Battle at the Bay - Amateur Exhibition Boxing Fundraising Event Dana Farber

The Cause

At the age of 37 and with 3 young children, Mark Porter received shocking news, news that far too many people seem to hear these days. Mark was told that he had cancer. Mark lived a clean life, and never smoked or drank, and all of the sudden his future and that of his family were thrown up in the air. Thankfully, following treatment at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, the Buncrana, Co. Donegal, native was cured of the disease. Having escaped the grip of the disease, Mark thought about what he could give of himself to help ensure that others who may be diagnosed might have that same chance. A friend of Marks had done the Pan Mass Challenge to raise funds for cancer research, so Mark thought, “If he could do it, so can I.” Having raised $6,500 from people most of whom he did not even know, Mark asked himself how much could he raise to help fight the scourge of a disease that touches almost all of us in one way or another if he were to raise funds through his own connections. Mark ran the Boston marathon and also held fundraisers at venues like the Tara Rooms and The Holy Ground for Children’s Hospital and the Jimmy Fund. However, an idea that he picked up on while at home in Donegal got him wondering if a similar event would work this side of the water.

The Idea

Mark was at a White Collar boxing fundraiser, the purpose of which was to raise funds for a local sports club, while on a visit home to Ireland. Mark was impressed with the massive turnout of 800 people. On his return to the Boston area, Mark was chatting with some friends about it and the idea of holding a similar event as a fundraiser here was raised. Himself, and fellow Donegal natives, Paddy McDevitt, Eamonn Kelly, Peter O’Malley, and an American lad, Mark Vaz, thought it would be worth giving it a go and see how it worked out. And so the ball began to roll. It started off with the Donegal lads and word spread through the Irish Community in Boston about what was going on. As people heard about the event there was no shortage of willing volunteers to assist in the effort. Whether it was giving time, making facilities available, selling tickets, and most importantly getting in the ring, there was no shortage of willing helpers.  The effort went from being an idea of 5 lads to a broad based effort to make it happen. Thinking about the willingness of people to jump on board by just hearing about the event mark pointed out, “Everybody has been touched by this disease at some stage or another.” 

The novelty of the “White Collar” event is that the boxers are people who have no experience, or may have boxed in younger days and are getting back in the ring after many years out of it. There are 3 main gyms that have provided time and coaching for the novice fighters. Cyr Farrell in Quincy, Danny Kelly in Dorchester, and Timmy Stanton PNT Boxing in Braintree are helping to get the novice fighters into shape for the big night. There are some familiar names in Boston’s Irish community who will be jumping into the ring, and many are also associated with the local GAA clubs. The boxers are matched based on age, weight, and experience. Some tantalizing matchups inlcude; Eamonn Kelly (Donegal) v Benny McGettigan (Tyrone, McAnespies); Paddy Wanish (Donegal) v Marty Bogue (Monaghan, McAnespies); Mickey McBride (Donegal) v Niall Gallen (Tyrone, McAnespies). Mark, who did some boxing in his younger days, will be fighting as well as Eamonn Kelly, both fathers whose glory days are well behind them. “If people see us willing to get in the ring,” said Mark, “they might say to themselves, if they can do it, so can I.”

Eye of the Tiger - Eamon Kelly looks Ready to Rumble.

It will not be an all male affair either. Belcoo, Co. Fermanagh native, Sharon McGovern, and Denise Trimble will also be entering the ring to take on local girls Nicole Tranfaglia and Kim Driscoll respectively. Mark has particular admiration for the girls willing to give it a go. “It takes a lot of guts and nerve to get into the ring,” said Mark. “If a man gets a black eye it is almost a badge of honor, for a girl that might not necessarily be the case. All credit to the girls.”

If Belcoo native Sharon McGovern is as tough in the ring
 as she is on the field her opponent will be in trouble!

You will have to act fast as these are hot tickets. There are 2,000 available and they are going fast. Mark put it best when explaining why he is so willing to get involved with efforts to raise funds to fight cancer. “Because of Dana Farber my 3 kids still have a father. I want to do what I can to make sure that they can do the same for somebody else who might find themselves in the same situation that I was.” Mark also explained that this event is the outcome of the volunteer efforts of a broad base of people volunteering their time. One of those is a teacher from Quincy who never got in the ring before another person sold 130 tickets and there has been no shortage of people calling for tickets.


