The Irish government has offered a €250,000 grant to New York GAA club Shannon Gaels

Shannon Gaels GAA Club is set to receive a €250,000 grant from the Irish government to assist with the development of Gaelic games in New York.

The club, which has been based in Queens since its formation in 2002, will use the funds to improve their current training and playing facilities in Frank Golden Park. Club chairman Sean Price old The Irish Examiner just how much the grant means to Gaelic games in New York City. He said: “Kids of Irish immigrants will be able to keep the GAA alive in this city. I’m not just talking about Shannon Gaels but this will be great for the other clubs like Celtics, St Barnabas and Rockland. “We’ll be upgrading from a substandard pitch to a state-of-the-art facility and great credit is due to the field committee, which is led by Collie Mathers and also to the Irish consulate here who have been very supportive throughout this part of the venture. “We very much believe that by putting effort into our youth, the entire community will benefit and that’s what the Irish Government has recognised also.” Minister for the Diaspora, Jimmy Deenihan TD, added that “this grant recognises the strong links between GAA clubs abroad and the Irish communities in which they are based. “I also welcome and appreciate the strong support this initiative received at community and city levels in New York City.”

Delighted to announce funding for @ShannonGaelsNYC under the Emigrant Support Programme - a fantastic initiative! https://t.co/IJIBnAc8ny — Jimmy Deenihan TD (@JimmyDeenihanTD) January 12, 2015

President of the GAA, Liam O'Neill, echoed the excitement of Deenihan, saying: “We are delighted with the news that Minister Deenihan and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have confirmed very generous funding for the ambitious Shannon Gaels project in New York. “It is no exaggeration to say that it is a remarkable project, one which is also receiving the support of the GAA centrally, and it will bring the club’s ambitions to have a fully developed home of their own for the ongoing development of Gaelic games a step closer to reality.”