By Pierce O’Reilly
New York hurlers have left no stone unturned in their preparations for the upcoming championship clash with Down. The home side are primed with confidence and are determined to enter the annals of GAA folklore with their first championship success on home soil. Senior hurling chairman Dessie Costello said this week that the entire city is excited about the prospect of a home clash.
"We’re going to give the lads all the support that they need," Costello said. "The New York board are also on our side and we’re delighted that we all have the same goal."
The hurlers were disappointed with their performance last year at Casement Park, where the Mourne men pulled clear in the second half with two goals arriving at pivotal stages. This season, the new hurling manager, Kieran O’Sullivan, has tried to instill a new confidence in his players, and they have responded enthusiastically.
"Things have being going really well," O’Sullivan said this week. "We’ve received a few top-class players and with a strong base of hurlers here in New York, we’re in a much better position than at this stage last year."
O’Sullivan is smiling these days as he heads to Van Cortlandt Park for training. He is delighted that Waterford star Brian Green has joined the panel, after arriving in Connecticut earlier in the year. Green is one of the most respected players in Munster and his attacking style of play strikes fear into many opposing attackers. New York also have the services of Tipp’s John Madden and Owen Cummins, Limerick’s Simms brothers and Connecticut’s Bonny Kennedy. They also have acquired the talented Tom Fitzgibbon, who lined out for the Cork U-21s recently.
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O’Sullivan is a genuine hurling fanatic, knowledgeable and inspirational.
"The new lads have added a buzz of excitement to training and we’re glad to have such competition for places; that keeps all the players eager," he said.
The panel and backroom setup of Costello, trainer Gaughan and McHugh were all delighted to hear that the diamond at Gaelic Park is to be resod for the game. The team will also be allowed to train at the Bronx headquarters once the weather improves.
Manager O’Sullivan arrived in New York in 1986. A year later, he with others founded the Limerick hurling club. Success was soon to follow with junior and senior silverware on their mantelpiece. O’Sullivan was always involved. If he wasn’t the manger, selector or trainer, he was organizing events off the field.
"We’ll have to cut our panel from 30 to 24 soon before we head home," O’Sullivan said confidently. It’s obvious that the Pallas Green native isn’t afraid to draw the line when his players don’t perform. But what’s this talk of going home to play? Isn’t the game at Gaelic Park?
"We’ll be going home alright, home for the second game, when we’ve dispatched with Down," he said.