New York senior football coach, Eugene Kyne, has hit out at the criticism aimed at New York for their involvement in the Connacht Championship. Kyne, who co-manages the New York senior football team along with Cavan man Seamus Smith, has echoed the recent comments made by New York GAA chairman Larry McCarthy ahead of this weekend's Connacht SFC opener with Mayo at Gaelic Park, and rejected claims that the Exiles should be excluded from the All-Ireland Championship altogether. "People are asking why we are involved, but London and Kilkenny have got bad beatings and nobody says it about them." said Kyne. "When 27 lads are training in the freezing cold in February, they are not there for the free jersey and bag. They are there because they want to play against Mayo, Galway and Roscommon. "The players aspire to play senior county football. We are doing everything in our power to boost GAA in New York. It's hugely important for us to be involved in the Connacht Championship. "The minor board has never been as strong in New York, and we are winning our grade at Feile," the Galway native added. Kyne admits that while New York have struggled against the likes of Galway and Mayo in the western province, the boys from the 'Big Apple' have still managed to spring a surprise against the other teams. "We took Leitrim to extra time a few years ago and had Roscommon there for the taking, and we beat Sligo in the FBD final. It would be a shock if we won, but we're always striving for a shock," he said. "Mayo came over here in 2004, and John Maughan had a training camp in the Catskills. They went to the All-Ireland final that year. It hardly harmed them to come out here." Tweet

Most Read Stories