Mitchel's
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A special report on the trip to the streets of New
York
The travelling party
After some last minute
defections, the actual travelling party (in alphabetical order) who
survived to tell the tale were Gerry Beirne, Diarmuid Byrne, Eithne Byrne,
Noel Byrne, Timmy Byrne, Regina Davoren, Colin Dawson, Leo Doherty, Kevin
Filan, Jamie Fitzmaurice, Shane Fitzmaurice, Sarah Flood, Wally Flynn,
Sean Gallagher, Russell Gibbons, Eddie Grogan, Fintan Hayes, Mary Hayes,
Philip Heneghan, Tommy Hurst, Finian Joyce, Eoin Keane, Eamon Kennedy,
Kieran Lavelle, Brian Malone, Kevin Malone, Aidan McNally, John Melvin,
Tommy Moylette, Peter Murphy, Paul O'Hara, Tommy O'Malley, Declan
O'Reilly, Sandy O'Reilly, Denis O'Rourke, Tommy Quigley, Michael Ralph,
James Rocke, Mick Ruane, Ronan Ruane, Eamon Shaughnessy, Eoin Shaughnessy,
Declan Shaw, Eamon 'Benji' Smith, Ian Walsh
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The Itinerary
The group convened early on the morning of Wednesday 8th March on Main
Street with the sleep still in our eyes. The flash of Michael Donnelly's
camera was the spark we needed to wake us up as we posed for the first of
many photographs. Our hearts were in our mouths as we watched him dangling
on the top step of the stepladder he had arranged to take the photograph
outside Upper Crust. It was quite ironic that the start of the trip was
organised for Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent). Lenten obligations
were put into the background for the next five days. Sean Gallagher had
arranged some entertainment on board the bus en route in the form of a
comedy tape Mick Mulcahy of Cork local radio.
We arrived in Shannon in great spirits and met up with other members of
the group who had traveled down the night before. The group flew out on
two different flights. We met up in Kennedy airport and there to meet us
was Pat Gavin, the great ambassador of the Mayo team in New York. We met
up with Stevie our bus driver who was to be with us for the rest of the
trip. The first sing-song of the tour was on board the bus to the hotel,
with the tuneful assistance of Johnny the accordion player from Kerry,
whom we met at the airport. As we crossed over the Queensboro bridge from
Queens into Manhattan, while our eyes were struggling to see the tops of
the numerous skyscrapers which dotted the skyline, the bus was humming to
the sound of the Fields of Athenry. Manhattan didn't know what hit it when
the bus emptied on the corner of East 57th and Lexington Avenue. After
some searching for beds in the bedrooms, the group soon met up again
across the street in Houlihans beside the Fitzpatrick hotel. We were soon
to discover PJ Carneys which was to become our social headquarters for the
remainder of the trip. The group dispersed around Manhattan to check out
the nightlife, but all reported back to HQ later in the night. Back to top
Mitchels Vs team New York
While
trying to recover from a little dehydration the following morning, our
cause was not helped by the fact that it was the warmest March day on
record for over twenty years. The temperature reached the low 70's. This
morning was devoted to sightseeing. Many ended up checking out places such
as the Empire State building, the Intrepid Sea-Air Space museum, Broadway
and Times Square, St Patrick's Cathedral, Macys, Carnegie Hall and Madison
Square Garden which was quite an amazing place. The "Big East" college
basketball tournament was in full swing. On our way back home to the hotel
we came across the "Naked Cowboy" on Times Square. Our bus man Stevie
"Wonder" who took some time to get used to "Irish time" finally departed
for Van Courtlandt Park in the Bronx with not a lot of time to spare. We
togged out for the game against New York over the Lansdowne bar. It was a
balmy afternoon. The New York team was very keen to do well. The match was
very evenly contested right through. The bounce of the ball on a firm
pitch took a little getting used to. The game was well attended by many
New York supporters. It was only in the last quarter that Mitchels seem to
lift their game and edge out the local team by the narrowest of margins on
a score-line of 2-10 to 0-14. All adjourned to the Lansdowne after the
game. Some fine food was served up and presentations were made to Frank
Brady, manager of the New York team and to Pat Gavin. We ended up back in
Manhattan and went to Greenwich village and Bleecker Street to get a
flavour of the bars and clubs in the area. All reported back to HQ before
the night was out.
