By Paul Schneider
In the emotional world of Gaelic football, it would be easy to draw the conclusions from a highly-charged championship match, a flurry of police activity and a quick exit out of town. But if you believe that all of the above added up to an on-field donnybrook in last Sunday’s New York Senior Championships, you’d be wrong.
Philadelphia’s Donegal Football Club dumped Leitrim, of New York, 2-13 to 2-9 for the championship Sunday afternoon at Gaelic Park in the Bronx. The victory had been preceded by a 1-13 to 1-10 win over Cavan, and was followed by a police escort across the George Washington Bridge.
“It was a sign of respect,” said Seamus Sweeney, the Upper Darby resident who managed the Donegal footballers to their first New York Senior Championship title in only the second season for the club. “This was a mighty achievement.”
The second football championship in a month for Philadelphia – the Kevin Barrys captured the Intermediate national crown over the Labor Day Weekend in Chicago – the Donegal win avenged the club’s only loss of the season, a one-pointer against Leitrim earlier in the summer.
Team captain Liam McGroarty and center half forward Michael Hagan scored Donegal’s two goals in the final; Hagan registered the only three-pointer for the Philly club in the semi-final against Cavan. Donegal also got strong play from attacker Dean O’Neill, as well as Liam Moore, Patsy Moore and Liam O’Donnell.
