OLDEST IRISH AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN USA, ESTABLISHED IN 1928
Category: Archive

N.Y. Cup turns up

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Pierce O’Reilly The offices of the Irish Echo have being inundated with inquires relating to the missing New York trophies since the story was reported two weeks ago. GAA fans and critics all over the U.S. were intrigued to hear of the fate of the many symbols of Gaelic football and hurling supremacy in the tri-state area. John Hanlon. from the New Haven Gaelic Football and Hurling Club, said it angered him that clubs had such little respect for trophies that take such effort to obtain. "It takes clubs years to achieve such honor and success and it baffles and angers me greatly to see the way they get battered and abused in victory celebrations," he said. The original Junior hurling trophy which was reported missing has surfaced in New Haven, where it is in mint condition and of huge importance to the local club. "We have the original Junior Hurling Cup and it takes pride of place in our club house," Hanlon said. "We were presented with the perpetual cup after Connecticut state hurlers won the three in a row back in the late 1970s." Connecticut won the Junior Hurling Championship from 1976-79 with a very respected outfit. "The replacement cup must be the one missing," Hanlon said. The cup in New Haven’s possession was recently replated due to natural deterioration. However, there is no name or past winners engraved on it. The social scene of the city has bolstered many clubs in the past to the detriment of the out-of-state organizations. The recent trend of migration northward has, however, greatly benefited clubs like Rockland, Stamford, New Haven and New Jersey. "We seem to be getting more and more Irish moving up here," Hanlon said. "We have two Irish bars now in town with plans to open another one soon, so for once things are working in our favor." The club, which started 54 years ago, is now bubbling with enthusiasm. "Things look good for the upcoming season and we’re confident that further success isn’t too far away," he said. The New Haven club is planning an anniversary celebration later this year when both past footballers and hurlers will be honored for their commitment to the club over the years. In the past, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford and Hartford all played together. In 1976, New Haven won the New England Junior championship while playing in the Boston championship.

Other Articles You Might Like

Sign up to our Daily Newsletter

Click to access the login or register cheese