The Fighters

Niall Gallen, Paddy Wanish, Michael McBride,
and Marty Bogue feeling it at the gym.

There are the Irish and local Americans who have been in the gym getting ready over the last few months. Such was the enthusiasm at training that Ken Kileen had to withdraw after twisting a knee while sparring. The fighters have been training for the past several months for the big night and should be well prepared. In addition, everything from the gyms, rings, trainers, the venue, the bar proceeds, police, fire, medical are donated.  Marina Bay will not know what hit it next Friday night!





The match-ups are as follows (County, GAA club, Town, or Gym noted where known):
19) Eamonn Kelly (Donegal) V Benny McGettigan (Tyrone)
18) Neil ‘Brummy’ Doherty V Chuck O’Donnell

17) Lorenzo Rusconi V Tip Lydon (Culbert Boxing)

16) Shane O’Brien (Wolfe Tones) V Aaron Deery

15) Daniel Friel V Dan O’Connell (Traietti, Quincy)

14) Paddy Irwin (Waikru) V Derek Killebrew (Culbert)

13) Paddy Wanish McLaughlin, (Donegal) V Martin Bogue (Monaghan)

12) Sharon McGovern (Fermanagh) V Nicole Tranfaglia (Danny Kelly)

11) Michael McBride (Donegal) V Niall Gallen (Tyrone)
INTERMISSION
10) Mark Porter (Donegal) V Dean Hardy (Culbert Boxing)
9) Michael Roddy V Mike Browning (TNT)
8) Kurt Remlinger V Mike Earles
7) Dominic Papile (Qunicy, Traietti) V Pat McDonald (Connemara)
6) Caomhan Keane (Connemara) V Sean Kelly (Down)
5) Mike Carey (Wolfe Tones, Boston Irish Wolfeounds) V Brendan Hoarty (Brighton)
4) Brian Boyce (Donegal) V Dave Trainer (TNT Boxing)
3) Danny McDevitt V Anthony Haines (Danny Kelly)
2) Jim McAdams (Quincy) V Stephen Lafferty
1) Denise Trimble V Kim Driscoll

The event takes place Friday, March 23, at The Marina Bay SportsPlex, 260 Victory Rd, Marina Bay, Quincy Ma. Doors open at 6:00, first bout at 7:00. Suggested donation is $25/ticket. For tickets please contact: Mark Porter (617) 719-6729, Kevin Doherty (617) 435-5145, Eamon Kelly (617) 719-8799, Paddy McDevitt (617) 839-4900, Peter O’Malley (617) 833-8474, Mark Vaz (508) 245-0500.  Also check out the Facebook page, Battle at the Bay.

By Rory O'Donnell

Elevate Sports Solutions – Taking Coaching to the Next Level

The Vision


Have you ever volunteered to coach your kids underage team or taken a team manager job for your club, and realized that you did not have a whole lot of experience or expertise in training a team. Have you ever tried to think up some drills to run on the spot at a coaching session and realize that it was not as easy to think of something as you had imagined? Elevate Sports Solutions just may have the answer with their innovative and user-friendly coaching cards and mobile app. Donal Leahy and former Derry footballer, Jonathan Bradley, teamed up recently to form Elevate Sports Solutions, and came up an innovative idea that will help both novice and experienced coaches plan and organize sessions to improve their coaching performance, and as a consequence, that of the team.



Donal originally hails from Cappamore, Co. Limerick, and currently lives in Maghera, County Derry. Donal has extensive experience having played football and Hurling in Boston, Australia, and Europe. He has seen first hand the challenges facing clubs abroad. About 3 years ago Donal got into coaching with Glen Maghera’s underage teams and having got to the field with the kids ready to go, had to quickly think of drills to do with them on the spot. Having gone through the experience of coaching an underage team for the first time, and with the assumption that he was not the only one who ever found himself in that situation, the idea of a resource to assist coaches in planning, organizing, and modifying coaching sessions came to mind. Donal’s background in finance and Jonathan’s in graphic design, combined with their playing and coaching experience, seemed like to perfect marriage to develop such a product and fill a niche. Elevate Sports Solution’s Coaching Cards and a mobile app proved to be the solution.



