Two RVC youths, 10-year-olds Morgan McGuire and Isabel Schwagerl, recently competed in the Continental Youth Gaelic Football Championships in Boston, Mass. The girls, who are both fifth-graders at Watson Elementary School, play for the Long Island Gaels but were recruited to play with the Shannon Gaels, of Queens, for this tournament.

Participating in the Continental Youth Championships were more than 200 teams from places as far away as San Francisco, Quebec and Ireland.

The Shannon Gaels made it all the way to the finals of the U-10 girls division. In the championship game, the girls played in pouring rain and were beaten by a strong team from Rockland, New York. McGuire and Schwagerl were high scorers on the team, with eight goals and 15 points between them.

Gaelic football is one of the most popular spectator sports in Ireland. Teams of 15 play on a rectangular grass pitch with H-shaped goals at each end. To score, one must kick or strike the ball with their hand and get it through the goals. The team with the highest score at the end of the match wins. Players advance the ball up the field by a combination of carrying, soloing (dropping and then toe-kicking the ball upward into the hands), kicking, and hand-passing to their team-mates.

The Long Island Gaels are looking for more players to join their teams. If you know anyone age 6-16 that may be interested, please contact Jackie Kerr at 516-763-6725.

2011 Minor Board Schedule

Date            Team 1                        Team 2                          Venue                      U8       U10       U12       U14

9/10/11      LIG                          St Joseph                       New Jersey                                         4 pm     5 pm

9/11/11       LIG                         St Patricks                    Paddys Field                          12:30 pm

9/17/11     Celtics                       LIG                                    TBA                                        3 pm     4 pm     5 pm

9/24/11     Shann G                    LIG                                       LI                                         3 pm

10/1/11      LIG                          St. Raymond                  Pelham                                     3 pm     4 pm     5 pm

10/22/11   Rockland                   LIG                                     LI                                                           4 pm

10/22/11   Barnbus/N Haven     LIG                                  LI                                                                         5pm

2011 Contact Numbers

U-8/10          John Gallego            646-797-9302

U-12               John Murnane          646-533-0130       Pat Duggan                 516-233-1696

U-14              Philip Hughes             516-263-4639       Seamus Kerr              516-236-0563

U-16             Tony Collins                516-375-0829

Minor Board           Philip Hughes           516-263-4639

St. Joseph’s playing field in New Jersey:

Take New York State Thruway (I-87) South to Exit 15 – Route 17, New Jersey.  Stay
on Route 17 South until Route 4.  Take Route 4 West to Saddle River Road,
Fairlawn Exit.  As soon as you are winding off the exit, you will see a restaurant on
your right side.
When you get off Rt 4 West at the Saddle River Rd, Fairlawn Exit, instead of going
into the restaurant parking lot, continue straight until the next street and make a right
turn (should be Williams Street).  Continue to end of dead end street and field will be
visible.
Some of you may have known to go through the restaurant’s parking lot- please do
not do this, we are no longer allowed
to enter the field that way.

Pelham Bay Park

 After the Throgs Neck Bridge take 95 north toward New Haven.  Take 95 north to Exit 7C – Country Club
Road/Pelham Bay Park.  When you get off you will be on MacDonagh Place (N/B
service road).   At the first light, make a right onto Middletown
Rd.  Continue to the end of the street and make a left turn into the parking lot at the
park.  You will see the field.

Paddy’s Field

Take 87 south over the Tappan Zee Bridge and continue on 87 to the Bronx.  Get
off at the East 233rd St Exit.  At the traffic light make a left onto E 233rd St. At the
next light make a left onto VanCortland Park East.  Continue approximately 1/2 mile
until you see the playground on the left.  The field is in the woods behind the
playground

Directions to playing field in Rockland:

Take Palisades Pkwy to Exit 6W – Orangeburg Rd west.  Continue west on
Orangeburg Rd to the 2nd traffic light and make a right turn.  Continue to stop sign
and make a left, then an immediate right into the field.  Park on the right side as you
go in.  If this is full, continue past the field and make a left after the building on the
left side.  There is parking behind the building.   Do not park in the lot adjacent to
the field – this is for Psych Center staff only.

Directions for The Harvey School
( Westput Home Field )
WESTPUT GAELS
From NYC
Take Hutchinson River Parkway North to the Hutch/ I-684 spilt. Stay to
your left and take I-684 North. Proceed North to Exit 6 ( Route 35) . Get off
at Exit 6 and at the top of the off ramp ( there is a traffic light) make a
right , going East on Route 35. Go ¼ mile east to the next traffic light
and make a right onto Route 22 South. Go 1 ¼ miles and the entrance to the
field in on your left.( Ice rink is visible from the roadway.

NEW HAVEN GAELIC CLUB
In General:
The Gaelic Club is located at the end of Venice Place in East Haven at the
New Haven City line – near the Asling Memorial Golf Club.

From I-95 – North or South:
Take Exit 48 onto I-91 North in New Haven and follow directions below.

From I-91 Going North:

Take 91 North. Get off at Exit 8, Middletown Avenue. Bear right on the
exit ramp onto Rt. 80, Foxon Blvd. Take a right at the third light onto Eastern
Street. Follow Eastern Street for 1 mile to Venice Place (on right about
200 yards after Clifton Street).

From I-91 Going South:
Take 91 South. Get off at Exit 8, Middletown Avenue. Take a left at the end of the
exit ramp onto Rt. 80. Go to fourth traffic light – Eastern Street and follow directions
above from Eastern Street