THE Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service Gaelic Football Club have made an historic and memorable trip to New York City to celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2022 and represent the Fire Service by playing Fire Dept New York GAA Team in Gaelic Park in the Bronx.

The historical nature behind this journey has been almost a 16-year wait. Plans had been set in stone for 2020, but unfortunately the Pandemic pulled the rug on their travels at the eleventh hour. They have re-booted plans, are back planning & resilient as ever.

In 2006 the club made this same journey to the Big Apple, invited by the FDNY and since then they have had enjoyed a great sporting relationship reinforced by the sportsmanship, comradery and goodwill among firefighters. As a club for at least 22 years they have successfully represented the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service at every occasion, promoting Gaelic football and its participation for all personnel throughout the Fire service.

Watch Commander Ronán O’Reilly and current club chairperson/Manager said: “In more recent years we have been very fortunate to represent our service at Gaelic games for its inaugural showcasing in Vancouver for the World Police & Fire Games 2009. Again in NYC 2011 for the WPFG, where we renewed our long friendship with the FDNY GAA crew. In 2013 (Belfast hosted the Global games) our senior lads were inspiring in a sensational Gaelic football final. We took our first Ulster Inter-firms Championship in 2013.”

This return leg to NYC, playing FDNY GAA, has been well overdue. The seed was planted by their old comrade FDNY Battalion Chief Eddie Boles in Sept 2018 when the Club played Dublin Fire Brigade on the hallowed turf of Croke Park. It was an historic event for their players. That evening in the Croke Park Hotel, they took time to remember the stray points that often ‘dislodged the corner flag’. It was then that Eddie floated the idea; rightly pointing out that the 2006 trip to NY deserved a new project.

O’Reilly said: “As our club’s chairperson and team manager I have never been found wanting for members & committee to step up to the challenge when we set out to plan this trip, it’s been quite a challenge, Coronavirus and all!

“16 years on, and we’re back, a 46-strong contingent from our club. The NIFRS have been very supportive of the friendship links established with our FDNY colleagues and wish us well at the home of Gaelic games in NY, Gaelic Park, Bronx.”

Among their ranks they have plenty of boys who know where the posts are. They include Peter Turley (Downpatrick and just retired Down midfielder) Eoin Gormley (Trillick) & Mark Donnelly (Fintona) both recent winners of the All- Ireland over 40’s with Tyrone, Damien Cassidy (Ederney), Noel Mullan (Cookstown Fr Rocks), Patsy Begley & Ciaran McKenna (Pomeroy). O’Reilly is a Devenish Club man, and has long since retired, but expects to feature in the closing stages if the cobwebs come off the boots in time.

So Gaelic Park awaits them, as does the St Patrick’s Day Parade at Times Square. They also plan to pay their respects at Ground Zero to our fallen colleagues in the emergency services. The travelling club members are represented by not just serving officers, but numerous support staff and a significant number of retired personnel also. The FDNY have been over to Belfast, to compete and enjoy the many visitor attractions on a number of occasions since 2006, and have always made a sizable donation to the Children’s Burns unit at the RVH. On this occasion the NIFRS were determined to reciprocate. They set out to raise £7000 for the NY Firefighters Burns Foundation Children’s ward based in Manhattan, and achieved it.