The Mission



It was the coming together of 2 guys with different, but complimentary, areas of expertise that formed Elevate Sports Solutions. The two saw that there was a niche for coaching products, particularly for young coaches, or for volunteer coaches helping out at underage level. The GAA is a perfect example of a sporting activity where people volunteer their time, but with people’s times ever more stretched in this day and age, it is increasingly difficult to devote quality time and energy. Yet, the desire to improve both on the practice field and the field of play is still as strong as ever. The cards address this issue. Not everybody is an expert coach, as we all know. The partners feel that through their initiative, Elevate Sports Solutions can design resources that coaches from U-8 to senior to enhance coaching performance in an efficient and easy to learn manner. The reason the partners are in it is to develop coaching performance from novice to experienced levels, which in turn improves on-field performance and helps the game to grow. Given their closeness to and love of the games, the partners are enthusiastic and passionate about their product and the need that it fills.



The Product

The companies’ products include Elevate Gaelic Football Coaching Cards and coaching apps for the iPad, iPhone, and android. The company caters for all markets, the technology minded coach who may prefer the smart-phone apps and also those who might not be as comfortable with the technology that the mobile app offers. The coaching cards come in a 52-deck pack. The idea is that in preparing for a coaching session the coach can select a half dozen or so cards that would fit into the back packet and can bring to the field to use to run the session.

There are drill diagrams to illustrate the set up, the sequence of the drill, and points to emphasize when coaching. The goal is to improve coaching. Section showing ways to modify, improve, or change the drill for age group. There is a lot of information contained is a deck of cards that take up a small amount of space. They are clear and divided into categories. The drills are aimed at all skill levels. Coaches can also and add their own modifications and use other resources to improve their own performance.

The mobile app also contains the drills, but has some enhanced features. You can set up a session in advance and set a time for each drill. For example, the coach can select the passing, defending, and shooting drills for a session and the app allows the coach to see how long the session will last. The coach can then modify the session by changing the times or adding and removing drills. Also, the coach can make as many sessions he or she wants and keep them in the phone. It amounts to quality, simplicity, and effectiveness.



The cards are available at the online shop, www.elevatesports.co.uk, and the apps can be downloaded at relevant app stores. Retailers carry the cards and the partners hope to expand their reach. It is the first of it’s kind for a coaching application available to 90% of smart phone users. There is also no other format for cards that detailed and as easy to use.

Boston Northeast Board 2012 AGM

The Boston Northeast Board AGM was held on Sunday, February 12, at the Irish Cultural Center in Canton, Mass. On a day when the biting wind would cut you in two on your way across the bridge to the ICC, and the chill wind whistling through the stand only sound to greet you as you approach the clubhouse, it was hard to envision the scene when the weather and action turns hot and heavy at the height of the summer.
 The meeting was well attended with representatives from all 12 men’s football clubs, 7 hurling clubs, 2 ladies football clubs, as well as representatives from the youth development board. In addition there were representatives present from the new ladies football club, Connaught Ladies, and the new Hartford hurling club that will be entering the Junior C competition.

There was much discussion around games development at both adult and youth level, the rising cost of insurance, and promotion of the games. Outgoing Youth Officer, Ollie Garry, talked about the growth of the underage programs in the Northeast. The number of clubs has grown to 9 in the span of the last three years, with 24 percent growth in the number of registered players from the previous year. In addition, there are 5 more clubs in the pipeline, which is indicative of the amount of work going into youth development. The junior C hurling division is also a fast growing area with a fourth club forming in Hartford, CT and a fifth in the pipeline for Vermont. These developments mean that there will be hurling played in 5 of the 6 New England states. Chairman, John Farrell thanked his fellow board members for the efforts put in over the year, and the clubs for the hard work and co-operation that makes each year a success.

