Irish sports gambling fans love the GAA sports

Any analysis of sports gambling in Ireland will usually highlight horse racing and football as the most popular gambling activities in the country, a situation which Ireland probably has in common with the UK and many other countries in the world. Ireland does of course also have a strong tradition of gambling on sports such as rugby, but it is the GAA sports which sets Ireland and its sports gambling community apart from most of the rest of the world. Very few countries, apart from the US and Australia have their own specialised sports with mass popular appeal, so gambling on GAA sports is very clearly a predominantly Irish pastime. Gaelic football and Hurling are the main GAA sports with the biggest following and this weekend and next weekend sees two of the biggest matches of the season for GAA gambling fans. First up on Sunday at Pairc an Chrocaigh is the final of the GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship, this year featuring Dublin versus Mayo in what is expected to be a very close match. Even the bookies appear a little unsure with Paddy Power offering Evens on Dublin and a slightly more favourable 11/10 on Mayo, not an easy selection for neutral GAA gambling enthusiasts. Next Saturday promises to be an even more difficult choice for fans of gambling on Hurling, with the replay of the GAA Hurling All Ireland Senior Championship between Clare and Cork again at the Pairc an Chrocaigh. This match is of course a bit of a bonus for GAA sports gambling fans with a second match needed to separate these two teams. For obvious reasons Paddy Power have both teams at even money for this replay. The GAA sports are undoubtedly a bonus for Irish sports gambling fans and provide a popular sports gambling option not available in most other countries in the world.