New York footballers set to complete 1,000km charity run after Championship opener postponed

Their Championship opener next month may be off the table, though the New York footballers are still going to work up a sweat.

The exiles’ tie with Galway, originally scheduled for May 3 at Gaelic Park in the Bronx, was the first 2020 Championship fixture to fall by the wayside as a result of the coronavirus outbreak but the players are set to complete a 1,000km run in aid of local Irish causes in New York.

Five Irish organisations - Aisling Irish Center, Emerald Isle Immigration Center, New York Irish Center, United Irish Counties and New York GAA itself - have come together to form a collective fundraising effort on behalf of the Irish community, many of whom are now in difficulty as a result of COVID-19, called Slainte.

The US is the current epicentre of the coronavirus, with New York the worst-affected state.

Along with the team management, which includes former Galway hurling star Johnny Glynn, the New York footballers will cover a 1,000km distance on Saturday week, the same weekend that they were due to play Galway, which is roughly the equivalent of running the length of Ireland from top to bottom and back.

“New York GAA is so proud of their senior players who would have been taking on Galway May 3rd,” said New York county board chairperson Joan Henchy.

“Many thanks to the New York management led by Johnny Glynn for their assistance in this fundraising drive”.

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