Persevering Football Tradition
Three Thousand Miles Away
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The New York GAA and New York Minor Board impacts the Irish American community through providing the youth with an opportunity to participate in Gaelic games and connect with children of similar backgrounds, all while being over 3,000 miles away from the birthplace of the sport. However, the impact doesn’t end once the final whistle sounds and is taken far beyond athletics.
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Feile
The NYMB is responsible for overseeing the selection process for the boys’ and girls’ Féile teams. Féile is an annual tournament held in Ireland, comprised of the best under-15 teams in the nation. Since the early 1990s, a boys’ team has represented New York State. The team has climbed the ranks from Division 8 to 1 and is now viewed as one of the competition’s strongest teams yearly. In 2008, New York sent their first female Féile team to compete. They’ve quickly matched the boys as top competitors as they seek their 4th consecutive Division One title in Co. Derry this June.
“To make it and represent your county is a huge achievement, and it bonds all of the clubs together,” said Minor Board Chairman Danny Browne.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, players would stay with host families, many of whom remain friends years after the competition. Vice Chairman Mike Brosnan, whose two sons, Mikey and Shane, competed in Feile, shared his perspective, “For the kids, it’s unreal. You build lifetime friendships.” Browne and Brosnan both stated that the GAA plans to return to the original host family system in the future.
Since the inception of the girls’ Féile team, St. Brigid’s hasn’t gone a year without representation on the team.
Kiara O’Connor, a former minor player for St. Brigid’s and the club’s vice chairperson, said, “Every club in New York is represented, we have Rockland, St. Brigid’s, Satanta, Shannon Gaels, and Rangers, all have players that try out, and are represented on the team. It’s an amazing accomplishment from the start, going back and winning is just incredible,” she said.
While the results on the pitch are the goal, the trip overall is a cultural experience for the players.
St. Brigid’s Chairperson, Jan Hanley, commented on the key takeaway for the players, “it’s such a cool experience outside of the football for these girls, you know because although a lot of them may come from Irish parents or Irish American parents, maybe they don’t get to Ireland as often as some of the other kids do and it’s just an amazing opportunity,” she said.
O’Connor participated in the 2011 Feile, losing in the semi-finals. She shared that during their trip to Waterford, they had the chance to take a tour through a crystal factory, which was established in 1783 and is situated in a Viking city built in 914 A.D. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Kiera O'Connor serves as the Vice-Chairperson of St. Brigid's and is a full-time teacher for the NYC DOE. (Credit: Kiera O'Connor - LinkedIn)
O’Connor had an additional opportunity to travel to Ireland with the Minor Board on an under-18 developmental team in 2013. Staying in Dublin, the team toured Kilmainham Gaol, a historic prison renowned for its role in the Easter Rising of 1916, housing Irish political leaders including Patrick Pearse and James Connolly during the fight for independence.
St. Patrick’s Day – La Fheile Padraig
The clubs within the NYMB also put heavy importance on educating children about Irish history & culture. Shannon Gaels, being the only youth club in Queens, New York, has close relationships with various Irish communities in the borough. Annually, the club will march in the Rockaway and Sunnyside St. Patrick Parade, two neighborhoods in Queens with an immense amount of Irish influence.
Shannon Gaels participated in Sunnyside’s St. Pat’s for All Parade on March 2nd. The parade was established 25 years ago by Brendan Fay in response to the exclusion of the LGBTQ+ community from the 5th Avenue Parade. The goal was to embrace the diverse population of New York City and embody the motto “Cherishing All the Children of the Nation Equally,” which originates from The Proclamation of the Irish Republic during the 1916 Easter Rising. The parade aims to fuse both a pride and an Irish parade to celebrate Irish culture and the Queens community.
Members of Shannon Gaels GAA marching down Skillman Avenue in the St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside, Queens. (Credit: Eoghan Doran)
Chairman Niall Sugrue commented on the purpose of the event, stating, “It’s a way of promoting the Irish community, and it brings various community groups together. It’s the biggest one here in Queens, and it’s a great day to celebrate the Irish community here in Queens.”
Sugrue also discussed the club’s involvement in the local St. Patrick’s Day Parade, saying, “The GAA is all about community and bringing that sense of community to New York City with Irish people, and even people who aren’t Irish but interested in Gaelic games. It’s a great way for us to show we’re part of the community and for everyone.”
Scor na nOg
The NYMB is not only dedicated to Gaelic football but also to Irish culture and arts. Scór na nÓg is a cultural competition within the minor board that puts a great deal of focus on the arts. The events feature members of clubs participating in Irish music, dance, and theater. It provides children another opportunity to express their artistic creativity while learning about Irish culture at the same time.
“Scór is the cultural aspect of the GAA; it’s a competition between the GAA clubs during the winter. There are different traditional aspects to it; there’s singing, dancing, storytelling, and recitation. It’s a friendly thing, it’s all about promoting Irish culture,” said Mike Woods, Vice Chairman of Scór na nÓg.
Additionally, Scor NY GAA hosts trivia night where children and parents put their knowledge of the Emerald Isle and the GAA to the test.
Scór na nÓg hosted their most recent event on March 1st in the St. Barnabus Auditorium at E 241st Street in Woodlawn, New York. During the event, members of the participating clubs performed various traditional Irish songs, dances, and acts. However, the ultimate goal, Woods said, is to build community and friendship. ​
Members of St. Brigid's LGFCC performing The High Haul Cap. (Credit: Eoghan Doran)
“Yesterday (March 18), we had the lighting ceremony in Redmond Park. The President of the GAA, Jarlath Burns, was here from Dublin, and he made a speech and mentioned the GAA is about inclusivity and it’s a team sport, but the main thing is it’s a community. So, for the kids, it’s a part of their friendships; it’s not just about getting up there and performing music and competing against one another. They become friends with each other over the years; it’s about building a community that’s bigger than themselves.”
Woods, raised by Irish parents in New York, expressed the importance of having a cultural outlet outside of mainland Ireland.
“Being Irish American, it’s all that more important. It gets diluted every generation goes down, so if we can keep the generations going and keep the music, the dancing, and the cultural aspect going, it’s a great thing. It’s very important to have an outlet outside of Ireland to keep our traditions and culture alive,” said Woods