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Tours of the city
A little rest was in order after a hectic night out. So
the following day, many of the group decided to take a leisurely
sightseeing tour of the southern end of Manhattan by bus. We caught the
bus outside the Waldorf Astoria hotel (the hotel where President Clinton
stays while in New York). We took in such places as Central Park, the
Rockefeller Centre, Fifth Avenue, Plaza Hotel (location for the Home Alone
and the Crocodile Dundee movies), China Town / Little Italy, the Fulton
Street fish market , Wall Street, the U.N building, Battery Park, The
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. That night we started off by attending
a function in the Fitzpatrick Hotel. The manageress (from Kerry) served up
a beautiful meal. Later that night we checked out many of the Irish pubs
such as Rosie O'Grady's and the Irish pub (owned by Eugene Rooney).
Saturday was another "rest day" but the weather turned very wet from mid
morning. Over an inch of rain fell during the day. The team had a run out
in Central Park. Some more sightseeing was in order even though the
weather did not help. The travelling party met up again in O'Neill's pub
on 3rd Avenue and 46th street. After a beautiful buffet, all settled in
for a wonderful night of traditional Irish music and one mighty sing song.
Tommy O'Malley got the show on the road and was followed by Russell
Gibbons, Leo Doherty and Declan "Bullet" O'Reilly. It was probably the
best night of the whole trip.
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The Grand Finale
On Sunday morning while many went to St. Patrick's
Cathedral for Mass, others got ready for the second game of the trip
against the local Mayo side. While the game itself was not much of a
contest, everyone enjoyed the workout. After the game we headed for the
Hibernian bar on McClean Avenue. The Mayo team had organised a function
for us here. After another wonderful function, Pat Gavin made
presentations to Tommy O'Malley and the club. James Rock thanked the Mayo
team on behalf of the club made presentations to John Burke and to Pat
Gavin. The highlight of the evening in the Hibernian bar was Peter
Murphy's marvelous singing performance, when he rattled of a selection of
numbers which thrilled the large crowd. Later that night while some of us
took the bus back to Manhattan and ended up in the Failte bar on 3rd
Avenue and 31st, others checked out other Irish bars on McClean Avenue.
Reports have it that Rory Dolans was the most impressive of them. By an
amazing stroke of coincidence, everybody ended up in PJ Carneys before the
end of the night.
Monday morning was devoted to some final
sightseeing and a little shopping. Many ended up at the World Trade Centre
before making their way back to the hotel to do the final packing. The
hardy annuals had their final get together in PJ Carneys before the bus
departed. Everyone on the bus was in great spirits as we left for Kennedy
airport. The Birdie man led the sing song for the final time. Although a
little weary the entire group arrived back in Shannon at 7 am.
approximately on Tuesday 14th March. What a wonderful five days we had!
The sights we saw, the laughs we had, will live long in our minds. Thanks
to everyone involved for making it such a marvelous trip.
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People we met from Castlebar
On our journey we bumped into a number of
Castlebar people. Loretta Kenny and her husband Philip Quilter
(from Kerry) seemed to spend every single moment of their free time with
us during the five days. They were largely instrumental in organising our
schedule in New York and thanks to their wonderful efforts, all the
arrangements went very smoothly. On our arrival at the Habitat hotel,
there to meet us was Barry Quigley (son of Tommy who was with the
travelling party). We later met Barry and his fiance Jacqueline after the
New York game. They had just recently got engaged. Tommy actually stayed
on to spend some extra time with his family after we departed for home.
Martin Lydon Jnr. (son of Martin from Fortfield) who is involved as
a project manager with a large construction company came to both games in
Van Courtlandt Park and joined us in the Lansdowne Bar afterwards. Joe
and Dean Doherty from Maryland dropped by on Sunday. Both were in
great form and Dean (who won an under 21 championship medal with us in
1997) got a run on Sunday with Mitchels against the Mayo team. Former
Mitchels hurler and now Chairman of the Tipperary Hurling club in New
York, Michael Ryan, who left Castlebar in 1985, came round on both
days to meet old friends like Leo Doherty and James Rocke. He's hoping to
make it back for the Munster hurling final in early July. Shane
Barry (son of Donagh and Maura) who went out to New York in the last
few weeks called to meet us in the Fitzpatrick Hotel on Friday night.
