DON`T help themselves.

This message has been edited - 19-jan-2008 @ 13:48

Originally posted by An-Maor:
Fingal County Council would be much better off lobbying for a county Fingal GAA team to solve their identity crisis .... the way things are going in Cork there may yet be a gap in the Munster Championship that County Fingal could fill.

Originally posted by The Blues:

There is huge difficulties in debating the point though.
1. You cannot mention an imbalance to what soccer gets at all or you have the media automatically after you.
2. You also cannot argue that the GAA does not receive funds because we do. In quite large quantities as it happens.

The point is that the GAA receives money through grants when certain %`s of the total project have been funded solely by the club itself. The GAA rarely, if ever to my knowledge, have had a capital project built for us through council funds. This is where the variance with soccer is where they seem to be getting a national infrastructure built for them for free by county councils.

I personally have no problem with any sport getting funding but it has to be done in a fair way and the organisation that is benefitting should surely be expected to contribute in some way,

Originally posted by oldyouth:
Good evening everyone. I`m just visiting and thought I`d say hello. I was searching for information on the newest member of our Eircom League family, Sporting Fingal, and came accross your website. As a football   (you call it soccer  )   fan all my life, I`m glad this issue has ruffled a few GAA feathers.
I firmly believe all kids should play sport and if it has to be those arranged by the Grab All Association, so be it. However, let`s hope that another football club in the area will help show them the light. And by the way, our government and local authorities are obliged to provide sporting facilities to cater for ALL needs, not just what are `classified` by some as our national games.

Originally posted by oldyouth:
Good evening everyone. I`m just visiting and thought I`d say hello. I was searching for information on the newest member of our Eircom League family, Sporting Fingal, and came accross your website. As a football   (you call it soccer  )   fan all my life, I`m glad this issue has ruffled a few GAA feathers.
I firmly believe all kids should play sport and if it has to be those arranged by the Grab All Association, so be it. However, let`s hope that another football club in the area will help show them the light. And by the way, our government and local authorities are obliged to provide sporting facilities to cater for ALL needs, not just what are `classified` by some as our national games.

Originally posted by The Blues:


From dealings my own and neighbouring clubs have had with SDCC & DLR, it is quite clear that that council is not too sympathetic to the GAA cause    (even prior to the SRFC debacle   )   . Everything is a challenge. From the large infrastructural issues to the simple organisation of maintenance etc.

Our experience would be that when you need something achieved you really have to go over the councils head to your TD`s. We have been extremely lucky in this regard with 2 TD`s inparticular. They haven`t done too bad vote wise either I would imagine. The difficulty is, you can only go to that well so many times in a given period so you really have to pick your fights.

It makes things quite awkward and its very unfortunate that the DCB can`t assist in building a relationship between the councils and the clubs. The problem, and I`m open to correction here, seems to be with the non-elected officials in the council.

The more worrying development over the last few years is that the councils are completely squeezing out the GAA in virtually all sporting capital expenditure projects. More worrying again is the complete lack of exposure that these decisions are been given in the media and even more worrying than that is that unless discussions are happening very privately behind closed doors, then the DCB seem to be just accepting what is bordering on discrimination.