All positions for 2012 were filled by the outgoing officers with a few exceptions. After some persuasion, Sharon O’Brien returned to serve on the board in the position of secretary. Sharon had served 8 years on the board in the past and over the years has made invaluable contributions at adult and youth development levels. Outgoing secretary, Dan O’Connor, accepted the position of assistant secretary. Francie Foster, who served as a trustee in 2011, accepted the position of assistant treasurer after Pat Kelly stepped down. There were 3 new trustees for 2012. Bernie Reilly, Eddie Feeley, and serving on the board for the first time, Laura Burns. Best of luck to the new board and all of the clubs in the coming year.



Officers for 2012 are:



Honorary President: Connie McEleaney

Chairman: John Farrell

Vice-Chairman: John Cunningham

Secretary: Sharon O’Brien

Assistant Secretary: Dan O’Connor

Treasurer: John McDevitt

Assistant Treasurer: Francie Foster
Registrar:  Paul Ryan

PRO: Rory O’Donnell
Youth Officer: Raymond Brady
Trustees: Laura Burns, Eddie Feeley, Bernie Reilly.

2011 Senior Hurling Championship Best in Years; McAnespies put Stamp on Senior Football

With the 2011 Boston GAA season in the rearview mirror, and preparations underway for 2012, the year just gone by can be looked on as a successful one in many ways for the GAA in this corner of the nation. Despite obstacles, many that were thrown up unexpectedly, there was plenty to be happy about in Boston. When all was said and done on the field, there were 2 North American championship trophies that made their way back to the Northeast from San Francisco, and Boston took the opportunity to shine by hosting a flawless CYC in August. The level of competition at senior football and hurling was the highest that it has been in several years. Hurricane Irene paid an unwelcome visit to the Northeast at precisely the wrong time and somewhat spoiled what had promised to be a finals weekend to remember.  The board was forced to bring the games forward to finish them all by early Saturday afternoon. The Northeast also saw the first Junior C hurling championship in it’s history as 3 clubs contested for the first title. At youth level several new clubs sprung up to make a total of 9, making the Boston Northeast Division the fastest growing North American region at underage level.

Paul O'Donoghue was one of the stars in Canton in 2011.

The senior football championship took on a new format with the top 6 making the senior championship playoffs. That meant that late in the season 9 of the 11 teams had a chance of making the playoffs. It was clear that all 11 clubs involved had put in a lot of time and effort into fielding top quality teams. The games were highly competitive and of the level of play was impressive. The 6 teams that made it in the end were Aidan McAnespies, Connemara Gaels, Christopher’s, Wolfe Tones, Donegal, and Galway. Galway made their first senior championship semi-final in over 20 years and were unlucky to go down to the Connemara Gaels in the semi-final. It was Aidan McAnespies however, put their stamp on the season. The senior footballers went unbeaten all year. Having claimed the Pat O’Brien Cup in May, McAnespies assembled a squad of players that would go 12-0 for the Boston and NACB senior championships. The team looked unstoppable at times and played a brand of football that made very good teams look very ordinary. The only time the South Boston side looked vulnerable was in the second half of the semi-final against Christopher’s. The game looked over bar the shouting at the break as McAnespies held a seeming unassailable lead. However, Christopher’s stormed back and but for a couple of key saves by goalkeeper, Ciaran Kendrick, McAnespies could have found themselves on the outside looking in.

The final pitted McAnespies against the Connemara Gaels who were celebrating 50 years and hoping to mark the occasion with a senior championship. The Gaels had put in some inconsistent performances but there was no denying the strength of a side that contained several players of intercounty pedigree. Offaly man Brian Connor starred for the Gaels in the middle of the field all season, while Pat McNicholas and Barry Murphy were 2 of the players that formed a talented back line.  McAnespies, however, held the edge throughout the game, and with the Gaels looking like making a second half charge; 2 goals sealed their fate. They came fittingly from corner forwards, and St Mary’s Caherciveen men, Paul O’Donoghue and Sean Cournane. A few of the players who characterized the unselfish nature of the team were Niall Gallen, Sean Hughes, Plunkett Kane, Gareth O’Neill, Mark Little, and Philip Toner.  The Boston representatives worked hard to win the North American Championship in very difficult conditions in San Francisco and showed a lot of patience and character to hold off a stiff challenge from Parnell’s of Chicago in the final. 

