Celtic support in Ireland

The Irish Times recently published startling numbers that I had suspected, but didn't want to believe. Last year, Irish fans spent €145 million funding the EPL --164,000 visits, with an average spend of £776 (€884.64) each.

Money that, IMO, would be better invested in the League of Ireland. Or at worst, in the SPL.

 

1st post bhoys,we started a csc bac in late 80s had 12 members late 90s bout 100 then club folded last year lac o intrest av a season book myself travel regulary think ma son is only 1 in school a celt

 

Oh well I think the summary of Irish Celtic supporters is quality/dedication over quantity.

I used to like the EPL (or the first division as it was called then) in the pre-SKY era. It was not as technical, more of a mix of a lot of British and Irish players and a thin scatter of more technical foreigners. The football was kind of like the best OF sides of recent decades. The connection with the fans was still there and the players were not nearly as hateful spoiled dckhds that they are now. It was a bit physical and muddy but it was great. I hate the EPL now. It was nice at first seeing teams with a few great foreigners like Ginola etc but its gone way way too far now.

 

Have always thought those guys have unbelievable dedication. Must be an unbelievably long round trip - a few hours to Larne or Belfast, a few hours on the ferry then an hour or so to Glasgow, some pints, the game and then they have to do it all over again in reverse. That must take 15 hours or so including the match?

 

its longer from Dublin mate, pick ups at 4 in the morning etc....

see thats the difference between Irish Celtic fans and Irish EPL supporting fans. Celtic fans tend to go alot more to games and travel by all means of transport to get there to cut on costs, as the EPL fan goes once a year and almost always travels by air. Thats the difference between us and them, total dedication!

 

It's brutal. But the weather makes it all worthwhile.

 

Used to leave the house at 3:30 am on a Saturday morning, and get back at about 12:30am on the Sunday morning, fly to most games now but it's usually the first flight over and last flight back so leave at about 5:30am and get back at about the same time 12:30am.

 

did you see the welcome Cork gave to the queen this year?? Rebel County??? My *! bunch of west brits ..& to be fair munster is rugby mad .. in my opinon the most celts in Ireland are mainly to be found in Ulster (9 counties) & Dublin & the rest are mintorities scattered around the country tho im no expert... its embarssing listening to the * here (Eire) going on about we this and we that in reference to Liverpool.Man utd & increasingly Chelsea.. ive got to say your average Irish male football fan is nothing but a glory hunter!! except of course for the Celtic fans who have my upmost respect for keeping the flag flying here!!!

 

Celtic fans around me are ten times more dedicated than any of the epl fans.Most of them have never seen their teams play yet our guys have travelled over hundreds of times and were all over europe as well.Recession is the big problem with the fall off in numbers.Most fans over here regardless of who they follow have a soft spot for celtic.

 

Regarding a lack of local team - surely its easier for people to support an Irish team than travel to Scotland or England?? I don't buy that argument that they don't have a local team to support if they can support Man Utd or Celtic? I have respect football fans like yourself who will support their local team and have another team. Always wondered why so many Irish support British football teams given the political history.

As a long suffering Rochdale fan, who only got our first promotion two years ago, I have had to take all sorts of abuse from colleagues etc from my town who support United. Now, I've been to loads of City matches with my mates but would never consider myself a fan. I always look for Celtic as my old man is an oldbhoy and keep him up to date with all the gossip from here (cheers lads lol).

 

Ive been to Donegal and I didnt get the impression there was a big Celtic support. Seen a lot of Liverpool/Arsenal strips but no Celtic tops.

The papers didnt carry any SPL or Celtic stuff either, it seemed to be all EPL news.

 

i had the misforrtune of travelling to old trafford for a manchester derby on an irish supporters bus... my ex thought shed take me & try "convert me"... - fat chance of that... wore my celtic gear the whole time.. we were sitting at the port at Dublin when a load more fans got on & one proceeded to show me anti liverpoool pics & videos on his fone.. i said something along the lines of "why do you give a * about two english cities for?" and he soon moved on! i sat for the whole game with my hoops on & i was chuffed that man city won. so i didnt have to listen to the * crowing on the journey the whole way back

 

there is a very big Celtic support here due to the big Donegal -Glasgow connection but theres also loads of EPL gloryhunters... i find its mostly the old boys that are Celtic fans ,, the ones who may have worked in Glasgow at one point... & your right about the lack of media coverage... i was shocked about an hour ago when one of the national radio stations actually had Roddy Forsyth on reporting on Ran*ers troubles off ther pitch & ours on it! usually all you hear about is the EPL!

 

Not really because up untill a few years ago, the LOI was rarely shown on television, and so it made sense that those with no local teams would support Man Utd, Celtic, Liverpool etc as they were never off the tv, radio etc. Those that live near an Irish team and support a foreign club over there local have no excuse. Gloryhunting at its finest.

 

At least 5 buses to Celtic park for home matches from Donegal.
1 bus each a year to manure/liverpool games.
You seen loads of liverpool/arsenal strips because they had probably won that week and manure and chelsea obviously lost.

 

I couldn't believe in one of the pubs the way they talked about the English teams and when you mention Celtic its like its a dirty word. I've got a lot of experience of real dedicated Celtic fans from Ireland as well though. I was just shocked the first time I was over and realised that some didn't give a * about us.

 

Many Celtic fans in Ireland would support their local GAA teams.

 

I support Celtic and My local team Bohs, but trust me their is a big difference. I spent my kid years at Dalymount park watching Bohs with my Da, But when i made my first trip to the "Big Show" it was very hard to go back to Dalyer ha. Also its the whole history of Celtic that captures folk which only I think Man u or liverpool can come close.

 

My family are from Donegal and I have loads of relatives there and we are all Celtic supporters. But when you get there there just isnt that impression. As I said, loads of EPL strips floating around but I have yet to see someone wearing a Celtic top.

The papers are hopeless, have yet to read anything Hoops related. Have been to plenty bars with some Celtic memorabilia on the walls, but these tend to be football bars rather than Celtic ones.

Im sure the reality is that the EPL carries more followers than Celtic does. Probably for all the reasons that have already been posted here.

Personally I dont really care, you cant tell someone who they should follow, though as a Scot I dont follow any English clubs, and I cant see why any Irish would. Watch their football, yes, but to actively follow them? Nah.

 

Yeah that's my experience of Donegal as well unfortunately. I just don't get the English team thing either, I quite like Barcelona but support no team except Celtic.