DUBLIN WERE THE most popular GAA team on social media during the 2013 All-Ireland campaign, according to a study carried out by Action 81.
The study found that the Dubs have the largest Facebook following — more than triple that of any other county — while they also had the most popular Facebook post of the year.
However, Cork have the biggest following on Twitter, narrowly edging out Dublin.
Ulster, meanwhile, had more entries in the top 10 Twitter official accounts than any other province, with Tyrone (3rd), Donegal (5th), Derry (7th), Down (8th), and Armagh (10th) all featuring.
And Dublin aside, the correlation between Twitter followers/Facebook likes among counties was found to be relatively balanced.
Commenting on the results, Emmet Ryan, editor of Action 81, said:
“You’ve got to look at these numbers in context. While the followers/likes on the whole aren’t exceptionally high, we’ve seen massive jumps in both platforms across the board compared to a year or two years ago.
“Twitter has become vital for the matchday experience. The number of tweets during the All-Ireland Football final demonstrate just how much fans rely on it. Ireland’s stadia need to catch up as mobile coverage just doesn’t cut it.
“Wexford Park could be a game-changer for social interaction in the GAA. They have installed free wifi on a stadium-wide basis, this needs to be rolled out to the major grounds so fans can interact socially without disruption during games.
“From a promotional standpoint, this is huge for the GAA. The more fans can share content from an event while they are at it, the more coverage games at all levels will receive. I have absolutely no doubt that wifi in stadia would see all of the numbers in our study increase substantially.”
