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New York GAA makes bid for Lansdowne bar

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Pierce O’Reilly

New York GAA PRO John Moore confirmed this week that the association has bid for the purchase of the Lansdowne Bar.

"We discussed the matter with all the officers recently and we generally felt that if we got it at a reasonable price, it would be a suitable premises for the association," said Moore, who did not reveal the amount of the bid.

The Lansdowne, where the GAA holds its weekly meetings, is at 6159 Broadway, at 251st St., in the Bronx, near Gaelic Park, where the association’s clubs play many of their games. It is believed that the asking price for the bar is about $1 million.

Not owing it’s own field and clubhouse has been the Achilles heel of the New York association. The GAA has moved from pillar to post since its foundation in 1914 and games have been played at a number of different locations.

When the lease on Gaelic Park was up for renewal in 1990, internal friction and lack of cooperation cost the association dearly. As members squabbled, Manhattan College secured the lease for the city-owned facility. The GAA now pays Manhattan $75,000 per year to use the facility.

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Moore is adamant that their interest in the Lansdowne is merited. "Games and training will always take place at Van Cortlandt Park and we felt if we could harness that potential we’d have a vibrant business," Moore said, referring to the city park across the street from the premises.

The GAA games could also be brought in every Sunday morning and, according to Moore, it would be the ideal place for the Gaels to meet each week. The Lansdowne, which is owned by Eamonn Duffy, Kevin Madden and Larry O’Brien, is at present the location for the weekly GAA meetings and has been used every week as a dressing room facility for the New York teams training at the park. The venture is definitely brave and adventurous, but is it a case of putting the cart before the horse once again.

Monty mingles with media

GAA president Monty Moloney has given the GAA in the Big Apple a new pride of place among the media moguls of the world. Moloney is without doubt good at the media game. Three weeks ago, he had New York Times sports writer Corey Kilgannon and his photographer at Gaelic Park for opening day, and the following day he got a half page story in the Metro section.

Moloney is honest and outspoken. He’s eager to progress the association and would like to be remembered as the man that got New York GAA it’s first playing field, even if it arrives after the first GAA bar.

Following on the success of the New York Times coup, Moloney had Peter Linden from ADCF travel magazine at Gaelic Park last week. His feature on the ethnic origins of the Irish and their native games will be read by more than 300,000 Europeans next month. Moloney will continue to make the headlines even if sometimes for the wrong reasons.

Roscommon accommodations

The pipe of peace will be lit in Roscommon next month when the New York footballers take on the home side in the Connaught Championship. The travelling panel had planned to spend their sojourn in the West at Hotel Westport. However, Moloney and his men have now decided to spend at least two nights in Roscommon. The team are expected to be staying at the White House Hotel, just outside Roscommon town, the night before the game and the night after the game. Moloney will be lighting the peace pipe all right, but will the Roscommon officials smoke it?

Women disheartened

The interest in the New York women’s GAA season is beginning to wane rapidly as the same teams get hammered every weekend. It is clear at this early stage that only three teams — Cavan, Mayo and Kerry — will be in the hunt for GAA honors later in the season. The rest of the pack will be left wondering what they must do to compete with the top three. Cavan have been in outstanding form of late, Mayo are consistent, while Kerry are determined to break the mold and make a name for themselves.

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