What it’s all about.
Leitrim and New York played out an absolute thriller on Sunday evening in front of a packed to the rafters Gaelic Park. In the end, it was a repeat of what happened fifteen years ago, with Leitrim only just shading it in extra-time, as they did in 2003.
The atmosphere was absolutely hopping in downtown New York, with expats, born and bred New Yorkers and 1500 Leitrim folk alike lighting the stadium up with colour and fervour.
The Championship is back, and back with a bang. Fair play @NewYorkGAA @LeitrimGAA https://t.co/59lQiAPRg6
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) May 6, 2018
The game didn’t disappoint either with the sides trading blows for a full 80 minutes before Brendan Guckian’s Leitrim would eventually emerge from the scare of their lives with a point to spare.
New York, in the hunt for their first ever Connacht Championship victory put up one hell of a fight in front of the partisan crowd. The artful dodger Jamie Clarke was absolutely untouchable for the most part, scoring, providing and dazzling his way through the hour and 20.
When it really came down to it though, Leitrim stood up. Three late points from Noel Plunkett, Shane Quinn and Darragh Rooney sent them to a one point, 0-19 to 1-15 victory, and onto a Connacht semi-final against Roscommon.
And you know the championship is here when the sound of commentators going bonkers on the local radio stations is coming through the airwaves.
The whole of Ireland, and most of America, it seemed was infatuated with the action but nobody was more excited than Willie Hegarty, the anchor for the evening on Leitrim’s local radio station Shannonside FM.
He pulled out some absolutely amazing one-liners during the game.
“Up behind me here on the hill there are 2 dogs having their own game. I’m not sure if they know the score”
"Kevin O'Grady found a gap like a sheep through the hedge running into the a neighbour's field" more brilliance from @ShannonSSport Willie Hegarty on O'Grady's point to put @NewYorkGAA 3 up in ET #GAA
— Oisin Langan (@oisinlangan) May 6, 2018
“Collins to Clarke, what hands from Clarke, where’s the runner, it’s a Wexford man, Kevin O’Grady – what a score! The catch was like Paul O’Connell at the back of a lineout there from Jamie Clarke.”
“Like a sheep through a hedge running through to the neighbour’s field.’ New York lead!”
What a man.
"Neil Collins – the Louis Copeland of New York". Vintage from Willie Hegarty on @ShannonsideFM #NewYorkvLeitrim
— Ian Cooney (@cooney_ian) May 6, 2018
The gift that kept on giving.
https://twitter.com/BrianFitz_/status/993224552569298945
We’d pay for the audio to do it all again.
"You have to hand it to Leitrim, every time they've looked gooshed they've come back." What a man
— Conor Heneghan (@conorheneghan1) May 6, 2018
Tonight's game in New York was an exceptional advert for the GAA the @ConnachtGAA championship and the power of radio. Willie Hegarty and @MartyM_RTE held the nation between them and Willie Hegarty is trending on twitter tonight!! Well done all. pic.twitter.com/AAvtk5UFoz
— Hugh Lynn (@lthugh) May 6, 2018
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