February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Pierce O’Reilly
More than 10 years have passed since New York GAA officials and Gaelic Park Bar lease holders, the O’Donnell family, have shaken hands. Relationships were always strained between the two in the past, but present GAA president Monty Moloney is building more bridges than he is burning these days.
Moloney is eager to revitalize the GAA headquarters and may even decide to move the association’s office to the site. At last week’s GAA meeting, he announced that the GAA would return to Gaelic Park for its weekly meetings and the general consensus was one of approval.
"We’ve moved from pillar to post over the past few years following different bars," Moloney told delegates. "However, with the Lansdowne now changing hands again, we decided it was time to go back to our real home at Gaelic Park and the O’Donnell family have being very supportive."
In many ways, the final fling in the Lansdowne on Thursday was a sad affair. Moloney had brought the meetings to the Broadway venue when he took over the reins in 1998 and ever since the venue has buzzed with excitement on Thursday evenings. Clubs fought over players, players fought over clubs and in between the business of the exiles association continued to prosper.
Three years ago, it was a brave venture to move the meetings to a new location. Moloney, however, wanted to stamp his own authority on GAA proceedings and a new-look venue seemed an appealing option. The weekly meetings had struggled to hit the headlines while at Characters Bar since the early 1990s and the Lansdowne was viewed as the ideal location.
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Lansdowne Bar owners Eamon Duffy, Larry O’Brien and Kevin Madden responded in tandem and agreed to provide dressing room facilities free of charge.
"We’re very grateful for what the lads did for us over the past three years," Moloney said. "When the premises went on the market, we had to look elsewhere."
Gaelic Park, so long associated with the GAA in New York, was chosen ahead of a list of contenders because of its parking facilities and tranquility.
"We’ll have a bit of peace and quite at Gaelic Park and there is loads of parking for everyone," Moloney said. "We’re also looking forward to renewing acquaintances with the O’Donnells, who have been staunch GAA supporters from day one. I’m sure we’ll work well together."
In other GAA news, Moloney stated that ticket sellers would no longer be entertained outside the GAA headquarters in the Bronx.
"We always support every genuine cause and have no problem with people asking for help, but organizations and groups just can’t arrive and set up camp outside our premises without permission," he said.
The GAA association was outraged recently when ticket sellers from different groups targeted the GAA followers as they entered the Park.
"If people want to sell tickets outside Gaelic Park, they must send a letter to the board and get permission to do so," Moloney said. "They’ll be asked to leave the ground if they don’t abide by that stipulation from now on."