3 days ago
Tipp native O'Meara didn't envisage stepping out for New York in Lory Meagher Cup final
Tom O'Meara didn't grow up dreaming of hurling for New York, that's for sure.
He remembers crying tears of happiness as a kid immediately after Tipperary's 2010 All-Ireland final win, followed by tears of sadness when his parents informed him they had to leave immediately to rescue their abandoned car.
"I wanted to stay to hear Pat Kerwick singing The Galtee Mountain Boy in the Hogan Stand," smiled O'Meara.
The Kiladangan man was there for the 2016 and 2019 final wins too and as recently as 2022 was a goalscorer for his club in the Tipp county SHC final replay loss to Kilruane MacDonaghs.
He's well over two years into his new life in New York now though, living in Queens and working in construction as a project manager.
Tomorrow, he'll return to Croke Park as a New York hurler for the Lory Meagher Cup final, against Cavan, not something he ever envisaged.
"Never, not in a million years would I have thought I'd be playing for New York, let alone playing for New York in an All-Ireland final at Croke Park," said O'Meara.
He isn't the only Tipp man involved with the Exiles. AJ Willis, who struck 1-8 against Monaghan in last weekend's All-Ireland semi-final win, is from Portroe. There are other Tipp men too, playing and coaching, and the manager, Richie Hartnett, is a Kerry man from Ballyheigue.
Former Cork senior Sean O'Leary Hayes is part of the playing group also, along with 2017 All-Ireland winning Galway forward Johnny Glynn.
"That's the best bit of it, all the different counties," smiled O'Meara. "That's what starts all the slagging and the banter."
Glynn is a towering figure for New York, on and off the field. He has represented the New York footballers as well and is currently vice-chairman of the New York GAA board.
"He's a cult hero out there now," said O'Meara. "Any man that watches hurling knows Johnny's ability in the air. He's been one of the best to field a ball. He always keeps himself in very good nick, a hard trainer also. He's still well able to go."
This is the first season that New York has been included in the Lory Meagher Cup competition. They enter at the All-Ireland semi-final stage, taking on the team that finishes second in the group. It turned out to be Monaghan and New York beat them comfortably, 1-29 to 2-13.
There have been suggestions that they're too strong for this level, considering some of the players they possess.
"I can see where they're coming from, saying that," shrugged O'Meara. "Galway had the same set up back in the day, getting straight to a semi-final in the Liam MacCarthy. It can be an advantage or a disadvantage. Like, for the first 10 minutes of the Monaghan game we were sitting ducks. I don't think we scored at all. We hadn't played any competitive games. In New York, you can't organise any competitive match to the same standard. So there are positives and negatives to it."
Just getting across to compete in the games has been a feat of logistics. The 31-man panel and coaching team flew into Ireland last Thursday morning and will jet back out next Monday. They've been based so far in Mullingar, where the Monaghan game was played, but will shift locations this morning to Stillorgan in south Dublin.
The visa situation has caused a few headaches too.
"We lost a couple of lads that couldn't travel home but you're always going to have that in America," said O'Meara.
New York will face a Cavan team that topped the Lory Meagher group, striking 12 goals along the way.
"It's great to be here and to get an opportunity like this," said O'Meara. "The logistics of the whole thing are massive so we just want to max out what we're capable of really and give it everything."
