New York have high hopes ahead of Monaghan battle
New York will compete in an All-Ireland hurling competition for the first time in almost 20 years when they take on Monaghan in the Lory Meagher Cup semi-final in Mullingar this afternoon, and expectations are high in the Big Apple.
It is not long since the sport was in disarray in New York, which boasted just two senior clubs and no inter-county team as recently as three years ago.
There may be some understandable displeasure with the Exiles being parachuted in at the penultimate stage of the competition, with Monaghan manager Arthur Hughes labelling it "an absolute disgrace", but that's unlikely to bother New York.
The sport has experienced a complete revival across those last three years, with club and player numbers growing exponentially since 2022 when the New York county team was reformed. There are now six senior clubs competing across New York in addition to five junior clubs and three junior B clubs – and the benefits for the New York county team have been pretty much instantaneous.
New York claimed silverware in the 2024 Connacht Hurling League, seeing off a Galway development side in the semi-finals before cruising to victory against Mayo in the final.
That victory, coupled with the growth of the sport over the past three years, has given players and management hope of winning more silverware in 2025, the first step being today's semi-final against Monaghan at Cusack Park.
The winners of Saturday's semi-final will earn a place in the final against group winners Cavan, with promotion to the Nicky Rackard Cup on the line.
New York manager Richie Hartnett said the team has "full aspirations" of winning the competition but is well aware of the challenge posed by a motivated Monaghan.
He noted that both Monaghan and Cavan have numerous competitive games under their belt, while New York have been restricted to in-house training games throughout 2025.
"It's very hard to keep the boys, for lack of better word, from getting bored or doing the same thing every week and seeing the same faces. It's hard for us (management) to try and pick your best 15 as well.
"But look, it's part of being in New York that we have to deal with. Now we just have to go with the blows and go home with our best foot forward for the semi-final."
James Bermingham, who is part of the New York squad ahead of Saturday's semi-final, said New York's first championship game in 19 years means the team is travelling into unchartered waters.
"We don't really know what we're going to be up against until we go back," Bermingham said.
Bermingham has also set his sights on moving through the tiers with the New York team and believes the team's inclusion in the Lory Meagher is only the beginning.
"You've got to start somewhere. No one really knows what New York are capable of, so hopefully we go in there and get off to a good start and make a name for ourselves."
New York's last appearance in an All-Ireland competition has been the source of legend and anecdote for years.
The team caused a shock by beating Derry on US soil in the 2006 Ulster Hurling Championship but could not travel home for the Ulster final against Antrim because a significant portion of their players were undocumented. Antrim eventually prevailed in a rescheduled Ulster final in Boston five months later, marking the end of New York's participation in the Ulster championship.
There are no such concerns about a trip home on this occasion, with a number of US-born players also set to represent the Exiles in their upcoming game against Monaghan.
James Breen, who captained New York to the Connacht Hurling League title last year, is one of those players.
Breen said it would be "special" to represent New York in an All-Ireland competition, especially as someone who grew up playing the sport in Yonkers.
GAA President Jarlath Burns recently travelled in March to Yonkers to "turn on the lights" for New York GAA's state-of-the-art facility at Redmond Park, which features a full-sized pitch and two training pitches.
The facility, operated by the New York Minor Board, will facilitate the expansion of Gaelic games in Yonkers, allowing hurling to expand among American-born youths.
Michael Stones, a Westmeath native overseeing the logistics of the team's trip to Ireland for the Lory Meagher semi-final, said the New York Minor Board has already carried out "huge work" at underage level from Under-10s through to minor in order to encourage the growth of the sport among local communities.
"We have a couple of Irish-American born players playing here," Stones said. "It's massive. It means a lot to New York GAA."
Stones added that it is "absolutely phenomenal" for New York to be involved in the Lory Meagher and said players and management are taking the competition "very seriously."
"They know what's at stake – to go home and play. The aim is to go home and play in Croke Park," he added. "It's all baby steps, but to get to be asked over into the Lory Meagher is a huge step for New York GAA and the progression of hurling in New York itself."
Hartnett said New York's inclusion in the Lory Meagher will help boost playing numbers in New York even further, providing players with an opportunity to play intercounty hurling.
Aidan Organ, who is part of the squad for Saturday and who represented New York during their Connacht Hurling League success, said he has seen a notable rise in quality in the club scene since the New York intercounty team was reformed three years ago.
"The standard has gone way up since I came here for summer four or five years ago," Organ said. "It just drives lads on more."
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