As an Irishman living and playing GAA in New York, I thought the GAA president's comments were extremely hurtful to the Irish living in New York. There are thousands of Irish in New York (And all over the USA) who are unable to travel home. Many have been here for years and years, unable to travel home for family occasions. You often hear of people unable to travel home for the funeral of their mother or father. This is the real life situation of thousands of Irish over here. The New York Gaelic football team is our team. They represent the Irish of New York.

We are now being told that our team will make a mockery of the championship should they win on Sunday. We are being told this by no less an authority than the President of the GAA.

In times when we are abandoning Ireland again in droves, we have the 'bourgeois class' telling us that we are creating a 'mockery' by actually winning a game of football

His eminence goes on to say that "maybe we'll get the opportunity to talk with President Barack Obama and try and influence his thoughts on that if we can" Sure thing, President Obama will wave USA immigration law for you.

On another point there are many Irish American involved with New York Teams.
Its true that most of panel is Irish born. There is a reason for that. The majority of senior club players over here are Irish. Of the senior club teams over here, I would say approx. 15% of the players are Irish American.

CJ Molloy will probably play on Sunday. James Huvane would be close if he didn't get injured. There is always a healthy amount of Irish Americans involved in the senior team

With the garbage coming from the upper echelons of Croke Park, I don't hope New York win, I hope they hammer Roscommon out the gate at Gaelic Park on Sunday

Nua Eabhrac Abu !

manonthemoon (USA) - Posts: 43 - 28/04/2011 13:58:47    919797

manonthemoon
County: USA
Posts: 11

Well said and totally agree with you. Again the gaa hierarchy are failing the very members that keep the association afloat across the pond and giving the exiles an outlet or a way of acclimatising to their new surroundings.

I can only guess how his comments made the youth of our native soil feel having had to flee our shores in search of a living. I know when I was away from home simple things like football and local results made the distance seem very small. No disrespect to Roscommon, but I hope NY do win at the weekend and better still if Leitrim or the Connacht council agreed to stage the next round across the pond also.

On another note - is Dan Doona the one serious talent that we in Kerry let slip through the nets.

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts: 5491 - 28/04/2011 14:16:54    919812

I think mr cooney has just given New York the greatest pre-match speech, better than any manager could do. Youse should post it up on the dressing-room wall.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5520 - 28/04/2011 14:23:46    919821

he has got it all wrong, he needs to keep these sorts of comments to himself, he should be promoting the game, not bringing it down. i personally think that new york will give roscommon the game of their lives this weekend, NY will push their way to the brink, they are loaded with talent and could pick up the win. Up New York

sligolifer (Sligo) - Posts: 959 - 28/04/2011 14:34:20    919831

Well said Manonthemoon and best of luck at the weekend.

One of these years a major shock will happen and New York or London will take a big scalp. God knows what Cooney was doing coming out with comments like that, especially so close to the game.

If the GAA truly wants to be globally recognised then the GAA in London and New York should be encouraged to grow and have more funds available, rather than castigated and ridiculed. At the end of the day a strong New York and London adds to the Connacht championship and that can only be good.

tribeinbrum (Galway) - Posts: 4155 - 28/04/2011 14:37:02    919834

manonthemoon - well said. sometimes i think the irish abroad/ irish americans have more respect for ireland and the meaning of the gaa than those of us at home.

best of luck on sunday - il be tuning into shannionside ( a hilarious commenator for those of you interested)

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11557 - 28/04/2011 14:51:01    919854

I really hope they pull out a win, put the cat among the pigeons & do away with this mentality that they are only a token entry to make up the numbers.

pundit2 (Louth) - Posts: 597 - 28/04/2011 15:05:34    919864

I have nothing against the Non-Connacht men hoping New york can pull off a shock on Sunday e.g wishing them all the best..however seeing fellow Connacht men on here do it! that really disappoints me.

ispeakwisdom (Roscommon) - Posts: 2487 - 28/04/2011 15:21:17    919881

13/2 odds for new york now

sligolifer (Sligo) - Posts: 959 - 29/04/2011 11:29:11    920355

ispeakwisdom
County: Roscommon
I have nothing against the Non-Connacht men hoping New york can pull off a shock on Sunday e.g wishing them all the best..however seeing fellow Connacht men on here do it! that really disappoints me

well we are used to it in mayo - sure new york are a connacht team ;) its nothing against roscommon - its the underdog thing. dont worry i was shouting for ye against cork last year.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11557 - 29/04/2011 11:34:50    920362

Jaysus lads,everytime i check the odds in the bookies,New York are going down.Fellas must be really putting the mula on them.