Wolfe Tones broke the Donegal-McAnespies hold over the junior A football championship with an impressive win over Donegal in the final. The side contained many veterans of previous campaigns, Kevin Gorham, Joey Farrell, Alo and Marty McGeough, and Mick Sammon led the way for the Blue side of South Boston. The junior B championship also went to McAnespies who defeated Galway in the final. Captained by Eoin McCusker, the side also featured such stalwarts as Eugene McKenna, Ollie Guirke, Peadar Nugent, Nigel Regan, and Stephen McGettigan.

Cillian Murphy and Eoghan Naughton each starred
for their clubs at senior and junior level respectively.

The senior hurling championship was the most exciting in many a year. All four teams made the “playoffs” since there had to be a playoff game between the bottom 2 teams.  In effect it was a quarter final to separate Galway and Tom’s and see who would make the semi-final against Tipperary. It was touch and go all season long. Wexford dominated the first half of the season, and Galway looked out of the picture without a win after 3 games. The Tribesmen were too good to be left out of the picture though, and a draw and 2 wins in the second round saw them force a playoff against arch rivals, Fr. Tom Burke’s. Galway came through that encounter to meet Tipperary in the semi-final. Galway pipped Tipp by 2 points to advance to the final where they met local Brighton rivals, Wexford. The game was tight all the way and had a controversial ending. With the 60 minutes played it looked as if Wexford had done enough with a Tony Murphy point, but Eoin Guinan leveled and Fintan O’Leary put the winner over from a tough angle and distance. Wexford looked like they had one last chance to force extra time as the referee at first looked to motion for a free from a very score-able position, but then called full time. Galway, it must be said, showed great character to stick with it throughout the season, especially after a tough start, to win their first championship since 2001. Captain Cillian Murphy, Andrew Brennan, Noel McCree, Eoin Guinan and Fintan O’Leary were stellar for the westerners. Unfortunately Galway brought an under strength side to San Francisco as, ironically, key home-based players could not travel to the west coast. However, veterans Liam Byrne, John Byrne, James Kinsella, and ultra-veteran, Josie Fahy filled in on the home-based front. Galway made it past Vancouver to make the final, but then ended up in a bit of a mis-match against a very good Na Fianna side.

Junior C Portland Hurling Club made the trip to
San Fran for the NACB Finals.

On the Junior hurling front Wexford were the ultimate victors over Fr. Tom Burke’s in the Boston final. It was a long time coming for the Brighton side who had never won the junior title. The final was never in doubt. Peter Nolan, Jamie Keogh, Peter Ryan, and Eoghan Kavanagh were part of a very strong junior side. The slaneysiders made the coast to coast trip to San Francisco and very nearly got booted from the competition for a 20 minutes late arrival at the grounds for an 8:00am throw in against Toronto. Sense prevailed in the end, and the game was played first thing the following morning. Wexford saw off the Canadian challenge and met locals, Na Fianna, in the final. It was a close run affair as a few of the Wexford players limped through the second half. The Boston side prevailed in the end to add a North American trophy to their Boston championship. Boston also saw the first Junior C Championship take place with teams from 3 New England states competing. Concord New Hampshire, Portland Maine, and Worcester Mass. contested the inaugural trophy, and it was the Barley House Wolves of New Hampshire that won the final, defeating Portland. Both teams traveled to San Francisco for the finals. Portland made an exit in the first round but contested the shield final, narrowly losing out in that final. The BHW made the championship final and came oh so close to lifting the trophy. The Concord men led St. Louis for most of the game, but a late goal turned the tide in favour of the mid-western team. Dennis Trainor, Eddie Clements, Dan Hanna, Rory O’Mahoney, and Darragh Madden starred for the Wolves who have a lot to be proud with their performance on the west coast.

