Counties still count cost of travel cancellations

Galway GAA are in the process of seeking a refund of close to €26,000 from Aer Lingus as a result of their cancelled flights to face New York in Gaelic Park this weekend.

Roscommon, meanwhile, aim to use €13,000 worth of Aer Lingus vouchers next year arising from their cancelled trip to face London in Ruislip’s McGovern Park on Saturday.

Galway’s senior footballers were due to fly into John F Kennedy Airport on Thursday and Roscommon to London on Friday for their Connacht SFC openers against the Exile teams.

The total cost of Galway’s trip to New York from Thursday to Tuesday was coming to between €60,000 and €65,000 with approximately €26,000 of it comprising the price of the flights.

There remains the possibility they could take up the offer of vouchers and use them next year but the Connacht Council have yet to decide if Galway will be slated to face New York again in 2021.

“The flights have been cancelled by Aer Lingus and we’re waiting for a refund on that,” said Galway’s finance and operations manager Mark Gottsche. “We’re also waiting on the deposit from the hotel to be transferred back as well.

“I would be used to dealing with Aer Lingus from my time in London so I would have a good relationship with their online booking team and Connacht Council had forwarded us a portion of the travel grant for the trip. We’re lucky that Jimmy Glynn who owns Jake’s Saloon in Manhattan was very helpful on the ground in organising the hotel and has had contact with them.”

In all, Roscommon’s cost of flights came in just under €13,000. Anthony Cunningham and his team were due to return home on Sunday morning after Saturday evening’s game.

County vice-chairman Brian Carroll, who was organising the trip, said: “It didn’t actually work out too bad for us because we are due to go to New York next year so we took a voucher back from Aer Lingus to cover the cost of flights if we are going to New York or if it’s London again. I suppose it’s money in the bank for next year.

“Galway are in a slightly different situation because they were in London last year and supposed to be in New York this year. There was no issue with the hotels at all for us, they just cancelled everything.”

Carlow and London are other counties in similar situations as London’s footballers were due to face Waterford on March 14 and Carlow were supposed to travel to the UK for their final round game on March 22. However, flights to and from the UK only began to be cancelled after St Patrick’s Day.