'The majority are looking towards Australia': Trump and ICE leave New York GAA in cold

With uncertainty very much the theme for New York football, the US President's harsh immigration crackdowns haven't helped 

LAST TRAIN OUT: New York players Rob Wharton, right, and Killian Butler dejected after their side's defeat in the Connacht GAA Football Senior Championship quarter-final match between New York and Galway at Gaelic Park in New York, USA. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

America’s clampdown on the issuing of longer-term work visas has led to a significant drop-off in the number of players moving over from Ireland and committing to the New York football set-up while resident in the Big Apple.

At a time when their annual existence in the Connacht SFC is under threat and may not continue beyond this weekend’s provincial opener against Roscommon, New York manager Ronan McGinley has said that with an ever-increasing number of players travelling to America on 12-to-18-month visas, throwing their lot in with the New York footballers is not a priority.

As if McGinley's New York wasn't already behind the eight ball in terms of access to competitive fixtures and exposure to the game’s new rules, the prominence of ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) during Donald Trump’s second term in the Oval Office has led to greater difficulty for players coming from Ireland to secure longer-term visas.

The New York boss is essentially getting players for one season, with no guarantees they’ll either be in his dressing-room or the country itself the following year.

Working off a squad of 40 for this weekend’s game against Roscommon, only 23 of that number were involved last year.

Players that will line out this Sunday and attempt to secure New York’s second Connacht championship victory in 26 attempts include former Cork underage goalkeeper Callum Dungan, Kerry 2022 All-Ireland winner Jack Savage, former Clare half-back Cian O’Dea, 2016 All-Ireland minor winner with Kerry David Naughten, and Jack and Conall Kennedy of Clonmel and Tipp notoriety.

“There has probably been a decline in the number of people coming out to the States. The majority of younger people in Ireland are looking towards Australia, if they are thinking of travelling or work abroad. It seems to be the bigger draw at the minute,” McGinley, now in his second year at the helm, begins.

“Out here over the last couple of [presidential] terms, there has been a tightening up of visas, and particularly the longer-term visas. In recent years, there is a tendency for players coming out to get year-long, 18-month-long visas, so you are getting that player for a year.

“The longer-term visa, a three-year one, is harder to get. It is more of a lottery. Because of the lottery nature of it, players cannot make plans, cannot make long-term commitments to New York. It is maybe small potatoes to the life choices they have coming up.

“We have 23 who were involved last year and then 17 who have come in this time. Some of those have come up through the system, American born lads who were involved in the team last year.” 

Uncertainty is very much the theme for New York football at present. Their place in the Connacht SFC - they first joined in 1999 - is up for review following Roscommon’s visit.

Their ongoing involvement is felt to be under substantial threat, with the reality likely to be that the Roscommon game will mark their last in the western province.

The cost of travelling to New York to play the provincial quarter-final is estimated at €250,000, a figure that is only going to rise in the years ahead, even if there is a €50,000 Connacht Council grant for the travelling party.

Towards the end of last year, GAA President Jarlath Burns floated the idea, should the Connacht arrangement not be extended, of the All-Ireland champions beginning their championship campaign the following April in the Bronx.

“That agreement they have with Connacht is starting to come to an end. Personally, I would like to see the All-Ireland champions go out and start their championship every year in New York. It would be a fantastic weekend for everybody,” said Burns at the time, a loose proposal that was subsequently endorsed by New York chairman Seán Price.

While New York are guaranteed a Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-final beyond their Connacht quarter-final, McGinley is of the view that if the Connacht link is severed, it would throw their involvement across the entire championship season into jeopardy.

“It is there in the background,” he said of the uncertainty over their future in Connacht. “The reality is that if the Connacht fixture does not go ahead then I would see it as being very difficult for New York to maintain a presence in the Championship.

“It would be very disappointing if that happened because there is a history of New York in the Championship. I have a young lad out here, and it would be great to see him have the opportunity to represent New York in the Championship.

“I know there are huge costs involved, but teams seem to be good at offsetting those costs with some fundraising when they are here.

“Ideally, I would like to go into Division 4 and see how we go, where we would structure it in such a way that we would fly home and play two games in eight days.

“There are teams outside of Connacht who would love to come out and play games in New York and for the diaspora from each county to go and see their county play. It is hard for us to equate ourselves with teams from Division 4. It is a hard circle to square because for New York to be competitive long term, it needs more games.”