Busy Off Season for NY GAA

Irish Voice Sport

Busy Off Season for NY GAA

January 16, 2008

By Eugene Kyne

A TIME for recess in the GAA circles in New York, January allows all to hibernate, recuperate and regenerate under normal circumstances.

This year is the exception to that rule, though, with the season getting an early start with the visit of Clare county champions Lissycasey on the weekend of January 25, with a challenge game against New York senior footballers, weather permitting, on the afternoon of the 26th.

That night a function will be held to honor the visiting squad at Ned Devine’s with the celebration, the annexing of the Clare title for the first time in the club’s history, by those who now reside on this side of the foam.

With 13 of the 15 starters from the championship winning team traveling to the U.S., including Michael Melican, who played here with Clare, and Mickey Slowey, who of course represented Monaghan and Clare in the New York championship and New York in the Connaught Champion-ship, it will be a game that will serve as a very useful encounter for the New York panel as they begin their preparations for this year’s championship tilt against Leitrim in May. (A further look at the contest with in-depth reviews of both squads will be in next week’s Irish Voice.)

It will serve as a thrill for Pat Scanlon, who managed New York at various times, including their FBD triumph over Sligo, as he is a native of the West Clare club.

The New York senior panel will possibly have a new man at the helm as letters for the vacant post are required to be sent in to the local board by Thursday night’s meeting. Only those who have a letter submitted will be eligible.

A New York underage team has also begun training for a college tournament in Birmingham, England in February when they will face off against a French side in a historic encounter, as well as fixtures against English, Scottish and Welsh sides in a weekend tournament that will have 20 sides split into three divisions.

New York sent a team to the same competition three years ago with a successful participation at that time.

In divisional news, the junior and senior football divisions installed their officers at last week’s meetings.

The junior division will be headed for the upcoming season by former chairman Terry Connaughton (Roscom-mon). He will be joined at the top table by vice chair Jerry Kiely (Brooklyn/Long Island), secretary Geraldine O’Brien (Brooklyn/Long Island) and schedule committee representative Joan Henchy (Kerry).

The largest division in the city, it has four competitions — the Junior A Charlie Sweeney championship, Junior A knockout John Brady Cup, Junior B championship and Junior B John Joe McGovern KO cup.

The senior division will be lead by Donie O’Sullivan (Cork). He follows John Larkin at the top post in a division that served up two terrific finals between Leitrim and Four Provinces at Senior A, and Down and Offaly at Senior B with the later in both cases the victors.

Dinner dance season is also in full swing with a plethora of inter-county players heading this way from Ireland as they get honored by the local clubs.

Down, who have had an amazing brace of years with the 2006 Junior A title followed by the 2007 Senior B title, will honor Noel Morgan (Castlewellen, Co. Down) as their guest of honor on February 23 at Riccardo’s in Astoria, with Vincent Flanagan from Meath the club person of the year.

New York county panelist Sean Munnelly from Drumkerrin, Co. Leitrim takes home the player of the year accolades with special guests Ross Carr (Hiltown) and Kevin Coulter (Mayobridge) arriving from Ireland for the evening. Carr, of course, played in New York in the nineties and was involved in the Masters All-Ireland final last year for Down.

Coulter is a present panelist with Down and brother of long time club servant Benny, who was a member of the local club through thick and thin and is credited with sowing the seeds in previous years for present day celebrations.

The kingdom of Kerry took home the Junior A title last season with a convincing win in the final over Astoria. They are celebrating the victory with their annual dinner dance on February 2 in the Astoria Manor.

Tim Curtain from Knocknagoshel is the guest of honor, with junior manager Brendan Henchy (Ballydonoghue) the club person of the year. Tommy Quaid (Ballybunion) is the junior player of the year, with Anthony Glacken from Ardagh, Co. Mayo the senior award winner. Quaid’s performances won him a place on the county panel against Sligo IT in the FBD final.

This year some special guests are again joining the club. Sam Maguire will make the trip across the Atlantic after Kerry’s complete demolition of Cork in the All-Ireland final last September. He will be joined by Dara O’Se, Dara O’Cinneide, Seamus Moynihan and Eamonn Fitzmaurice from county champions Feale Rangers.

The Sam Maguire will again be made available to the public on the Saturday morning at the Kerry Hall to allow children and adults alike the opportunity to take pictures with the historic hardware.

The Astoria Gaels will hold their 16th annual dinner dance at Riccardo’s on February 16. Club person of the year is Niall Sugrue (Kerry), Gaelic player of the Year Timmy Lynch (Kerry), manager’s player of the year Alan Foley (Drumkerrin, Co. Leitrim), soccer players of the year Gerry Kelleher (Cork), Ger O’Brien (Offaly), Michael Doherty (Donegal) and Keith Cagney (Louth).

Certainly a cross section of the counties with the qualification for the Junior A final for the first time in the club’s history a major step for the team.

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