Declan Hughes (son of Padhraic) called round to the hotel to meet
up with a few of his buddies. Ger Cuffe (brother of Seamus from
Belcarra) who is following his brother's footsteps in the motor industry
in New York was in great form when we met him in the Hibernian bar on
McLean Avenue after the game on Sunday. Others we met were Michael
Collins from Rehins who is working as an electrician and Darren
Flynn (son of Seamus from Rocklands). Lo and behold while some of the
travelling party were catching up on some last minute shopping in Century
21 near the World Trade Centre, they bumped into Mayo county councillors
Henry Kenny and Senator Paddy Burke (who was actually
testing out some golf clubs, surprise, surprise!). It's a small world!
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Team that lined out in New York
When the archives are dusted down in years to come, the
line up against New York was as follows: Ronan Ruane, Eoin Shaughnessy,
Russell Gibbons, Eoin Keane, Declan Shaw, Eamon Shaughnessy, A. McNally,
Shane Fitzmaurice, Jamie Fitmaurice, Paul O'Hara, Diarmuid Byrne, Timmy
Byrne, Kevin Malone, Eamon Kennedy, Kevin Filan. Subs: Ian Walsh, Kieran
Lavelle, Brian Malone, Wally Flynn, Finian Joyce.
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Other Snipets
One for the
historians in the club: How long is it since four sets of brothers fielded
for Mitchels seniors on the one team? Shane Fitzmaurice won the
Mitchels player of the trip award for his performance over the two games.
In the absence of Mitchels senior captain Paul Jordan who was unable to
make the trip, Eamon Kennedy was captain of the Mitchels team for
the trip. The trip marked probably the last game with the club for
Ronan Ruane who is transferring to the Garda team in Dublin and
what a performance he gave in goal by keeping a clean sheet over the two
games! Three members of the panel had fathers who played for Mitchels on
the 1960 trip, Wally Flynn, Ronan Ruane and Russell Gibbons.
The only player to play on both the 1985 trip and the 2000 trip was
Finian Joyce. The youngest members of the playing panel which
travelled were Ian Walsh and Timmy Byrne. Only three members
of the travelling party Leo Doherty, Mick Ruane and Finian
Joyce were on the 1985 trip to Chicago. A special presentation was
made to Mick Ruane in Fitzpatricks hotel on Friday night as being
the only person to make all four Mitchels trips to America in 1960, 1971,
1985 and 2000! Other presentations were made to Tommy Moylette and
Tommy Quigley (team captain) who were members of the travelling
group of 1960.
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Questions with no answers!
1) Who were known as the Laurel and Hardy of the
travelling party?
2) Who was known as the 'Birdie Man'?
3)
Who achieved notoriety during the trip as 'The Bus Wrecker'?
4) Who
were the Florence Nightingales of the trip?
5) Who revealed signs
of vertigo on top of the World Trade Center?
6) Who mistakenly
wanted to disembark on Ellis Island thinking it was Battery
Park?
7) Name the three members of the travelling party who fell
asleep during a live comedy show they attended? Which two of these three
repeated the feat the next day during the bus trip round
Manhattan?
8) Who achieved notoriety during the trip as being the
'Micheal Jordan of Gaelic football'?
9) Who were his agent,
security and transport handlers and website managers?
10) Who
declared a new business interest during the trip as being an exporter of
5,000,000 chickens from Ireland each day? Has he got asn export licence
for this venture?
11) Which member of the travelling party did a
pigeon take a particular fancy to one day while waiting for a
bus?
12) Who took 'Eileen O'Grady' to his heart for the
trip?
13) Who was made an offer to go gigging in the
city?
14) Who launched his own website in the lobby of the hotel
early one morning after being locked out of his …………room?
15) Who
went to see live college basketball in Madison Square Garden?
16)
Who got lost on his way home from PJ Carneys pub (which was 100 yards or
one block away round the corner) and ended up calling a taxi to get home?
17) Who spent some time chasing squirrels / raccoons in Central
Park?
18) Who rang his wife after four days in New York and said he
hadn't seen a shop yet but felt like he had seen every pub?
19) Who
was paid by Castlebar U.D.C. to check out the refuse collection service in
the Big Apple?
20) Who showed signs of having the best bladder
among the group by surviving till he got to the top of the World Trade
Centre, 107 storeys high?
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