On Saturday past the Irish Business Organization of NYC and the Irish Network NYC joined forces for an inaugural game of rounders in Central Park. After four tightly-fought innings, the IBO bested their rivals by a score of 27 to 23 winning the Adrian Flannelly Cup, named in memory of the legendary broadcaster and community champion.
Flannelly, a former Irish Echo Person of the Year, was a native of Co. Mayo and during his standout career he played many roles not least as driving force of Irish community efforts to secure Morrison and Donnelly visas for the undocumented Irish in the late 1980s and early '90s.
Both the IBO and INNYC are part of J1 support body Graduate Gateway which also includes Emerald Isle Immigration Center, Digital Irish, Navigating New York and Woman With Ambition. Almost 20 newly-arrived 'J1ers' took part in the community event.
INNYC Board members were represented at the rounders face-off by Tim Borchers, Jennifer Fitzpatrick, Gráinne Gallogly, Rhiannon Gilvarry, Gareth Sullivan, Clinton Wokocha and Vivienne Sayers O’Callaghan. Seán O’Dowd, First VP headed up the IBO team.
"A perfect sunny Saturday in Central Park catching up with old friends and welcoming the newest members to our special Irish in New York Community," said Jenny Fitzpatrick of the Irish Network. "We even had some girls turn up who had only arrived in NYC 48 hours before the event."
That view was echoed by O'Dowd: “The event demonstrates just how powerful the Irish community’s commitment is to helping J1 Visa holders and newcomers from Ireland in general. It is really important to so many of us that they feel like they have a home away from home.”
GAA Rounders is one of the four official GAA sports included in the original GAA charter back in 1884 along with Gaelic Football, Hurling and Handball.