fergie (Carlow) - Posts: 1119 - 30/04/2011 09:39:33    920852

Nothing Connacht about New york, mostly Munster & Ulster men anyways best of luck to our lads tomoro!!

ispeakwisdom (Roscommon) - Posts: 2487 - 30/04/2011 21:45:05    921234

I played GAA in Australia for years. The GAA in Croke Park do not provide anything of substance to any of the GAA teams in Australia.
For god sake even in Sydney we still don't have a pitch of our own to play on. The GAA might say well why didn't the GAA in Sydney ensure there is a pitch to play on but that's my exact point. The GAA in Croker should be ensuring that there are pitches in all the big traditional Irish Imigrant cities in the world.
Teams really struggle in Sydney every year to keep afloat.
Add to that the fact that the GAA have not ensured that their games are easily available to imigrants to watch and I believe they have really failed the Irish communities abroad. I would love to be able to sit and watch Wexford play with my two young kids.
The only options I have is to go to the pub late at night (which with young kids is not an option) or sign up with a expensive package from FOXTEL with the addon option of Setanta with very limited options.
At this stage GAA and RTE should have something organise for Irish abroad to stay tuned in. I constantly read the GAA news on the Hogan stand it's my lifeline. Thank you Hogan stand maybe you can help Irish abroad with viewing some games.

Nick (Wexford) - Posts: 1100 - 01/05/2011 10:45:27    921285

the gaa are affraid to help other countries in terms of gaa facilities in case they get better than dublin which would lead to the gaa losing serious money. The GAA relys on cork, dublin , kildare and wexford who are the most supported teams in the country to do well because they will lose money on gate receipts if these teams dont go well. I think the gaa are affraid to let the game grow acros the world and they are hypocritical in their actions. For a game thats players are still amateurs, the fat cats that run the game are receiving healthy funds riding on the big teams success. I personally would love to see teams from outside of ireland do well in the gaa. As a kildare man i will support roscommon tonight but i will not begrudge new york a victory, theres a new dawn in the gaa as of tonight

Possom (Kildare) - Posts: 322 - 01/05/2011 15:59:23    921447

Lots of heartfelt messages here, reaffirming that the GAA is very important to Irish people overseas.

However, I see nobody has addressed the point that Christy Cooney was trying to make. Take off the romantic blinkers for a second, and consider that Cooney is correct with regards to the practical side of things. 100% correct.

If New York win in the championship, they will not be able to come to Ireland to play further matches, due to problems with American immigration. This a fact, and all the bleeding hearts in the country about supporting overseas teams cannot simply ignore this fact.

If New York cannot FULLY commit to playing in the GAA senior championship, then I am afraid reality must kick in, and questions must be asked of why they play ANY part in the GAA Senior championship.

I do not say abandon New York GAA. But they should be supported through other avenues, rather than shoehorning them into a championship that they cannot even field in, never mind win.

Steve (Fermanagh) - Posts: 293 - 01/05/2011 16:30:25    921460

ispeakwisdom
County: Roscommon
I have nothing against the Non-Connacht men hoping New york can pull off a shock on Sunday e.g wishing them all the best..however seeing fellow Connacht men on here do it! that really disappoints me

Not all of us are! Best of luck Ros against New York

Ailteoir (Galway) - Posts: 898 - 01/05/2011 16:59:40    921487

Roscommon have made their own statement but regardless insensitive state

statement by the GAA president-and profound words by maninthemoon

kerrykerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1779 - 01/05/2011 21:30:29    921756

The rossies answered the critics this eve! Up the ros!

Rossies4life (Roscommon) - Posts: 178 - 01/05/2011 21:41:21    921770

What was the score?

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 01/05/2011 21:49:49    921783

Steve from Fermanagh- I dont disagree with with you on that. I think that Croke Park need to make some sort of a proper decision about how they want to deal with New York. If they want New York in the Championship then fine lets have them in it, but you are going to have to accommodate them
properly i.e. all matches in New York. And a decent interval between games in case they win and another county has to make arrangements to fly out there.
If they are not fully committed to doing that, then remove New York from the championships and find other ways to promote the GAA in New York.
The problem is that at the moment they are doing neither. They want New York in the championship, just so long as they dont inconvenience anyone by actually winning a game. A nice trip out to New York for one county, alternate it around so that the same county only goes out every few years. And then pat the New York county board on the back, tell them what a great job they are doing, and head off back to Ireland to carry on with the real Championship. Thats effectively what the President said last week and coming from the top man at the table, it is just not good enough.

anfearbeag (Meath) - Posts: 1134 - 01/05/2011 21:59:52    921790