All-Ireland camogie champions Galway stranded in New York snowstorm

STRANDED: All-Ireland champions Galway with the O’Duffy Cup in Madison Square Garden in New York last week.

All-Ireland camogie champions Galway are hoping to get back to Ireland Wednesday after being stranded in a snowstorm in New York since Sunday.

The travelling party of over 40 were due to depart New York on Sunday after spending the week in the United States.

The players fundraised for the holiday to celebrate their fifth All-Ireland senior camogie title which they captured last August when they defeated Cork in the final.

The victorious squad brought the O’Duffy Cup with them and participated in a number of events last week in New York, including a coaching clinic led by team manager Cathal Murray and the players in Gaelic Park in the Bronx on Saturday.

But their plans to return home on Sunday were impacted when a blizzard struck, with record levels of snowfall bringing transport to a standstill with over 5,000 flights out of New York cancelled in the past few days.

Up to 14 inches of snow has fallen in some parts of New York with over 600,000 people without electricity in what is being regarded as one of the worst storms to impact the east coast of the USA with six states declaring an emergency.

Galway camogie liaison officer Ann Kearney posted that all the travelling party were safe and alternate travelling arrangements were being made.

“All the players are safe and being well looked after. The snow is starting to melt so hopefully we will get home soon,” she said.

She paid tribute to their hosts in New York, particularly Galway native Jimmy Glynn from Dunmore, owner of Jake’s Saloon in Manhattan, whose assistance has been invaluable as they were forced to make arrangements to extend their stay.

A group of a dozen and half had boarded a flight on Monday to travel home but the flight was cancelled because of the weather and they had to spend another night in New York.

Galway are due to play Waterford in the National League on Saturday and are hopeful of organising flights as airlines resume schedules on Tuesday and Wednesday.