The expansion of the so-called "super clubs" in Dublin will be damaging for Gaelic games in the capital in the long run, according to two-time All Star Ciarán Whelan.
Kilmacud Crokes and Na Fianna will lock horns in this Sunday's Go Ahead Dublin SHC final at Parnell Park, a week after the respective clubs' footballers also clashed in the county decider.
Mobhi Road side Na Fianna have just under 3,000 members, according to their own website, while Crokes are bigger again at about 5,000. Ballyboden St Enda's, another club on the southside of the city, have in the region of 3,400 members, while Cuala - who have won two All-Ireland SHC titles in the last six seasons - have around 3,200 members.
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Of course, not all of these are necessarily playing members, but they compare to around 2,800 at Naas GAA in Kildare, 860 at six-time All-Ireland winners Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, while Corofin, who won four titles in six years between 2015 and 2020, have 745 members.
"It is a big frustration for smaller clubs in Dublin," says the man who played with Raheny.
"The likes of Kilmacud have a massive catchment area on the southside, and it's purely a numbers game.
"If you compare that to the northside where you've got Scoil Uí Chonaill, O'Toole's, Clontarf, Raheny, Craobh Chiaráin, St Vincent's, Na Fianna, Whitehall, Erin's Isle, Ballymun - all within a five-mile radius.
"There's a significant amount of clubs on the northside and the criticism the smaller clubs would have is that some of the larger clubs are starting to encroach on their patch.
"Depending on where lads are going to schools, the bigger clubs will hold that pull on the players because there's that better chance of success.
"That would be one of the criticisms aimed at Na Fianna, that they would have encroached on other team's patches around the northside, and other clubs are in decline because of it.
"It is a worrying trend, and definitely the gap is becoming bigger between some of the top clubs and the weaker clubs. There's a huge contrast, I've always felt, between the standard of Division 1 and Division 2, in terms of football.
"I can't really comment on hurling, per se, but it is a concern."
Pressed on whether some of the other clubs might come together so that they can take on the bigger clubs, similar to the divisional model in Kerry, Whelan wasn't convinced.
"Can I see regional teams in the short term? No, I can't," he added.
"If anything, we'll see some clubs really struggle to field teams. That's happening in some areas of Dublin already. Some old traditional clubs are really struggling to get players on the field of play.
"You'd be more worried that they'd become extinct."
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