Gortletteragh club notes
July 13, 2021Flying the Leitrim flag Stateside:
In advance of last Sundays Connacht Senior Football Championship encounter between Leitrim and Mayo, the Independent printed this great article on Leitrim’s main sponsor, JP Clarkes Saloon, Yonkers, NY – fronted by Gortletteragh man Seamus Clarke and his wife Catriona. Well done to Seamus and Catriona for the work they do.
New York bar owner Seamus Clarke doing his bit for Leitrim GAA all the way from Yonkers:
TOMORROW morning, a few Leitrim supporters will make their way to McLean Avenue in Yonkers. Their destination is JP Clarke’s, the county sponsor. And thousands of miles from home, they will hope against hope.
Seamus Clarke, the proprietor and a native of Gortletteragh, has been there since 1996. After taking bartending courses in Manhattan, he opened his own place a short drive from Gaelic Park.
Over the course of Leitrim trips to play New York, a relationship with the county board was struck. And after the Bush Hotel ended their long association, an idea that he would become the new main sponsor took hold. A conversation, a pint and a week later, it was settled. JP Clarke’s saloon would adorn the front of his beloved Leitrim in one of the GAA’s more unusual sponsorship arrangements.
“It was just an investment in the county I love, I’m 40 years away from home,” Clarke said from New York.
“And since then Monaghan have something similar. The sponsor of the Monaghan football team is Philip Traynor of All Boro floors and he’s out here too. I had a great chat to Philip about it and obviously there’s no return for Philip out of it with a flooring company.
“But it’s a great honour to sponsor your county team. It’s not about growing your business, it’s about having a natural affection for your home county, where you grew up and where your siblings are. They are all proud of it and you just get a good feeling from it. And if it suits you and you have a few bob to spare, why not? Life is short.
“And honestly, when you see the team and the jersey, it’s something you just got an opportunity to do and for myself and my whole family, we were all so proud when Leitrim ran out in the Division 4 final in Croke Park. And as I said before, it almost felt like you were playing yourself. It’s hard to explain, but it brings you closer to the team and brings it closer to home.”
The Irish community have been good to Clarke in his 25 years in business and he tries to be good to them in return. Clarke also sponsors New York champions St Barnaba’s, who made history last year by becoming the first all American-born team to win the New York SFC.
But Clarke is keen to stress it’s not all one-way traffic in terms of help going across the Atlantic. When Covid hit the US, it left many undocumented Irish out of work in the construction and hospitality sectors. Clarke and his wife Caitríona and other Irish organisations set about establishing a fund to help those in need and Sláinte 2020 was born.
The call went out and the response was swift. The Leitrim footballers helped raised more than €20,000 and sent it across. Manager Terry Hyland also helped source funds from different channels.
They did their own fundraising in New York and in the end they managed to raise around $600,000 to help out more than 400 hardship cases.
“There was good government assistance here. But if you didn’t have your papers, you didn’t get it, so it left people in trouble. Larry (McCarthy, GAA president) was very good, Joan Henchy (New York GAA chair) was very good. There were some very sad cases, people down to their last month’s rent and with other difficulties. People who hadn’t a leg to stand on. A lot of them didn’t want to take money. But it was the best thing we ever did”
Recently, New York GAA recognised the work of Clarke and his wife Caitríona, whose brother Pádraig was on Leitrim’s famous 1994 team, with a special award. And if there has been a good thing to emerge from the pandemic, it’s that the Irish community was united behind a single cause.
“It brought the whole of New York together. All the Irish organisations came together. People got to know each other from different spheres and got together. Next thing we’re going to try and do is get Gaelic Park up and running with the redevelopment.”
Tomorrow, there will be more big dreams but more modest expectations. But, no matter what, there is always hope.
U17’s:
Our U17’s took on Allen Gaels in the park last week in the second round of their championship. A good display of football throughout the field by these young lads taking great scores from play. They came away with a comfortable win on a final score of 6-14 to 3-09.
The lads travelled to Manaorhamilton last Monday July 12th July for the third game of the Championship against Glencar-Manor.
Masonite ACL 2021:
Last Friday evening we met St Patrick’s Dromahair in our last game of the round stages of the 2021 Masonite ACL Division 2. The game ended all square with a final score of 0-11 to 1-08. The remaining games in the round stages will be played next weekend before the contenders for the final can be decided.
Masonite Reserve League 2021:
Last Saturday evening we took on Aughavas in the third round of the Reserve league securing a comfortable win on a final score of 2-19 to 0-12. The final round of this league is against near neighbours Bornacoola, in Bornacoola next Sunday, 18th July at 1pm.