The Ladies of Tir na nOg and the Boston Shamrocks battled it out for the rights to represent Boston at the NACB finals in San Francisco. Tir na nOg swept all competitions, winning the Ladies Senior and Junior championships, and also taking the Orla Benson Cup. Unfortunately for Tir na nOg the trip to San Francisco did not result in a fourth trophy for the club. Mairead Farrell’s from Philadelphia had the Boston ladies fighting an uphill battle for most of the game, and a late three goal salvo was not enough to turn things around in favour of Tir na nOg. In Sinead Bannon and Caroline Nee the club have some home grown talent, while Lisa Brick, Natalia Hyland and Mairead Luttrell amongst others, starred for the Brighton based team. The ladies had to show some innovation given the current situation in Boston and during the year held a very successful 7-a-side blitz featuring players from teams in Philadelphia and New York. A new ladies football team is in the works, the Connaught Rangers, which is hopefully a sign that things are back on the upswing for Ladies football in Boston.

Hurling was to the fore at the CYC
and the youngsters displayed a high skill level.

On the juvenile front there was continued growth in the numbers of players and clubs. With the Canton based youth league and St. Brendan’s being the more established clubs, 7 additional fledgling underage clubs were formed in the region thanks to the trojan work of those involved at club and board level. The Irish Cultural Center also hosted the 2011 CYC in August. Thanks to the efforts of the organizers, the help of the adult clubs, and the co-operation of the clubs involved, the event was run without any major hiccups as thousands of kids participated in the largest underage GAA tournament outside of Ireland.

The Connemara Gaels celebrated 50 years with a banquet in Florian Hall. Joe McDonagh and Declan Meehan were guests of honour. Michael O’Muircheartaigh was guest of Honour at the Irish Pastoral Center’s annual banquet.  There were 6 trophies on display at the Wexford HC and Tir na nOg banquet. The Ladies Junior, Senior, and Orla Benson Cup and the Boston and North American junior hurling trophies as well as the Kieran Sheehan Cup. Sam Maguire also spent a couple of days in Boston as several of the Dublin football team brought the storied trophy to the masses.

2012 will present the challenges, many of which can be anticipated and others not. Hopefully the hard work at underage level will continue and the local teams will continue to grow. At adult level the quality of competition in both hurling and football will be hard to repeat, but clubs are already preparing for what will should be be another successful year.

By Rory O'Donnell

Sam Maguire Almost Here!

The Friends of Dublin GAA Boston and Guinness present The Sam Maguire Tour of Boston on Saturday November 12 and Sunday November 13. Dublin Manager Pat Gilroy, 2010 and 2011 Players of the Year, Bernard and Alan Brogan, as well as team members Michael Fitzsimons, Michael Darragh McCauley, Paul Casey, Eamonn Fennell, Rory O’Carroll, and David Henry will be traveling to the United States to share in the celebrations of Dublin’s marvelous victory.

On Saturday night, November 12, there will be a cocktail reception at Porter Belly’s with music by Inchicore. There is a limit of 100 people so don’t delay in securing your ticket! On Sunday the cup and players will appear at venues throughout Cambridge and Boston. The day begins at 11:00am at the Phoenix Landing in Cambridge, 2:00 at the Banshee on Dorchester Ave, 4:00 Mr. Dooley’s, 6:00 The Black Rose, and 8:00 The Blackthorn in South Boston. This is a great opportunity to see the cup first hand and a chance to meet some of the heroes who delivered the first All-Ireland to Dublin in 16 years. Bring the kids for photos and autographs.



Tickets for the Saturday night reception are $100 with the proceeds going to the Dublin Players Fund. Please contact any member of the Friends of Dublin GAA Committee for tickets and information. Sean McCormack at (617) 840-2983, Rory O’Donnell at (781) 738-2783, Kevin Fagan, Brendan Mullen, Joey McCabe, Mick Sammon, Stephen Magill, or Paul Brennan. Also email rodonnell-1@comcast.net or sean@porterbellyspub.com.

