The Success and Future of the
New York Minor Board
Breaking Ground in New York
Gaelic Football was formally introduced to the Tri-State Area in 1914 when the New York Gaelic Athletic Association (NYGAA) was formed. While the sport has been played in New York since the late 1700s, the establishment of the New York GAA marked a period of success for the sport and allowed the sport to grow through two world wars in the 1900s.
Following the formation of the New York GAA, attempts were made to develop youth leagues for Irish Americans, most notably the Catholic School leagues, which saw prosperity between the 1930s and 1950s. However, in the 1960s, participation began to suffer, and the league soon became extinct. It wasn’t until 1970 that a group of Irish volunteers joined forces to establish the New York Minor Board (NYMB), an organization dedicated to the growth of Gaelic games amongst the youth in the Tri-State Area.
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NYMB Chairman Danny Browne, when asked about what he hopes children gain from the sport, stated, “Friendship, forming connections, and upholding Irish tradition and culture, as Gaelic is the national sport of Ireland.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Minor Board Chairman, Danny Browne (right), presenting medals to the captain of Caherlistrane GAA at Redmond Park (Credit: Galway Footballers Homepage - Facebook)
The NYMB went through periods of trials and tribulation in the ‘90s; the league only housed six clubs compared to the 19 it began with. However, the league prevailed, and today, the NYMB oversees 15 clubs across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, organizing them into divisions from under 6 to under 21s.​
The Pillars of the NYMB
One club within the minor board stands out from the rest and plays a vital role in the growth of the GAA in New York. The club is Rockland GAA, located in Orangeburg, NY, just an hour from New York City. Founded in 1972, Rockland is currently the largest GAA organization outside of Ireland, with just under 1,000 playing members. The club has become the gold standard for GAA clubs in New York, as they’ve built a primary playing field, two practice fields, and a clubhouse featuring a full bar & lounge and home & away locker rooms.
“Any club that’s done what Rockland has done deserves their credit; they are the only club outside of Ireland that owns their property. Their success has been huge, and it’s a huge advantage for the Minor Board as we’re always looking for pitches to hold matches,” said Browne.​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Rockland GAA Logo (Credit: Rocklandgaa.com)
Rockland GAA's Sports Complex in Orangeburg, New York. (Credit: Fire Ground Images - YouTube)
Other clubs have followed in Rockland’s footsteps. Most recently, Shannon Gaels, located in Queens, New York, in 2021, unveiled their completed “Field of Dreams” project in College Point, constructing a primary playing field, scoreboard, practice field, spectator stands, and picnic space in Frank Golden Park.
Shannon Gaels' intermediate team training in Frank Golden Park (Credit: Eoghan Doran)
The final pillar of the New York Minor Board is St. Brigid’s Ladies Football & Camogie Club, the only all-female club within the NYMB. St. Brigid’s was formed following success in the Gaelic for Girls program and serves over 200 female footballers. Since 2010, St. Brigid’s has prioritized promoting female participation in the Gaelic games.
The club has adopted the motto “play like a girl” to promote female involvement in the sport. Vice-Chairperson for St. Brigid’s, Kiara O’Connor said, “We want our own identity, we are encouraging girls to be the best they can, fight for themselves, and leave it all on the field. It’s just about encouraging girls to play and have their own identity; they don’t have to play like the boys; they can play like girls.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
St. Brigid's vs Celtanta in the Junior Final. (Credit: Sharon Redican)
St. Brigid’s, additionally, is a pillar of the Woodlawn community, hosting weekend tournaments, 5k walks, and other fundraising opportunities that honor both former members of the club and community.
“Community and St. Brigid’s go hand in hand,” O’Connor said, “We’re marching on McLean Ave, at any fundraiser or event at the Ashling Center, you’ll see someone from St. Brigid’s. It all goes hand in hand, we’re a community organization, so if you’re working, helping, or playing with St. Brigid’s, you’re helping the community.”
The club will soon announce new dates for the Pauline Boyle 7-aside Tournament, a two-day tournament comprised of teams in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. The weekend will include two days of football and camogie matches and a 5k memorial walk to open the weekend and honor Pauline Boyle, one of the leading forces in the creation of St. Brigid’s.
