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NY GAA: Galway and Cavan the big winners in transfer window

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Gaelic Park in the Bronx, New York.

It was Christmas morning all over again for a couple of clubs in New York last week as the annual ritual that is the transfer season passed on.

The Galway hurling club and Cavan football side were the big winners. Cavan received five transfers, with Eugene O’Hagan leaving Down to return to the side that he originally played for in New York.

Tom Hardwick moves from Donegal and immediately gives them a bona fide midfielder -- if he can steer clear of injury. Shane Russell also returns to Cavan after a one-year leave of absence, during which he snagged an intermediate title with Roscommon.

For the Tribesmen Darren Reilly, who hails from Loughrea, is a major coup. Capable of midfield or as a man marker against a weekend player, he gives them steel and skill immediately.

Offaly captain of 2009 Donie Broderick also arrives with Liam Butler, as the Faithful lost heavily. Broderick is a roving wing forward who will slot in perfectly.

Others who won were Armagh, which has four new arrivals, with Eddie Greenan an automatic at number six, although they did lose Connor Hunter to Dublin in what amounts to a swap for Shane Moore, with Dublin coming out ahead.

Akin to the reality show The Biggest Loser was Down. O’Hagan, Sheamie Kelly, Paul Higgins and James Mitchell all left for other pastures, with Mitchell spending just one year in the red shirt. He signed from Leitrim last year, won a championship and returns to Leitrim -- with the Midas touch, they hope.

Higgins played little at the tail end of the year, but a club hates to lose players as they are a hot commodity.

St. Barnabas was hot on Down’s heels with four players headed out the door. Eddie Greenan, Mark Downes, who heads for Donegal and the Garvey brothers all signed on the dotted line.

Both Garveys had injuries last season, but if they can stay healthy they are the steals of the transfer window.

Declan can slot in basically anywhere from two to nine. His first game in New York was as a forward when he lined out for New York in Boston before he had played a club game if I'm not mistaken. Impressive credentials.

He will fit in with the No Name Gang that will have to get a new title this season. They achieved far too much last season to fly under the radar from now on.

Brother Ronan still has one of the best left pegs this side of the pond. He can leave it on your palms from 50 yards.

Still too early to rank senior sides after this upheaval, but the draft night that is ahead on March 18 will give far more input to the senior and Intermediate clubs.

Here are the transfers: Shane Moore, Dublin to Armagh; Shane McKeever, Roscommon to Armagh; Eddie Greenan, St. Barnabas to Armagh; Michael McCarthy, Cork to Armagh; Eugene O’Hagan, Down to Cavan; Seamus Kelly, Down to Cavan; Shane Russell, Roscommon to Cavan; Tom Hardwick, Donegal to Cavan.

Daragh Smith, Roscommon to Cavan; Tommy Gee, Leitrim to Celtics; Paul Higgins, Down to Cork; John Fitzpatrick, Offaly to Cork; Mark Downes, St. Barnabas to Donegal; Anthony Kelly, Offaly to Donegal; Nicky Dineen, Cork to Down; Conor Hunter, Armagh to Dublin; Martin Leahy, Tipperary to Galway; Liam Butler, Offaly to Galway; Darren Reilly, Offaly to Galway; Donal Broderick; Offaly to Galway.

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