Recently, I was curious to see a shinty match to see if I liked it. Overall, I thought it was better/faster than field hockey (similar) but it came nowhere close to my enjoyment of hurling. I was shocked at attendance levels, expecting a Croke Park-style crowd at their showpiece finals. For super shinty goalkeeping, take a look at the 2015 final in the youtube link below (1st link).

Then, I started to do some historical research as I was curious to see how the sport has developed, given the GAA is going through some soul searching. This is what I took from the 2nd link below:

1) Similar to the GAA, the major Camanachd Cup is more important than the league.
2) With no inter-county structure, it is easier for Shinty to structure its season and retain its community-based roots.
3) In recent years, there has been a move away from volunteerism toward paying for service (sound familiar?)
4) For about a century, the Cup always had a Final between two regional champs (North v South), not unlike Munster v Leinster.
5) While the Final can now have two teams from the same region (like Liam McC Cup change), the traditional Regional Cups are retained (Mc Tavish= North, Glasgow Celtic= South) like Muns/Lein.
6) Traditionally, a winter sport, shinty moved its league and season to the summer (sound familiar again?)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xkL4OSoNVoo

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Shinty#/google_vignette

omahant (USA) - Posts: 1824 - 02/08/2020 20:19:10    2286156

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 1115 - 02/08/2020 21:09:19    2286162

Shinty doesn't keep me interested to watch a whole game. Would be fun to play I reckon and I do like the way they restart play where we use a sideline cut.

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1415 - 02/08/2020 22:32:37    2286171

Seen a bit of shinty. I agree it's not as good as hurling but better than hockey.

But I've no idea what you're getting at here. Shinty's a very rural game. Even moreso than GAA.

lionofludesch (Down) - Posts: 369 - 03/08/2020 09:03:02    2286195

All your points seem to contradict your title.

Also for all the moaning about the inter county from some supposed grassroots people on here shinty shows how insignificant the GAA could have been without the exposure of those big days out for the counties

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1106 - 03/08/2020 11:12:57    2286208

I wanted to say that a simple national club structure keeps things simpler - club teams are supported by the village and there is no inter-county overlay that gives priority to 2% of players.
Although, because of this, Shinty lacks the excitement that only inter-county provides.
I read somewhere that there are 100 hurlers fir every shinty player.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 1824 - 04/08/2020 04:00:30    2286272

lionofludesch (Down) - Posts: 369 - 04/08/2020 10:22:05    2286291

Bizarre thread. Trying to promote an idea and giving as your example a sport that has lower plying numbers and popularity than hurling could ever have in our worst nightmares. It's like saying the Andorran FA "keep things simple" by never qualifying for the World Cup and hence not having to worry about transport, tickets etc.

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1391 - 04/08/2020 19:25:50    2286376

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 1115 - 04/08/2020 20:24:58    2286382

omahant (USA) - Posts: 1824 - 05/08/2020 16:22:46    2286472