Dublin GAA’s dominance
Dublin GAA's dominance in the Leinster and All-Ireland Senior Football Championships is well-established. Dublin has won ten consecutive Leinster titles and six consecutive All-Irelands with no sign of abating. Dublin's embedded advantages are significant and extensive compared to the other counties of Ireland, which has killed our game's most fierce and passionate rivalries.
Gaelic Games is built on rivalries, big and small, the length and breadth of the country. The All-Ireland Football Championship is an enthralling competition underpinned by such intense rivalry, which has unfolded some of the greatest rivalries in our game's history; Dublin-Kerry, Dublin-Mayo, Kerry-Donegal, to name but a few. However, the Championship is now at a crossroads; the level of competition has diminished beyond all recognition. As a result, the fire that burns behind our game's greatest rivalries has been significantly lessened or extinguished.
There is no more prime example of extinguished rivalries than in the Leinster Championship. Gone are the days when a Leinster county other than Dublin goes to Croke Park in the hope of winning a Leinster title. Dublin's dominance has killed the competition, and as a result, Leinster football has been dead for the last 15 years with no sign of revival.
Unfortunately, it looks increasingly likely that the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship will suffer the same faith as the Leinster Championship. Our game's most elite competition is becoming anything but a competition.
We, the fans, demand drastic changes to reinvigorate our beloved game's elite competition.
Our game is nothing without passionate rivalry and true and fair competition.
Dublin GAA’s embedded advantages
Understanding how Dublin's dominance has emerged is essential before any change can occur. Dublin has been allowed to capitalise on the following five embedded advantages:
Population size
Dublin has a population of 1.4 million. In an amateur game, playing numbers build teams and win championships.
Funding
Dublin receives a disproportionate amount of GAA funding at the expense of every other county in Ireland.
Marketing superpower
In an amateur game, Dublin generates significant commercial revenue using its significant population advantage to attract sponsors.
Home game advantage
Dublin receives a massive advantage from playing all their home league and championship matches at Croke Park.
Professional organisation
Dublin GAA is a professional organisation in an amateur game.
Dublin GAA is an elite team and organisation that's rise to dominance has been allowed to go unchecked by the GAA. In an amateur game, no other county in Ireland will ever be able to challenge a team with such embedded and significant advantages unless something is done to level the playing field.
Split The Dubs
Over the next ten years, Dublin will win another ten consecutive Leinster titles, and they will win at least eight All-Irelands. In the same period, Dublin’s embedded advantages will only grow in strength, catapulting them further ahead of every other county to the detriment of our game. Drastic change is needed to prevent this, and it should come in the form of Dublin football being split into a minimum of four teams.
Money is not necessarily correlated to success in the GAA since it is an amateur sport; playing numbers are what count. Dublin’s population advantage is so significant, and it is with this advantage, above all else, that Dublin should be split for the benefit of the Leinster and All-Ireland Senior Football Championships.