The Connacht GAA Council has confirmed that the Mayo senior footballers will play in New York in Gaelic Park next year but there is no guarantee that this arrangement is going to continue long term. It had been suggested in the past that New York should play in the All-Ireland Junior Championship and of course they did beat Kilkenny to win the Junior final in Croke Park last month.
Every year the county that travels to New York gets financial support and Connacht Secretary John Prenty confirmed last week that the provincial council will support Mayo, who are due to travel next year. No date has been confirmed for the game, but we will have a date after the GAA Special Congress in October. By then the championship schedule for 2024 will have been agreed.
Traditionally New York’s game in the Connacht Championship was played in the first weekend in May, but with the new split season next year’s championship will probably start in April. In April, this year New York had their first-ever win in the Connacht Championship when they beat Leitrim 2-0 on penalties to secure a semi-final tie against Sligo at Markievicz Park. After losing to Sligo New York then dropped down to the Tailteann Cup where they lost to Carlow at Dr. Cullen Park.
The cost of Leitrim’s trip to New York was in the region of €250,000, with Easter weekend factored into flights and accommodation. The Connacht Council has agreed to let the current away rota play out, so that means Mayo in 2024, Galway in 2025 and Roscommon in 2026 are all set to travel. Connacht Secretary John Prety said: “The rota started with Sligo so we are going to finish that now with Mayo, Galway and Roscommon over the next three years and then examine the situation for the future. It’s only agreed in principle, there is a lot of talking to be done between now and Special Congress and obviously those talks will be financially-driven.’’
SCOTT QUITS
FOR MEDICINE
Irish women’s soccer international Harriet Scott has stepped away from football to become a doctor in England. The 30-year-old Birmingham City defender, who graduated this summer after five years of studies at Keele University, was one of three training players who travelled with the official Irish squad to the World Cup in Australia. Born in Reading, Scott qualified for Ireland through the grandparent rule. In 2010, she was a member of the U17s side who finished runners-up in the European Championships and reached the quarter-final of the World Cup, later winning 23 senior caps.
Katie McCabe and Harriet Scott during training at Tallaght Stadium in July ahead of the World Cup. [Inpho/Ryan Byrne]
MCCAFFREY TRAINS
WEST OF SHANNON
In other medial personnel news, Dublin star Jack McCaffrey is linking up with Salthill-Knocknacarra but only for training and a permanent move to the Galway city club where former All-Ireland winning manager John O’Mahony is in charge, has been ruled out. The 2015 Footballer of the Year will train in the west while playing for Clontarf in the Dublin championship, and staying sharp heading into the winter.
McCaffrey is based in Galway at the moment where he works as a doctor at University College Hospital. The conduit for McCaffrey’s move to Salthill-Knocknacarra is former Galway star John Divilly, who is now a Galway selector. Divilly managed the UCD team which was captained by McCaffrey, to win the Sigerson Cup in 2016.
KANE REPLACMENT?
A good beginning to the season for Irish striker Evan Ferguson last weekend. The 18-year-old from Laytown in County Meath, started on the bench for Brighton at home. He was introduced after 78 minutes and got the Seagulls 4th goal in their 4-1 win over newly promoted Luton in the fifth minute of injury time.
On BBC’s “Match of the Day” on Saturday night former Manchester City star Micah Richards was fulsome in his praise of Ferguson. Richards said: ‘‘Ferguson is going to be a real star. There is something in his play, he is so mature the way he links up, takes his chances. Everything about him I love.’’
And “Match of the Day” presenter Gary Lineker suggested that the Irishman would be a good buy for Spurs, to replace Harry Kane, who joined Bayern Munich at the weekend.
