Members of St Patricks Gaelic Football Club

Present for this interview were a number of people heavily involved in St Patrick’s Club, Fairfield: Paddy Coyle from Tyrone, one of the founders of the club, Patrick Musha Maher and Jimmy Fahey from Tipperary, Gerry Rooney from Monaghan, Kieran McAlinden from Armagh and Noel O’Neill from Carlow. The group range in age, but all are dedicated to the development and administration of the club. The interview covers the challenges faced by clubs in America in trying to develop club facilities, increase numbers, and promote the games. The group feel that the thing most keeping them back is the lack of television coverage of Gaelic games. Matches are blocked on the internet and people have to pay large sums of money to gain entry into bars televising the match. The costs associated with playing the games in America, in terms of shipping equipment from Ireland and also insurance costs are big issues. The group discuss their introductions to Gaelic games in America, trips that they took, their views on professionalism and its part in the GAA in America and New York in particular, the underage scene in America, the challenges of keeping children involved as they grow up, the importance of Gaelic Park, the changing role of the media, the role of women and the sense of neglect and isolation they feel from the GAA in Ireland.