At breakfast in the city of Armagh, Ireland, I spent a good 30 minutes talking about one thing, and one thing only: Tyrone facing Kildare in the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland Football Championship.I know what those of you reading this in California or in any other place other than Ireland are thinking: Where is Tyrone and why do I care?
But after spending a good 30 minutes listening to one man go on and on about one of the most important games of the season, and that tickets are really, really hard to get, I realized that the game should be considered as important as an NBA game between the Warriors, my local Bay Area team, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
In fact, I have learned that football in Ireland goes far beyond a rollicking game of sports.
“Sport is a great unifier, and it is important that no sport is regarded as the sole preserve of one side of the community," Martin McColgan, chairman of Omagh District Council, said in a press release touting his cross-community sporting project back in February.
While this is true in many countries, the idea of football as a unifier in Ireland is worth considering, especially given the fact that a political and religious divide still remains for many people in Ireland. In fact, one restaurant owner in Armagh, Ireland, where I'm teaching journalism for a month, told me that he's had Catholic customers walk out of his establishment if they see a Protestant family, and vice versa.
Of course, it's important to remember that football in Ireland is also about having fun.
"You've got to be able to drink loads and loads of beer," my breakfast companion said, recalling one year that he got teased mercilessly for falling asleep during a game after drinking way too much. Which is why my friend planned to stay home on a Saturday night -- if he was "lucky enough" to get a ticket.
And yes, tickets are just as pricey as they are in the States. "I once paid 60 quid for a game," my friend said. But he's not complaining. "I was getting a really good deal," he said with a big smile. "It was worth every pound."
By the way, football, different from American football, developed "comparatively recently," according to a synopsis of a book about the history of football in Ireland. Even so, it' s a big deal now.
"Football, be it Gaelic, rugby or soccer is unquestionably the
most popular team sport in Ireland," according to the online book description. "Each week thousands play at sports venues throughout the island and many more look on and cheer. The exploits of players and teams at Dublin's Croke Park and Lansdowne Road or Belfast's
Windsor Park, Ravenhill and Casement Park have all entered popular myth and
legend."
But after spending a good 30 minutes listening to one man go on and on about one of the most important games of the season, and that tickets are really, really hard to get, I realized that the game should be considered as important as an NBA game between the Warriors, my local Bay Area team, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
In fact, I have learned that football in Ireland goes far beyond a rollicking game of sports.
“Sport is a great unifier, and it is important that no sport is regarded as the sole preserve of one side of the community," Martin McColgan, chairman of Omagh District Council, said in a press release touting his cross-community sporting project back in February.
While this is true in many countries, the idea of football as a unifier in Ireland is worth considering, especially given the fact that a political and religious divide still remains for many people in Ireland. In fact, one restaurant owner in Armagh, Ireland, where I'm teaching journalism for a month, told me that he's had Catholic customers walk out of his establishment if they see a Protestant family, and vice versa.
Of course, it's important to remember that football in Ireland is also about having fun.
"You've got to be able to drink loads and loads of beer," my breakfast companion said, recalling one year that he got teased mercilessly for falling asleep during a game after drinking way too much. Which is why my friend planned to stay home on a Saturday night -- if he was "lucky enough" to get a ticket.
And yes, tickets are just as pricey as they are in the States. "I once paid 60 quid for a game," my friend said. But he's not complaining. "I was getting a really good deal," he said with a big smile. "It was worth every pound."
By the way, football, different from American football, developed "comparatively recently," according to a synopsis of a book about the history of football in Ireland. Even so, it' s a big deal now.
"Football, be it Gaelic, rugby or soccer is unquestionably the
most popular team sport in Ireland," according to the online book description. "Each week thousands play at sports venues throughout the island and many more look on and cheer. The exploits of players and teams at Dublin's Croke Park and Lansdowne Road or Belfast's
Windsor Park, Ravenhill and Casement Park have all entered popular myth and
legend."
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