Manhattan memories made for life
Dympna and Willie Hegarty in Times Square during the Rossies' recent visit to New York.
I’m not sure if New York appreciated Roscommon’s invasion of the city for their Connacht SFC quarter-final encounter. But one thing is for certain — the Irish bars and restaurants did as their tills were ringing louder than the sound of tractors and lorries at the recent fuel protests.
The crowds in 5th and Mad, owned by Ballinameen native Kieran Keaveney, for the Club Rossie gig on the Friday evening and the after-match party on Sunday evening were like Quinn’s or Fagan’s on the day of an All-Ireland final.
Jimmy Glynn’s popular Jake’s Saloon was heaving on the Saturday with the Grand National for breakfast, the Augusta Masters for dinner and, in between, the Chicago and Boston boys took centre stage by joining the Roscommon contingent.
Times Square on Saturday morning, with over 3,000 Rossies, was more colourful than Sydney Harbour on New Year’s Eve.
I have been privileged and fortunate to be in New York for six Connacht championship games. I have to say that this was, without doubt, the best of them all.
It was a fun-filled five days Stateside. No matter what street or avenue you walked, a Roscommon supporter greeted you. The huge travelling army had a wonderful time, soaking up the magic of a city that never sleeps.
My base was the Chelsea Savoy Hotel on 23rd Street and 7th Avenue. Jimmy Glynn was the perfect host next door. Jake’s Saloon has become our second home.
My better half, Dympna, also made the trip. The most important items we packed were a great pair of walking shoes as we traversed the New York High Line and the fabulous Hudson River Greenway, which has dedicated running/walking and cycling routes.
On Friday afternoon, after clocking up the kilometres, we headed for Mustang Harry’s for lunch and had a wonderful time. We met Roscommon footballer Keith Doyle’s parents, Jackie and Willie Doyle, and discovered that Willie had worked in the bar for years when he was in New York.
Behind the bar was Kevin Madden from Carlow who was on the same team as Willie Doyle when the Leinster men won Division Four of the NFL in 1984 and played Kerry in the All-Ireland Open Draw Championship in 1985. The manager of Mustang Harry’s, Ian Conroy from Tipperary, played club football in New York with Willie Doyle and Kevin Madden.
The food and craic was mighty. The manager asked if we would like tea and biscuits to finish the meal. I said, “of course but you won't have my favourite biscuit, Rich Tea”. Moments later, a pot of tea and a plate of Rich Tea biscuits arrived.
Later that evening, Dympna went missing before I found out that she was in Macy’s shopping!
The weather was beautiful, and the shorts and tops were called for.
Jake's Saloon had the “Full Irish” every morning, with Kerrygold butter for the toast.
The company made the trip. We shared the hotel with Ian Cooney, Seamus Duke, Pat and Linda Compton, Shay and Anna Galvin, Francis Hussey and Peter O’Connor, along with school friends from Chicago that I hadn't seen since Roscommon’s last trip to New York in 2016.
Seán and Tomás Cooney — Ian’s younger twin brothers — were incredible tour guides and one of the reasons our trip was the best-ever. Seán made the journey from JFK Airport to Manhattan and back seem as simple as going to the shop for a litre of milk.
On match day, I had more requests for the Shannonside Radio broadcast than the late Larry Gogan on 2FM.
The match itself was a non-event. Gaelic Park requires major work. Daire Cregg’s red card was the only blight on a fabulous weekend.
And so to the big question — will we be back in 2031?
With Ruislip and Gaelic Park out of the way, the real championship starts for Andy Moran and Mark Dowd on Sunday.
In the league, Roscommon scored the most goals (15) in Division One and blasted five past a poor New York side. Scoring goals is a brilliant trait to have in one’s locker, and in their last two championship successes in Castlebar the Primrose and Blue bagged two goals during the 2019 and 2023 victories.
Mayo have emerged as the two-point kings in 2026. It’s the one area the Green and Red have gone after with a vengeance as they have shooters who relish kicking scorers from outside the 40-metre arc.
In the league, they posted 26 two-pointers and put seven more on the board against London. If Roscommon are going to win, they will have to cut out Mayo’s obsession with orange flags.
The build-up to Sunday’s intriguing clash will be dominated by Daire Cregg’s red card in New York. If the full-forward red card stands, it will be a massive blow to Roscommon as Cregg is deadly dangerous. He would have left the Mayo defence with lots of problems in terms of keeping tabs on himself and Diarmuid Murtagh.
Mayo will attack Roscommon down the centre. With Ryan O’Donoghue pulling the strings, the home side will aim to attack from all angles, with their launching pad from the half-back line.
In the four league games Roscommon won, they played high-tempo football and got quick ball into their forwards. That will be far from straightforward on Sunday afternoon.
After slaying Sligo, the good news for Leitrim is that they have Galway in Carrick-on-Shannon, which will attract a large home following.
The bad news is that the gulf between Divisions One and Four will tell on the field of play.
While the time difference on my recent trip to New York was five hours, my weekly teaser sabbatical was much longer, leaving Roscommon Herald readers with withdrawal symptoms over the past two weeks.
Apart from Erling Haaland this season, who was the last player to score five goals against Liverpool in all competitions in a single season? It was Matt Le Tissier for Southampton during the 1993/94 season.
QPR, Frenchpark, was first to make up the time, with Liam Dooley, Ballyhaunis; PJ Martin, Kiltoom; Michael Scally, Ballaghaderreen; Fr John McManus, PP Castlerea; Mick Fetherston, Dublin; Pat, Sligo; John Croghan, Bundoran; Bernard Duffy, Longford/Loughglynn; Luigi, Ballyhaunis; Paddy Boland, Youghal; Mary McCarthy, Holloway; Kevin Flanagan, Dartford; Seán Toolan, Heston, and Michael Kearns, Clapham proving that patience is a virtue.
This week’s Teaser: Can you name the last two English clubs to meet at the semi-final stage of a major European competition?
Answers by e-mail to willieefc@gmail.com or by text to 086 8356227. This week’s teaser came from Dublin.
Star pupil: Beibhinn Parsons who scored a hat-trick of tries for Ireland during their Women’s Six Nations victory over Italy.
Crucial win for: Galway over Kilkenny in the Leinster SHC.
Much do better: The Roscommon senior hurlers not scoring a point from play until the 64th minute against Meath.
Spot of bother: The clock is ticking and Spurs are running out of games in their Premier League relegation battle.
Weekend highlight: The Irish women’s rugby team playing a Six Nations game at the new Dexcom Stadium in Galway.
What a cracker: If all the jigsaw pieces fall into place, Mayo and Roscommon could be the real deal on Sunday.
“The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, and the capacity for sacrifice.”
The Cork U-20 footballers’ win over Kerry last Wednesday evening was the first time the Rebels had beaten the Kingdom in a competitive championship game at any grade since 2023.
It’s great to see Coventry City back in the Premier League after 25 years away from the top flight.