Excitement Builds for Dublin's U.S. Trip

Excitement is building in Boston and New York as the throngs of Dublin supporters eagerly await the arrival of Dublin manager Pat Gilroy, along with 2010 and 2011 Players of the Year, Bernard and Alan Brogan, All-Star Michael Darragh McCauley, and several other members of the victorious Dublin football team, and of course the famous Sam Maguire Cup. The connections between the Boston GAA and Dublin are many and strong. More players than can be mentioned in one article have worn the Sky and Navy Blue of the Dubs and eventually played and settled in Boston. Amongst others, some names that come to mind over the years are 1983 Senior All-Ireland winner Kieran Maher, as well as Chris Sage, Mickey Barber, Brendan Murray, Kevin Fagan, Stephen Magill, Gerard McMahon, and most recently St. Judes man, Michael Lyons, who all exhibited their skills on the playing fields of Boston and remained to settle in the area.

Pat Gilroy Celebrates after the Final Whistle.

More than the names mentioned above have put their skills on display in Boston. Fresh from minor and under-21 duty many Dublin greats spent time playing in Boston over the last 30 odd years, eventually to return to Ireland to go on to experience success at senior level with the Dubs. Many reached the holy grail of winning an All-Ireland medal. Dilboy Field and Canton have seen the likes of Charlie Redmond, Mick Deegan, Anto McCaul, Niall Clancy, Brian Burke, Niall Guiden, Keith and Johnny Barr play with the St. Columbkilles Gaelic Football Club, a club with strong links to Dublin football. Boston has also witnessed the likes of Joe McNally and Declan Lally, a member of the 2011 panel, both of who played with one of the areas biggest clubs, Aidan McAnespies. On the hurling front, Alan McCrabbe and Ryan O’Dwyer graced the fields of Canton with their silken skills with the Tipperary and Wexford clubs respectively. Of course Dublin is just one of the counties with a strong relationship to Boston, and we hope that the tradition continues well into the future. With plans for The Mother of All Celebrations well underway in New York and Boston, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak by telephone to manager Pat Gilroy about the upcoming trip and his connections with Boston, and reflect on Dublin’s victory and what it means for Gaelic Games in the capital.

Players of the Year 2010 and 2011
 Bernard and Alan Brogan will be traveling to the U.S.

The traveling party first heads to New York and will be hosted with a banquet put on by the Dublin Gaelic Football of New York on Friday night. Reaching out to the community abroad is a huge tradition in the GAA and for Pat and the players it is a chance to connect to the Irish in the States. “We’re looking forward to the trip to the States, it sounds like it will be quite an occasion,” said Pat enthusiastically. “It’s great to go. I played in New York myself and there is huge interest in the Irish community there. Its great to see the people over there, and people are delighted to see the fellas coming over, added Pat in anticipation of what the trip means to the Diaspora.

The group will then move on the Boston where the recently formed Friends of Dublin GAA will host an evening at Porter Belly’s Pub in Brighton followed by a tour of the city the following day. It will be a great chance not only to enjoy celebrating with the exiled Dubs in the Boston area, but there are also friends and family to catch up with for Pat and some of the contingent. In fact, Pat is no stranger to Boston and has numerous connections in the city. Former teammates, Kevin Fagan, and Stephen Magill, have resided in the area for several years and Pat and has often met the lads on visits to the city. Pat mentioned another lifelong friend, Dessie McCain, who lives in Worcester, Mass. Their fathers were best friends growing up and the family friendship has continued to this day. Some of the players also have connections in the area, be it old club mates or relatives, so the trip represents a great opportunity to re-connect over the weekend.

It has now been more than 5 weeks since that great day in Croke Park and I asked Pat what was going through his mind as the Sam Maguire was being presented to Bryan Cullen. “Great satisfaction after all the work that went in” said Pat. “Over the years a lot of teams put in the same amount of work as us and didn’t win it. It was a fairytale the way we got it. We got a bit of luck this year, and there were plenty of years where we didn’t get that bit of luck.” With 6 minutes to go and down by 4 points, and many people thinking that Kerry had the game in the bag, Pat stated that he was optimistic that his team could pull it off. “I thought if it was close with 10 minutes to go that we would go on to win it. We had the fresher legs and created 2 goal chances in the final 10 minutes” recounted Pat. “Kerry are so experienced, but I felt that we could push on as were the younger team.”

