Visiting Mayo club calls New York GAA board ‘a disgrace’

By Pierce O’Reilly

Outraged Ballyhanuis GAA officials walked out of Gaelic Park on Sunday in protest over that they termed a "complete lack of respect by New York GAA."

The visiting Mayo club had been invited to play the New York All-Stars in a challenge match, which, it was hoped, would test the mettle of the championship hopefuls before their game with Roscommon next month. Instead, the game turned out to be a farce, with the All-Stars dishing out a whopping beating, 5-15 to 0-8. Ballyhaunis, however, were yet to be receive they’re most humiliating moment. When the game finished, the Mayo club walked toward the hallowed Gaelic Park premises expecting a "small reception," so they could mingle and chat with their fellow countymen. Instead, they were herded toward the bar and left red faced with specially engraved plaques under their oxters.

"They’re a complete disgrace," tour secretary Stella O’Neill said. "We’ll fire the plaques into the nearest dumpster on our way to Manhattan."

The Ballyhaunis officials were outraged. They had traveled from Boston to New York to fulfill the fixture and to be treated in such a manner after receiving such a mauling out on the field was simply too much to take.

"We’re disgusted that not even a sandwich or a cup of tea was provided for us," O’Neill said.

The officials headed back to their hotel on Third Avenue and refused to present the specially engraved plaques to the New York board. The expensive plaques that were hand engraved with messages thanking the New York board for their hospitality had been purchased in Ireland before the club headed off on their 10-day U.S. tour.

John Moore, the GAA PRO, told the Echo on Monday that GAA President Monty Moloney was "very embarrassed" with what had transpired.

"It was a complete misunderstanding and oversight," Moore said. "Monty takes full responsibility for what happened. We simply screwed up on this one."

Moore confirmed that the board simply forgot to organize the reception and that they would try their best to rectify the situation.

Ballyhaunis manager Tommy Grogan said he was disappointed that it wasn’t the Mayo GFC team his side played instead of a team preparing for the Connaught championship. "It did neither team any good, I don’t know how this happened," he said.

Don’t mess with ‘Bull McCabe’

It’s great to see New York LGAA making the headlines of late and why shouldn’t they be held in high esteem? There is controversy over player sanctions, a prominent member has just resigned, and now with Paddy’s Field under construction, they are gradually running out of playing surfaces and GAA friends.

The recent publicity is a complete turn up for the books. The women were always left alone and played their games in the background of the GAA fraternity/sorority. Even if the women find it hard to comprehend, a bit of publicity, be it positive or negative, is every now and then a good thing.

LGAA president Ann Holland and her sidekicks won’t be happy campers again this week with the news that Monty Moloney and his men have once again kicked their progressive association in the teeth. He told his delegates at last week’s meeting that he had met with the women and that he was willing to give them two of his precious Sundays this year. You could almost hear him thinking, "that’ll show them now for speaking out." It will be interesting to see now if the pen-yielding ladies are as fast to express their utter disgust with Moloney’s decision and as they were when Cavan stalwart Rosie O’Reilly spoke out recently. At least O’Reilly could see what was coming long before any decision was made. Then again the women will probably meet for hours, look at the best way to respond and then just write in protest to the local media expressing their amazement with the recent publicity.

Noisy night at Landsdowne

Those hardy GAA followers who turned up at the Landsdowne Bar for their weekly fix of GAA last Thursday received a bit more than they had bargained for. Most of the gray-haired experts probably didn’t realize it but Bono and the U2 Boy’s were blasting out their famous rendition of Grammy award winning "Beautiful Day" as the top team discussed pending sanctions, Dooley’s schedule and the new website (which is actually worth a visit – www.newyorkgaa.org) in the back room.

The Landsdowne was a hive of activity with college kids filling the outer bar, leaving the GAA boys to fight the music levels from start to finish. The younger members of the aging association did manage to prick their ears when Samantha Mumba blasted off with ‘I Want to Tell Ya’ and when Christine Aguilera let go with "Come on Over." The blonde bombshell, however, couldn’t woo the heart of one delegate, who turned around at one stage and uttered, "Jesus, can some one put their fist into that jukebox."