New York GAA Roundup: Seamus Sweeney to manage NY All-Stars

New York finally selected its manager for the 2010 and 2011 seasons (its a two year job according to the rule book) when Seamus Sweeney from Donegal was given the job last Thursday.

The Connaught Championship is in fact two weeks early this year, with May 2 the afternoon when Galway arrives to challenge New York in the first round. Time will be of the essence to prepare for the fixture, a replay of the FBD final of October. It leaves New York with a little over 11 weeks to prepare, a possible total of 35 to 38 training sessions.

Two names went forward for the position of manager this year, Seamus Sweeney and Eugene Kyne (myself).  In the role of selectors, I had Enda Henry, Brian Newman and Justin O’Halloran on board.  At the time of writing the only confirmed selector who is going forward with Sweeney is O’Halloran.

Sweeney is well known as the manager of Four Provinces, the 2007 New York senior football champions. The out-of-towners brought a wave of enthusiasm to New York in their four years in town before North America and the Central Council in Dublin decided late last year that they must return to play competitive football in Philadelphia. It’s a huge loss to New York and one that will be impossible to replace.

What then of the talent that is available to the new manager in New York?  The team that went out to face Mayo last year showed incredible heart in a losing battle. They had an 0-4 to 0-1 lead before the strength of Mayo began to tell.

In the five years between the last two Mayo contests with New York, the score lines went from 3-28 to 1-8 down to 2-19 to 0-10, a remarkable improvement. Five years ago Galway beat New York 3-14 to 0-6, so a barometer is there.

New York has a slew of talent at its disposal. The key is to get them to train and embrace a team plan. A lineout with names such as Hearty, Bell, Foley, Corbett, Power, Rafferty, Garvey, Stafford, Killeen, Smith, O’Connor, Doona, McGoldrick, Moran, Munnelly, Skeffington, Murtagh, Huvane, Donavan, Downey, Sloan, Dobbins, Gavin, Conroy and Kelly flying fit and coordinated on the same page would give many a county team fits. It would take 30 of the 35 sessions by all, but the result would be monumental.

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Nster.com