All-Star hurlers set for New York trip

Vodafone and the GAA have announced that New York will be the venue for this year's All-Stars tour. The annual exhibition game involving the All-Star hurlers of 2006 and 2007 will take place under the new floodlights at Gaelic Park on December 1.

This year's tour marks a return after an absence of almost two decades of the All Stars to the city which originally hosted the annual tours in the early years of the scheme in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Vodafone All-Stars will leave Ireland on November 29 and return a week later on December 4. The timing of the tour has been brought forward from its usual January slot to avoid any potential clashes with team holidays.

This will be the seventh All-Stars tour since the concept was revived under Vodafone's sponsorship of the scheme. The All-Star footballers and hurlers travel on alternate years and since 2001 have visited Dubai (2001 and 2007), Buenos Aires, San Diego, Arizona and Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Singapore.

This year's Vodafone All-Star hurling selection will be announced on October 17th, with the chosen football team to be announced live on RTE at the All-Stars banquet on October 19.

GAA President Nickey Brennan said: "The New York GAA board have carried out a great deal of work on their facilities at Gaelic Park in the Bronx in the last twelve months.

"The new all-weather pitch and the provision of floodlighting have had a very positive impact on the playing of our games in New York and I know that the GAA organisation in the city are very excited by the upcoming visit of the Vodafone All-Stars."