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There are over 2500 GAA clubs in Ireland. Within each club there can be many teams for different age categories and ability. Some players would be playing for more than one of those teams. Some clubs concentrate more or even exclusively on Hurling and others on Gaelic Football. Outside of clubs there are teams representing all levels of educational institutions from school to universities. Many workplaces have teams too. So because there is such a variety of teams, it is very difficult to know how many people play Gaelic Football. It is the biggest sport in Ireland.
That is difficult to answer. Gaelic Football and Hurling are Ireland's two national sports. The senior All-Ireland finals in both sports are the two biggest sporting events in Ireland. Between radio and television, the total interest would be in millions. Throughout the year there are all sorts of smaller matches, right down to children's games which people would attend. There are over 2500 GAA clubs in Ireland, each with lots of teams and some of them with a very large amount of teams. So when you take this all into consideration, going from the lowest levels to the highest levels, it would be hard to know how many people go to matches or at least watch them on TV or listen to them on radio, but it does run into millions.
As an example, the GAA has recently released the attendance figures for the 2009 Hurling and Football Championships. The combined total attendance figures for the two championships was 1,523,000. Naturally that would count the same person going to more than one match, so actual individual people going would be less than that. However that is only for the two championship competitions, and while a lot of the same people would be going to other competitions and to all levels of games, there would be people who wouldn't go to championship games. A lot of people would watch on TV too.
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How much does a GAA manager get paid?
The GAA is an amateur organisation so GAA players and managers do not get paid. Many would all have their own jobs or be students, and their GAA activities are basically done in their own time, in the same way that many people are involved in sports. Players and managers do get expenses and occasionally some payments.
Why do protestants not want to play in the GAA?
Some see it as representing Irish culture which they do not want to be part of, mainly in Northern Ireland. However, many Protestants do play GAA and there has even been a President of the GAA who was a Protestant. Also, the Sam Maguire trophy, the most important trophy in Gaelic Football is named after a Protestant. He was very much involved in the GAA.
Why did the GAA prohibit certain people from playing Irish sport?
The GAA encouraged people to play Gaelic Football and Hurling, Ireland's two main sports, and some other sports. They did not encourage people to play other sports such as soccer and rugby, because they were seen as foreign sports. The rules that banned people playing these other sports was removed in 1971.
Is any body playing in GAA today?
The GAA is the largest amateur sporting organisation in the world. Many people are playing GAA matches, both Hurling and Gaelic Football and other GAA sports. Gaelic Football is the most popular sport in Ireland. Last weekend one match in Dublin had a bigger attendance than the Superbowl did, by about 9,000 people.
Do you have to be Irish to join a GAA?
No. GAA clubs welcome all members of any nationality. The GAA is an Irish organisation and it is found around the world where there are large groups of Irish people, so members are mostly Irish, but there are many members that are not from Ireland.
Should gaa players get paid?
Paying the players would ruin the game's heart and ethos. GAA players play for the love of the sport and for their local people, from where they come from. This means they play with more intent. The only time professional sports people have that kind of motivation is when they play for their country. In professional sports, players don't have a real connection to their team, as it is just a job, and they could be playing against that team if they change. They only have that sense of duty and belonging when they are playing for their country. It would not be possible to sustain a professional game, because of the amount of players and teams is so large in a small country. Many GAA players have jobs anyway, so they are playing for the love of the sport, not to earn money. The only thing they should get is expenses, and support if they get injured and are unable to work in their normal jobs. For these, and many other reasons, the GAA should not pay its players.
How many people play GAA?
You cannot play GAA. The GAA is an organisation, not a sport. It governs a number of sports including Gaelic Football, Hurling, Camogie, Handball and Rounders. The rules of those sports are all different.
Where can US children play Gaelic games?
Anywhere there is an Irish community there are possibly some GAA clubs. If you check the North American GAA website, then you may get more information for your area.
What is meant by grassroots provision?
Helping the lowest levels of the GAA in terms of the clubs and their facilities. This is the base of the GAA. The network of clubs, over 2500 in Ireland alone, are where the GAA derives its strength. It is built on the clubs. They are the root of the organisation. The ordinary people that run these are what make the GAA what it is, so it is important to support them. So a lot of investment goes into the clubs to help them as they are the grassroots of the GAA. Without the clubs the GAA would not exist, so money earned within the GAA is needed to keep them going.
When was Navan O'Mahonys GAA created?
Feohanagh-Castlemahon GAA was created in 1890.
When was Mountmellick GAA created?
Miltown Malbay GAA Club was created in 1892.
Is Cork the best gaa county in Ireland?
Adding together Hurling and Gaelic Football titles won in all grades, Cork would be the most successful county in the GAA. As to which county is the best, that is a question that could be debated by many people.
