GAA invest further in Urban Programme

The GAA have confirmed an investment of €200,000 in its National Urban Programme as efforts to raise the profile of Gaelic Games and participation levels in urban bases across the island continue.

Galway, Sligo, Dublin, Athlone, Drogheda, Bray, Belfast, Derry, Cork, Limerick and Waterford will all be involved in the project which will see the employment of 14 people from today.

Challenges, which include a fall off in participation, other attractions and less active lifestyles, are to be met with enhanced structures, an increase in support personnel, research and marketing and visibility.

A range of activities will be organised in the chosen urban centres as part of the initiative including a focus on traditional games, other recreational activity and seminars.
A positive step from the association..... maybe cooney could have waited a few months and got a few lads from FAS to undertake the roles.
80 kids were at my local football club last saturday morning. There is obviously a desire for it but it clearly is second fiddle to soccerball.
1 hurling club in the city with low numbers amongst the kids but those that do go are very good at underage level for any county.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2011/0607/gaa_urban.html

Sligo footballer Charlie Harrison, who is project coordinator for Sligo town, attended today's media briefing session.

GAA President Christy Cooney, who established the National Urban Development Committee at the outset of his tenure, welcomed the initiative.

He said: 'With the majority of the population now resident in urban areas it is vitally important that our games are strong in these areas complimenting the traditional strongholds dotted across rural Ireland.

'The movement of people within Ireland continues to pose challenges for us as an Association and I am delighted with the work undertaken to date by this committee, which will see a targeted approach to 11 specific areas involving a wide range of activities.

'That we are able to provide employment opportunities for 14 people in the process is another plus and I look forward to monitoring the progress of this pilot scheme in the coming weeks and months.'

Urban areas will continue to struggle until they have an identity they can build a strong unit onto.
As you know country clubs are very largely built on the parish structure and even if the centre of the parish literallt the religious community dies there are other bonds that hold the loyalty and therefore the structure in place.
In urban areas changing demographics and the death of neighbourhood communities tend to destroy units.
Two examples Belfast city where clubs were ten a penny and clubs have undergone some rationalisation but still tend to steal players from each other.
The other exampl is Newry which had a great Gaa history but now is plagued by 3 clubs and despite loads of work at underage level appears to be in terminal decline,

I was at training tonight (and actually got involved for a change). Afterwards this subject came up and I was asked if I would put my name down. Level 1 coaching.

Not bad on the cv i suppose. I'll never make a player although i'd love to be able to, but if i could contribute to the club in this way I thought why the hell not.

I hope they let me as I'm not a member of the club.

Rebel
Idid a foundation level cert about 12 years ago and really enjoyed. At the time this level was more about controlling the kids and stopping them from getting distracted.
Dont think they are looking for gifted former players or master tacticians.

Oh I know.

Its what the club needs and its what I need too if I'm honest. I have no idea if I'll be any good at it but I can't give out about people not doing things if I won't do them myself.

I want the wife to do it too. I'd love for her to get the bug. She is an excellent teacher and coach but no real interest in GAA.

What kind of stuff did you do? Football or Hurling?

rebel
Football, I was still playing at the time.

The week after the course our Senior manager didnt turn up and I volunteered instant promotion!. Gave the team talk, eat the bollixs off them at half time and duly lost very heavily. Kicked the door on the way in, gave out again and one of the players never came back.

Dont let it go to your head.

ah i won't.

if it is getting kids to hold the caman correctly. how to lift it and how to strike it and how to keep moving, then i'll do it.

I'm happy to go to training and stuff and shout at them during dills to push it and lift it but the lads already have their leaders and they know already who to get shouted at by. it should be them doing it really anyway. They seem to know what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong anyway.

when i was a young buck a lot of the drills we had i know now to be very poor. too much time standing around and letting messers like me mess.