The All Ireland Football Championship kicks off this weekend in the Bronx (would you believe)! And the trip is another chapter in a long tradition of games between these sides. Some notable trips included,
The first encounter was in May 1932, an invite accepted from Mayo born NY Mayor William O Dwyer. The trip consisted of eight matches along the east coast and 45,000 watched as NY beat Mayo at Yankee Stadium. In fact NY done the treble over Mayo while our lads beat Boston in a Rhode Island in front of 25,000 and Philly in the city of brotherly love.

MYo returned in 1937 as league champions and in front of yet another bumper crowd at Yankee Stadium lost by a point. Mayo failed to be rewarded with a NY trip in 1951 loosing the league final to Meath as All Ireland champions but gained revenge by winning Sam later in the year. 1954 league champions again and again in the big apple where New York win at the Polo grounds on a score of 2-3 to 0-10.

New York lost their upper hand by the 1970's and Mayo easily accounted for them 4-9 to 0-8 in 1972. There have been numerous other trips down the decades including NY minor visit to Mayo in 78 and various Mayo clubs including Castlebar Mitchell's who were the first club team in Ireland to visit NY. Fast forward to May 1999 and a game I was at, history was made as NY entered the Connacht championship and were beaten 3-12 to 0-10 in a brave display in McHale Park.

May 2004 and May 2009 in Gaelic Park ended in easy Mayo wins and so it's on to May 2014 and New York Gaa celebrate their 100 years and aim led to believe an extra effort will be put in. I hope NY give a good account of themselves but it's hard to look past a comfortable Mayo win. But this occasion is about so much more than a game of football, it's about coming together and I know over 2,000 Mayo fans including myself are making the trip over not to mention the many Mayo people scattered all over North America and of course those from all 32 counties in the New York area.

It is not much to ask to make such a trip in today's world when you consider it took a week for Irish teams in the past who made the effort. So here is to a great week and hopefully in the future NY can have an all american born team compete and beat an Irish team. I have no doubt it will happen some day. For ourselves another year of hope begins that all supporters may dare to dream but the excursions of the last two years have dented confidence that it can be third time lucky...say what you want about Mayo we do have great supporters. Say what you want about NY Gaa and their participation but it's more than just a game it's who we all are.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11541 - 29/04/2014 21:01:38    1582253

Exhibition game that is not worth debating/discussing. Mayo will win by 25-30 points.

Mr_Pundit (UK) - Posts: 677 - 29/04/2014 21:17:08    1582260

30 points is a bit much. Factoring in the heat, the pitch, the fact that mayo will be looking to put in as little effort as possible, I would be happy with a comfortable win by 8 or so points and no goals conceded.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 30/04/2014 11:04:00    1582359

No wild heat over there at the minute by all accounts. I think Mayo's only real problem will be the artificial surface and avoiding any injuries. They should win this comfortably with about 10-12 points to spare at least.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9738 - 30/04/2014 12:41:36    1582427

If New York can keep it to less than a 10 point loss i think they will be happy. Mayo will be comfortable in this one as we all know but will be a great week for the Fans in New York and those Travelling from Mayo and all over the US to see the game and enjoy the occasion

chriscart580 (Meath) - Posts: 376 - 30/04/2014 15:42:55    1582542

No nicky joyce for NY?

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 30/04/2014 15:52:54    1582544

Joyce was never on the panel.

gaelicgab (USA) - Posts: 878 - 30/04/2014 15:57:40    1582547

New York by one.

Ned_Stormcrow (Cavan) - Posts: 1071 - 30/04/2014 16:04:21    1582550

New York to win by a point. . .

Jimin10 (Meath) - Posts: 783 - 30/04/2014 16:06:22    1582551

the all ireland championship does not KICK OFF this weekend
is is not soccer or rugby you dont start with a kick off
always annoys me how every sports bulletin always talks of every sport kicking off
especially the racing as theres not even a ball in use in a horse race

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 30/04/2014 16:20:25    1582562

30/04/2014 11:04:00
TheMaster
County: Mayo
Posts: 10919

1582359
30 points is a bit much. Factoring in the heat, the pitch, the fact that mayo will be looking to put in as little effort as possible, I would be happy with a comfortable win by 8 or so points and no goals conceded.

Factor in the heat LOL its in the mid 40s at the moment here and raining! pitch no problem to Mayo you scored 7 goals on your last visit here (2011 FBD final) even with little effort Mayo will win this games by 20 plus points! New York hammered in the last three years by Sligo,Ros,Leitrim and this New York team is the worst i have seen yet.

If Mayo only win by 8 or so points serious question should be asked.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3590 - 30/04/2014 16:46:05    1582580

Hopefully we will win by 8 points or less and serious questions will be asked before we face a goid Roscommon team.

It's that time if year when my mate reminds me "The only team that'll beat Mayo this year us Mayo". Predictable words I know but he's never been wrong.

Maigh Eo Abú!

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7926 - 30/04/2014 17:17:34    1582598

The GAA is fast getting to a crossroads on this fixture. I am not sure that it does anything to develop the game in NY or the North America. Is it an exhibition game or a competitive championship game. The problems in the NY game still exist - thousands of dollars wasted on brining players over for the summer. There is a lot of work being done in grassroots to try and build it from the ground up but the attitude of the Senior clubs (someone from NY can correct me if I am wrong on this but none of the senior clubs have underage structures) to the importation of players during the summer is still a problem. Some would say fair play they are giving lads work that they wouldn't get at home however rather than giving them money for flights and playing games, why save that money and club together and pay for players to come over to go into schools etc to try and spread the game. If the GAA wants to use big games to spread the development of the game - why not play the All Ireland Final in NY (imagine the posts that would be on here then about grannies not being able to go and see the game or the GAA is getting millions out of it etc). I just don't see where this game fits into either the concept of an All Ireland Championship or development of the game in NY. Had grassroots structures been built off the back of the NY victories many years ago, imagine where the game in the US could be today.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1949 - 30/04/2014 17:35:54    1582606

Its a pity this match is not shown live on TV. It would be a great way to in the grove for the summer ahead and a real boost to the NY players

dufferman (Down) - Posts: 157 - 30/04/2014 17:41:56    1582610

Heat? It's bloody freezing over here. Pitch wont be a problem as I'm sure every mayo player would have had at least a few full training sessions on astro turf over the winter. If they play a strong team Mayo will win by 20-25 points. Not a strong NY team this year.

white.n.blue (Monaghan) - Posts: 249 - 30/04/2014 18:45:34    1582645

Full time 4-18 to 06
Bring on Leitrim!!

Miler (Mayo) - Posts: 1015 - 04/05/2014 21:02:58    1584162

11 hour round trip to see the game , worth every minute. Mayo people are really a fantastic bunch. Home seems a bit closer today.

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 05/05/2014 09:24:08    1584197

No same distance as normal

Midlu1 (Louth) - Posts: 790 - 05/05/2014 10:32:46    1584220

People have to realise that this fixture is just a massive Cash Cow for the 5 Connacht sides and nothing else. The fund raising banquet for the home county held in New York is the most important part of the trip. As long as New York can gather 15 lads to play, the Connacht Council will inckude them in the draw.

highking (Mayo) - Posts: 168 - 05/05/2014 10:36:18    1584221

The all ireland series neither kicks off or throws in or whatever you want to call it with this fixture. It is an annual challenge match that has only one outcome. The all irealnd series for mayo will start in exactly 3 months.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3846 - 05/05/2014 11:26:39    1584241