GAA team end 'nightmare' trip with ferry home

[AbbeySider]

GAA team end 'nightmare' trip with ferry home
By JOHN FALLON

Wednesday May 05 2010

ONE of the country's top GAA teams is due back in Ireland today by ferry after a nightmare trip to the United States.

The Galway senior footballers and supporters will touch down in London before making their way back to Ireland on ferries from Holyhead and Fishguard.

The travelling party of 121 have had to take the circuitous route after being told by Delta Air Lines that they might not be able to get them home until the middle of the month.

The Galway team were in the US to take on New York in the opening round of the Connacht Championship, but found themselves unable to get their flight home on Monday night following the latest crisis over volcanic ash.

Some of the travelling party spent 24 hours in JFK Airport in New York before they boarded two separate flights to London yesterday.

It was the latest incident in a nightmare trip that saw some supporters caught up in the Times Square bombing incident on Saturday night. The fans were unable to get into their hotel until 6.30am.

And on Sunday it took a late flurry of scores from Galway to prevent one of the biggest shocks in GAA history as an unfancied New York side came close to defeating the Tribesmen.

The chairman of the Galway Football Board, John Joe Holleran, said that everyone in the travelling party was in good form despite the upheaval, but they were looking forward to getting home.

- JOHN FALLON

Irish Independent

[Hardy]

The Icelandic volcano is only in the ha'penny place to the Indo when it comes to spewing shite.

[tyssam5]

Some of the travelling party spent 24 hours in JFK Airport in New York before they boarded two separate flights to London yesterday.

Seems quite boring, they didn't know any bars in Queens they could adjourn too? 'Middle of the month' whole article seems like a complete load of balls.

[longrunsthefox]

Yip- a ridiculous fixture and waste of money.

[Rossfan]

Try telling the Connacht exiles in New York ...it's a special day for them, as is the annual Ruislip game.
A bigger issue (and a strange one ) ...according to MayoConnacht GAA sec. Prenty if Galway had lost they would not be allowed in the Qualifiers 
Apparently the losers of this game are by rule/regulation or something not able to participate.
I hope that's changed d before we go over there next year as we are bound to be the first to lose there.

[johnneycool]

Try telling the Connacht exiles in New York ...it's a special day for them, as is the annual Ruislip game.
A bigger issue (and a strange one ) ...according to MayoConnacht GAA sec. Prenty if Galway had lost they would not be allowed in the Qualifiers 
Apparently the losers of this game are by rule/regulation or something not able to participate.
I hope that's changed d before we go over there next year as we are bound to be the first to lose there.

Not so long ago NY hurlers beat Derry in the Ulster hurling semi-final and couldn't get a team to come over to play in the final against Antrim. After much toing and froing Antrim ended up winning the Christy Ring which as part of the prize is a team holiday, so they holidayed in Boston I think and played NY in a very delayed Ulster hurling final whilst out there.
That was the final nail in their coffin in terms of entry to the Ulster hurling championship.

I'm not so sure their footballers wouldn't have the same issues with illegals not wanting to take the chance in not getting back into the states.

[longrunsthefox]

Judging by their record it is hardly likely to happen anyway.

[mountainboii]

Try telling the Connacht exiles in New York ...it's a special day for them, as is the annual Ruislip game.
A bigger issue (and a strange one ) ...according to MayoConnacht GAA sec. Prenty if Galway had lost they would not be allowed in the Qualifiers 
Apparently the losers of this game are by rule/regulation or something not able to participate.
I hope that's changed d before we go over there next year as we are bound to be the first to lose there.

I don't think that's right. I'm pretty sure there's a provision should someone lose out there, with an extra 'preliminary' qualifier match, which would narrow the 17 teams down to the required 16, before the first proper round of qualifiers.

[Rossfan]

Prenty is quoted in today's Examiner as saying the GAA would have to change the regulation/rule before Galway could play if they lost to NY and that this couldnt be done till next year.

[Cosmo Kramer]

Try telling the Connacht exiles in New York ...it's a special day for them, as is the annual Ruislip game.
A bigger issue (and a strange one ) ...according to MayoConnacht GAA sec. Prenty if Galway had lost they would not be allowed in the Qualifiers 
Apparently the losers of this game are by rule/regulation or something not able to participate.
I hope that's changed d before we go over there next year as we are bound to be the first to lose there.

I don't think that's right. I'm pretty sure there's a provision should someone lose out there, with an extra 'preliminary' qualifier match, which would narrow the 17 teams down to the required 16, before the first proper round of qualifiers.

I had thought that provision existed as well but it seems it doesn't. From memory, I think the original plan was that London would play New York each year to reduce the number of qualifier teams to 16, but then NY said they weren't interested in the qualifiers so it was dropped and London just went straight in.

If NY beat the Rossies next year there is absolutely no possibility of them travelling to Ireland for the next round. If the GAA are going to change the qualifier rule to allow a team beaten by NY back in, they should also make a realistic provision for NYs next game (for example, a weeks postponement to allow the Connacht team involved more time to arrange travel and NY board to pick up the tab).

[mountainboii]

Back when the Division 4 teams went straight into the Tommy Murphy Cup, and all 16 non-provincial finalists entered the qualifiers at the same stage, there was a provision for a preliminary qualifier should a Division 4 team reach their provincial final, thus leaving 17 teams in the qualifers. I assumed they'd have a similar provision should New York knock someone out.

On the whole New York issue though, I think it's a bit ridiculous to allow a team compete in a competition when it's unlikely that they would be able to fulfil subsequent fixtures should they win their first game. If it's so important to the Irish community out there to have such a marquee fixture, then surely a one off game against the AI champions or Connacht champions or whoever would make more sense.

[Rossfan]

. If it's so important to the Irish community out there to have such a marquee fixture, then surely a one off game against the AI champions or Connacht champions or whoever would make more sense.

They also get to play the "home" winners in the FBD final every October.
I wonder do the Connacht Council officials get 2 free trips every year