New York’s 27-year stay in the Connacht championship look set to come to a conclusion.
Roscommon travel to face New York in the Connacht championship on April 12th. The game brings to a conclusion the current cycle agreement with New York.
Connacht GAA CEO John Prenty wouldn’t speculate on the cycle being renewed for the 2027 championship onward.
“All I can say is that the current series finishes” with this game” explained Prenty.”What happens in the future is up for discussion but there's a lot of costs on counties that are going over there.”
Indeed, Prenty was quick to dismiss the idea that county boards are making a killing with fundraisers in New York.
They’re “not making near as much as they used to make in the past. You went there in the past and there were various Mayo pubs and Roscommon pubs and those kind of things".
“They had made lots of money. When I was secretary of Mayo county board they came back with a lot of money that's a long time ago”.
Prenty went on; “but they're not making the same kind of money nowadays over there and it won't pay their costs. We'll have to examine it in greater detail".
New York first entered the Connacht championship in 1999, losing 3-13 to 10-points to Mayo in McHale Park. Since 2002, New York have played every Connacht championship game in Gaelic Park, New York.
In that time the US based outfit have recorded just one championship win. That was on penalties over Leitrim in 2023. They have yet to record a win in the Tailteann Cup.
New York football may drop to junior grade
Indeed, Prenty believes they need additional competitive games, but also highlighted, their future may lie outside the senior grade.
“Maybe there should be a system where they get more games” Prenty highlighted. “They come into the Tailteann Cup at a certain stage, they get a championship game there”.
“You can't compare them with London because London play in the Allianz League. They get their games and they're competitive and they're happy with that".
“New York, play in the Junior Championship, they've won the last three. So maybe that's where they're real” level is.
New York host Roscommon in the Connacht championship on Sunday April 12th at 8pm. The game is live on Shannonside Northern Sound.
