Irish views on Celtic

Nowhere near it.

 

If you include those who support Celtic as a second team after Liverpool or Man Utd, then aye but if your only including people who support Celtic only, then they would be behind Man Utd and Liverpool but even so thats not bad for a team playing in the SPL who get very little coverage over here these days.

 

Sorry if that wasn't clear Tim. I'm saying that it was Scots-based Celtic fans who'd led me to believe that Celtic were HUGE in the ROI.

The reality, however, was that when I started traveling the world, I met more ROI natives who were indifferent towards Celtic than those who had a major interest in the club.

A case in point was when I was working abroad near a military base. The Irish Defence Force lads who were there had Setanta in their rec-block and they gave me the entry-code so I could get in to watch the Celtic matches. Most of the time I was alone when watching the Celtic games. When I did have company, the Irish lads were not really interested in the telly. Tellingly, the place was teeming EVERY time one of the big EPL sides were playing and if the EPL game clashed with the Celtic match, then I was (rightfully) not getting to see us play!

 

This is exactly my experience also. I have never lived in ROI so can only go on limited experience but I do have many friends over there and have met many more Irish on my travels. On the whole most couldnt give a toss about Scottish football - sadly including celtic.

 

My mates and i get a certain degree of jealousy from prem league fans because we are over and back all the time where as most of them have never gone over to see their team.TV has a big part to play,kids never get to see Celtic on it.We still have a very dedicated fan base here all the same.

 

Theres also a stigma attached to supporting Celtic that will put people off here, yeno what I mean the "Celtic supporters are all knackers" way of thinking.

Watch any RTE drama and youll always see the scumbags dressed purposely with Celtic gear.

 

Like yer man from Hardy Bucks lol.

 

And every scarf you see in a riot is a Celtic one

 

Shky bhoy:icon_mrgreen:

 

Celtic are defo bigger in the northern counties and the boarder counties.

But thats down to celtic not promoting themselves against the might of the epl. It wouldnt take alot because we are a massive pull.

 

yeah mate, I think the board have taken Celtics support over here for granted.

 

This is a point I made earlier about RTE hating Celtic. This is why in my opinion they do not show Celtic matches. The west brit types in the Irish media do not want to promote Celtic preferring to tell us why we should like the british queen. It is the medias disregard for Celtic which has led mainly to the decline in support in the 26 counties.

 

To be fair to RTE they dont show any EPL football at all apart from 5 minutes of highlights. When Celtic were in the Champions league they regurley showed Celtic games.

 

They need to wake up because the media over here only peddle in epl *. Even "today fm" do live games.


Like i said, it wouldnt take alot. A couple of preseason games (a year or every other year) to raise profile and other clubs benefit which is appreciated by local fans. Which in turn will also show there appreciation with support.

 

I for one being a mayo native is one of them

 

No they are

 

Hello Mate I do agree that there is an overall loss of interest in Celtic in popular culture in Ireland over the last few years – that is inevitable as the coverage the EPL gets is almost 24/7. But I know personally as a football administrator working in the IFA – The northern Irish FA, doing allot of work with the south there is still a vast loyalty to Celtic in terms of merchandising and support. You point out that you didn’t notice any Irish soldiers watching the Celtic games’ this is sadly the case with many that show loyalty to Celtic – the old firm thing gets boring, lacklustre and predictable and even moderate Celtic fans would miss matches against st Mirren, Hamilton, Falkirk etc but would easily sit down to Man U v Chelsea, Chelsea v Liverpool, so on so on. It’s the excitement factor. Now these people might not in your eyes be real supporters but will in no doubt show allegiance to Celtic. If you done a report/ survey the overwhelming amount of Irish people north/south actually physically going to games Celtic would be in doubt the highest attended from Irish people. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
I am also strongly against the idea that Ireland has almost become ashamed of the “Ultra republican Celtic”- this is true to a certain extent that some republicans support Celtic but I know of many Man United fans that are off the republican persuasion. <o></o>
When we were playing Liverpool and Man untied in recent euro campaigns RTE made sure that these games were its prime viewing as there is no doubt these are the BIGGEST CLUBS in Ireland – Celtic may be playing a shadow role in the minute with the lack of high profile signings European demise and lack of success- but this was case also in the nineties but just because the support wasn’t as visible didn’t necessarily mean it didn’t exist. I have been a Celtic fan my whole life – but there have been seasons I have been unable to get over. And I personally haven’t worn any Celtic top in public in two years. <o></o>
To stop boring you I believe Ireland hasn’t rejected Celtic – It still has an overwhelming love for the club- in no doubt per head of population celtic is more supported in Ireland that any other country even Scotland . Hopefully with success this will flourish again in the public eye. <o></o>

 

Very well put mate,you hit the nail on the head