Summer of a lifetime for intercounty stars, a thriving community for Irish emigrants and Americans

"We have 8,700 players, including our youth programme. 67% are American-born."

Tue, 20 Aug, 2024 - 06:17

Maurice Brosnan

Ways and means. In 2005 a group of American soldiers landed in Shannon Airport for a scheduled stopover. Simultaneously, the All-Ireland hurling semi-final was taking place. Two isolated worlds collided to spread the game.

“They were on their way to be deployed so ordered a bunch of hurls, came back to New Hampshire and formed a club (Barley House Wolves),” explains US GAA chair Paul Keane.

“They are going strong; they actually won a couple of north American titles. About five or six years ago, we’d a team in Charlotte who won a North American senior title with only one Irish player on it.

“There was maybe a second on the squad, but the rest came to GAA as adults, they knew each other and were into sport and found this. People come to the GAA here in many different ways. It is a country of 350 million people. We are trying to get better at marketing and promoting it. We can find them; they find us too.”

Keane is approaching 30 years stateside having first moved to San Francisco. A native of Rosemount, Westmeath, he was involved in the establishment of a club in San Jose and that extended to involvement on the board.

Last weekend they hosted the National Finals in San Francisco GAA's Treasure Island and Balboa Park. The showpiece deciders proved fitting of the stage. Three of four senior finals were one-point games. Wolf Tones of Chicago overcame San Francisco’s Ulster in a 3-14 to 2-16 thriller. There was a host of intercounty talent on display.

Clare’s Eoin Cleary, Roscommon’s Cian McKeon, Offaly’s Patrick Dunican, Westmeath’s Jonathan Lynam and London’s Shay Rafter lined out for the victorious side. Every summer intercounty stars jet off for such occasions and experiences. “A summer of a lifetime,” declared Cleary, a former Clare captain and All-Star nominee, on social media.

The broader picture, though, is the community that welcomes them. Four of the Wolf Tones starting team were American born, Ronan Orford, Declan Kelly, Sean Gavin and Jake Rispin.

At half-time in the final, two members of the triumphant St. Brigid's Ladies Gaelic Football Club of Chicago were interviewed. One was Laoise Lenihan, Kildare LGFA vice-captain for 2024. The other was American-born Mairead Ruane, celebrating a third North American title in a row and sixth overall.

Some of the LGFA certificate recipients in the USGAA who were recognisd for their contributions to the sport. Pic Credit Amanda Wagner/Wicked Shamrock Photography

“Obviously it is hard to come in with a new group of girls every year and it is hard at the start to bond together,” Ruane explains. “We have a great group of American girls who set the tone at the start of the season.” For Keane that is the foundation. The people who ensure the entire association can thrive. They are determined to celebrate them. Before the Ladies senior final, USGAA and the LGFA honoured individuals from around the country who had supported the growth and success of the LGFA. Current CEO Helen O’Rourke handed out certificates to over 40 women and men on the field.

“We have 8,700 players, including our youth programme. 67% are American-born. Some of them came through youth programmes in traditional Irish cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, San Franciso, Boston but the majority had no connection with Ireland and discovered Gaelic games in their adulthood. You are looking at Little Rock Arkansas, Tacoma, places I didn’t even know on the map, Rochester in New York. They love the game. It is their community-based sport.”

It is completely, delightfully, theirs. On Sunday he took a call from RTÉ to discuss the various national finals. As he spoke, Keane looked left to see Michael Cusacks playing the Cayman Islands in the Junior final. On his left was the Golden Gate Bridge in the background and Alcatraz in the foreground.

That community service has been officially acknowledged too. Generations of Irish emigrants found a sense of belonging thanks to the GAA.

“A lot of people come over who only have a loose connection at the start, they might have given it up at U14, but they come out for work or with a partner and they start playing. We see it a lot with the ladies’ club especially. They might not have played before.

“I think now the department of foreign affairs, maybe ten to 15 years ago, realised the GAA abroad is an extension of their services. A lot of people don’t come out looking for other sports, the way they settle is the GAA club. Around that time, they got involved in supporting us with an immigrant support fund. They give us huge support not just financially, logistically and with advice.”

It matters in its own way to different members. Keane is determined that they service all of them. A weekend like this demonstrates what it means. Take the Junior A Final. Last week, it was announced that the trophy would be named after Nicole Killigrew. The daughter of Irish immigrants, she grew up in San Francisco and played for Fog City Harps. She died tragically in 2022 aged just 29.

The club won Sunday’s final against Denver Gaels.

“She played the whole way up with the youth teams,” explains Keane. “Those girls went out and won the trophy named after her last weekend. It was very emotional. This is about community. That’s why it is great to see so many levels here.

“I don’t care how good or bad you are, if you are playing, that is massive for us. I’d prefer to have 1000 playing of all ability rather than 100 who are good.”