New York county board ‘disappointed’ by Liam O’Neill comments

The New York county board has expressed surprise and disappointment after GAA president Liam O'Neill earlier this week raised some concerns about their future in the football championship, partly due to the "legality of people living in New York".

O’Neill also suggested New York might be better served by a world championship series than the All-Ireland series.

“I’m certainly disappointed by these comments,” said New York chairman Liam Bermingham, highlighting the fact the New York board were this weekend also staging their centenary banquet. “To say the least, the timing is poor. The players have been putting in a lot of effort, and we very much appreciate the hard work they have put in.

Bermingham also questioned the validity of a world championship, as suggested by O’Neill: “That’s a concept we are not in a position to give full consideration given many of our own players’ difficulties with immigration. If it were to be played in the US, we’d certainly look at it closer but it’s not a concrete idea by any stretch.”

However, Bermingham did acknowledge O’Neill’s praise for the continuing development of the GAA in New York, including the Rockland and Shannon Gaels GAA clubs. GAA president elect Aogán Ó Fearghail is also headed to New York this weekend for the centenary banquet.