Kevin McManamon was the man to put the ball into the net and score the goal that would propel the team to victory. “Kevin was unlucky not to start, but we are very fortunate to have impact players that we can bring in to the game. Kevin was one of those guys and did a great job for us all year.” So, where to for this team of young players? Pat was 23 when he won his All-Ireland county medal in 1995 and waited 16 years for the second, and that as manager of the team. Pat feels that there could be a championship or two more in this young group of players if they put the work in. “The average age of the team I was on was about 30. For this team it is 23. The lads know how hard it is to win it and if they continue to apply themselves and push hard they could win a few more,” said Pat.

With a 16 year gap since the last major football victory, Pat felt that winning was vital to the future of the games in the capital, especially with pressure coming from other sports. “The victory was hugely important for Dublin GAA” said Pat, “it lifted the whole city. There is huge competition from other sports in Dublin and this was a massive boost not only to Dublin, but with the large population also to the GAA as a whole”. A possible signal of things to come for Gaelic Games in the capital lies in the fact that four Dublin teams in either sport reached finals this year at Minor, U-21, or senior level and Pat agreed. “The future is bright. The hurlers gave us all a lift when they won the National League and that was great to see”. Pat also remarked on the growing popularity of the games amongst the youth of Dublin, and this victory will surely add to that.

Does the big man have the itch to come back and try to repeat the feats of 2011? Pat is not yet decided.  “I have not made a decision yet. With work and getting a backroom team together I am waiting for some answers before I make a decision,” he said. Pat may not yet have a definite answer on that one, but something is for certain, there will be a great few days in New York and Boston the second weekend in November – especially for the Dubs!

The celebrations in Boston begin Saturday evening, November 12, at 7:00 when there will be a night at Porter Belly’s Pub in Brighton. Tickets are $100 and limited to 100 people. Music by Inchicore, appetizers, and a cocktail reception. Proceeds go to the Dublin Players Fund. The following day there will be a tour of the city. Venues and times to be announced. Check out our Facebook page, Friends of Dublin GAA Boston. For more information contact Sean McCormack or Rory O’Donnell.

By Rory O'Donnell

Big Celebration in Store - Sam Maguire to Boston!

Dublin’s All-Ireland Celebrations Come to Boston

The Friends of Dublin GAA Boston will be bringing the celebrations of Dublin’s All-Ireland Senior Football championship to this side of the Atlantic. The Sam Maguire Cup, Manager Pat Gilroy, and players Michael Dara McCauley, Rory O’Carroll, Michael Fitzsimons, Eamonn Fennell, Paul Casey, David Henry, and Brogan brothers, Alan and Bernard, will be at Porter Bellys Pub in Brighton on Saturday November 12, from 7-11. There will be live music with Inchicore, appetizers, and a cocktail reception. The event will be limited to 100 people with a suggested donation of $100. The proceeds will go towards the players fund. Please contact Sean McCormack or Rory O’Donnell for more information. On Sunday the party will tour Boston and will be at several venues throughout the city. A schedule of appearances will be published as it is finalized. So, keep an eye out for the times and places, this is a great chance to meet the players, bring the kids for photos and autographs, and join in the celebrations!

Sam Maguire Coming to Boston

Sam Maguire to Tour Boston

Dublin Captain Bryan Cullen and Sam Maguire
 will be in Boston the second weekend in November.

The Sam Maguire Cup will be coming to Boston as part of a whirlwind tour of the North East from November 11 – 14. The Friends of Dublin GAA will host Pat Gilroy, Brian Cullen, along with other team members at events in the city. The Cup first travels to New York for a night and will then come to Boston for a couple of nights. This is a great opportunity to see the cup first hand and a chance to meet some of the heroes who delivered the first All-Ireland to Dublin in 16 years. For more information please contact Rory O’Donnell at (781) 738-2783 or Sean McCormack at (617) 840-2983, or email rodonnell-1@comcast.net or sean@porterbellyspub.com.