New York will prepare for what they hope will be a first ever win in the Connacht senior football championship next month by taking on All-Ireland club champions Corofin in a challenge match in the Big Apple next week.
New York have gone close to shocking Galway and Roscommon in recent years in the championship and have invited the recently-crowned All-Ireland club champions to come to New York later this month to play a warm-up game.
The Galway club, who recently won their third All-Ireland club title, will use the trip as a fundraising event and also to celebrate their recent national crown and their success of 2015.
"We will be bringing the players from 2015 as well," said Corofin club chairman Michael Ryder. "It will be a unique trip and a reward for the 2015 squad and the current side and we will also have a couple of fundraising events around it."
One of those will be in Jake's Saloon in New York, which is owned by Galway native Jimmy Glynn, where a function has been planned for Friday, April 27th, the day after the game.
The Corofin travelling party of 47 will fly out next Thursday and the match against New York will take place that evening in Gaelic Park.
There are several connections between New York GAA and the Corofin club with current Galway star Michael Lundy a key organiser of the trip, having played in the championship for the Exiles a couple of years ago.
New York will be hoping for their first championship scalp when they take on Leitrim at Gaelic Park on May 6th and are using this game against Corofin in an effort to fine-tune their preparations.
"We are all looking forward to it and hope to give New York a good game. We are training for it and want to represent ourselves well. It will be great to meet up with Corofin and Galway people out there as well, of course, as all the people who keep the GAA alive in New York and the United States.
“It promises to be a memorable trip,” added Ryder.