The Future of Football in New York
The NYMB was inspired by Shannon Gaels, which led to the developmental project in Yonkers. In December of 2024, the NYMB broke ground on Redmond Park, located at 207 Cook Ave in Yonkers, New York. The Park will feature two practice fields and one primary playing field equipped with an LED scoreboard.​​
Rendered video of a completed Redmond Park. (Credit: YouTube - Tommy Kavanagh)
Currently, the New York GAA and NYMB, in partnership with Manhattan College, lease Gaelic Park from the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). Gaelic Park is located on West 240th Street and Broadway in the Bronx, New York. The construction of Redmond Field would relieve the NYMB of the restrictions currently placed on them at Gaelic Park, making scheduling easier and allowing the sport to flourish at the youth level.
“We’ll have our own pitch to organize games, and any game that doesn’t happen on a Saturday or Sunday for different reasons, we have the capability of putting them on mid-week now,” Browne said.
The project will also support the push for Irish Americans’ involvement at the senior level, as there’s currently a drop-off in participation following the Feile competition. In recent years, the U17 Development team was established to bridge the gap between Feile and Senior-level football.
“We talked last night at the minor board meeting, there is a fall off there after 15 to 17, and retaining layers is a big, big obstacle that we are trying to overcome, and that’s one of the reasons we started the U17 development team. It’s a stepping stone for say, after Feile for the 16 and 17-year-olds to stay with their clubs in the minor board,” said Browne.
Redmond Park, additionally, will make recruitment for the youngest age groups an easier process due to the family-friendly environment it will create. The park will also feature a public playground for children and an outdoor gym for adults, as well as two picnic spaces with charcoal grills on site.
“Facilities like this are huge for recruiting under sixes and eights; it’s a fenced-in park, and it’s a safe place for you to drop off your kids to be with their coaches. It’s easier to recruit players when you have your own facilities, so the more we have, the easier it is,” said Browne.
The project is estimated to cost over $9 million and was originally projected to be completed by April 2027. However, the NYMB states they are ahead of schedule and expect to be fully operational by the end of 2026.
Owen Cummins, the financial chairperson of the Minor Board developmental project, commented on the project’s current timeline, saying, “The license agreement gave us three years to build out everything submitted in the schedule of agreed-upon improvement, but we believe we are about 75% complete after the lights.”
He added, “We have until April of 2028, but we’re trying to front-load the project, get it built out, and not have to constantly go back to the community (for funding). The playground will go in most likely June; we’ll do the groundwork for the outdoor gym over the summer, so substantial completion in 2026.”
The City of Yonkers and Mayor Mike Spano have been big contributors towards the development, putting forward $6 million in city funds to install the field and drainage. The Minor Board added $4 million, which was crowdsourced through the clubs and their members.
“The city (Yonkers) was developing the field at the time; they were almost complete when we had our first conversation about it with them, and that was a total of $6 million spent on their end. So, we took it from there and built out the field on a budget of $4 million, and we’re going to come in under budget primarily, just the fact that we get a lot of work done pro bono,” Cummins said.
The Irish community in New York has been pivotal in the development of Redmond Park, in both involvement in the project and fundraising. Cummins reported that Sean Doheny of S E Electrical did work worth between $500,000 and $ 600,000 for just $150,000.
The Tara Circle Inc., a non-profit dedicated to promoting Irish arts, was also a massive supporter in the early stages of the project, donating $250,000 initially and adding an additional quarter million. The next wave of funding was crowdsourced through the community. “We got over 60 donations between $5,000 and $30,000, you know, down to grassroots business and people in the community that really raised the next $400,000 to $500,000,” said Cummins.
Ultimately, the goal for the New York Minor Board is to make the game more accessible to the youth, which in part feeds into the overall Gaelic football ecosystem, keeping Irish culture and tradition alive in The Big Apple.
“We’re here to keep Irish culture and tradition alive, Football is the traditional sport of Ireland. The minor board has existed for 55 years, you’re creating players for the senior teams, and if you don’t sow seeds, you won’t have any apples. That’s why the youth programs have to be the number one priority for the clubs. Plant the seed, it’ll grow into fruit,” Browne said.