February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Monty Maloney, the president of Randalls Island Gaelic Sports Complex, announced last Friday that an organization known as Goodwill Sports Association, which specializes in the creation of athletic fields, has pledged $10 million to the effort. Maloney made the announcement at Rosie O’Grady’s Manhattan Club in the presence of Sean Kelly, the head of the GAA, who was visiting from Ireland to attend Sunday’s Down vs. New York Ulster Hurling Championship first-round game.
RIGS is facing a Sept. 1 deadline to raise $7 million to demonstrate its ability to develop the city-owned park.
“This could just be the tip of the iceberg,” Maloney said, alluding to the prospect of additional funding from Goodwill Sport.
Joseph Raguso, a consultant who brought RIGS and Goodwill Sport together, assured those attending the gathering that “the money is coming.” He told the Echo that the details would likely be finalized this week. “The money from Goodwill Sport is specifically for construction of fields, lighting, walkways, etc., and cannot be used for other purposes,” he said. Phyllis Fitzpatrick, executive director of Goodwill Sport, did not attend the event.
RIGS’ financial secretary, Paul Tuffy, addressed the assemblage about one specific need. The group must raise $100,000 for the Securities and Exchange Commission in order to go public with the project.
It is thought that of the $10 million from Goodwill Sport materializes, RIGs should be able to raise that $100,000 from other sources. Tuffy spoke of $1.6 million in government grants that had been applied for unsuccessfully and said that the RIGS group would be reapplying for them.
The evening had originally been planned to push $10,000 memberships. In attendance was special guest Sean Kelly, the visiting president of the GAA. Kelly told the crowd that he “deeply appreciates the work being done here for our games.” Kelly also told the crowd that virtually every club in Ireland has their own grounds and said, “Thank God we didn’t listen” when the naysayers told the GAA to hold off on the completion of Croke Park.
Kelly said that teams from Ireland have long viewed New York as “the first port of call,” but noted “teams don’t want to come to a place that doesn’t have facilities.” Although Kelly pledged the GAA’s support, with the Association