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Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Is emigration beginning to bite?
BY ANTHONY HENNIGAN
In these strained economic times, the number might have been expected to be greater. Nonetheless, a total of five club footballers in Mayo had transfer requests to overseas GAA clubs granted in the opening two months of 2010.
Noel Tuohy, a defender on Ballaghadereen’s 2008 Moclair Cup winning team, has signed for Parnells of London whilst his former Ballagh’ team-mate, Peter Towey, has joined Toronto Gaels. Another Mayo man who will be playing his football in Canada this year is Bonniconlon’s Liam Munnelly who has joined St Vincent’s and signing for San Francisco Celts who play in the North American Championship is Belmullet’s Eanna Murphy.
The fifth overseas transfer granted thus far is that of Kilfian’s Darren Harte who joins Moindearg of London.
London football also benefited on the double during the traditionally quiet transfer period of December when Aidan Gibbons of Louisburgh and Stephen Brady of Aghamore joined Fulham Irish and Tara respectively.
In fact, whilst there was a steady stream of transfers from Mayo to overseas clubs in the second half of 2009, according to Croke Park’s official on-line records at least, for the second six months of last year not a single footballer transfered back to Mayo from a club outside Connacht or overseas. Prior to John Doherty signing for Cill Chomain from St Lawrence’s of Manchester in January and dual player Stephen Hunt this month returning to Aghamore and Tooreen from Sinn Fein in Australia, the last players to sign from abroad for Mayo clubs both did so from London in May 2009 Leigh Cresham returned to Breaffy from Kerry Kingdom Gaels and Pat O’Sullivan joined Claremorris from Neasden Gaels.
“Our county committees need to examine the situation which pertains in their county in order to help our clubs and our communities to ride out the storm in order to survive,” said Connacht GAA Secretary, John Prenty, in his report to annual convention last Thursday. “If emigration becomes the norm we need some plan to ensure that some of our clubs do not go out of existence,” he added.
The worst could be yet to come, however. In 2009, transfers processed by Croke Park in the months of January and February combined amounted to only 81% of those processed in March alone. It means that the exodus might only be set to increase, as clubs gear up for the start of their competitive seasons.
In January and February of this year, apart from those bound for England, the USA and Canada, a further 14 Mayo footballers have transferred to other clubs in Ireland outside of Connacht.
Seven are headed for Dublin, including former Mayo star Conor Moran who leaves Burrishoole for St Brigid’s and Swinford’s Brendan Lynskey who joins St Jude’s. A further two are joining Cork clubs; Claremorris senior footballer Vinny Griffin has signed for Grange and Kevin Byrne of Ballyhaunis for Glanmire.
At five, the number of footballers to so far transfer to Mayo clubs from outside Connacht in 2010 is a fraction of what has gone the other way. Aside from the aformentioned John Doherty and Stephen Hunt, John Barrett joins Belmullet from Clontarf in Dublin, Brendan Cunnane joins Balla from Whitehall Colmcille, also from the capital, and Keith Hally returns to Kiltane from Garda.
One transfer from within the province sees Frank Flynn sign for Aghamore from Aughawillan of Leitrim. In hurling transfer activity, Mayo goalkeeper Donal O’Brien has joined Ballyhaunis from Silvermines in Tipperary and Nicholas Freyne has signed for Tooreen from St Eunan’s of Letterkenny.
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