Jarlath Burns wants All-Ireland football winners to open championship in New York

GAA president Jarlath Burns wants to see the All-Ireland senior football champions begin their championship campaign in New York.

As Connacht counties bemoan the financial costs associated with beginning their provincial championship in Gaelic Park every April, Burns has suggested the previous year’s winners commence their defence in the US.

“That first round of the championship in New York is a very important part of what New York are about,” said Burns at an event in San Francisco earlier this summer.

“They look forward to it, that’s their main economic driver as well.

“That agreement that they have with Connacht is starting to come to an end. Personally, I would like to see the All-Ireland champions go out and start their championship every year in New York. It would be a fantastic weekend for everybody.”

Galway travelled to New York this year and it is Roscommon’s turn to go in 2026 but the viability of it has been brought into question as the trip is estimated to cost over €250,000. Connacht secretary John Prenty said a review will take place after next year when the current rota of counties heading Stateside is completed.

Meanwhile, according to Burns, Olympic status for Gaelic games will transform the availability of sports facilities to GAA units abroad.

World GAA last year revealed a strategy for men and women’s Gaelic football, hurling and camogie to be recognised by 60 international sporting federations in order to be recognised by the Alliance of Independent Members of Sports (AIMS) followed by the International Olympic recognition.

While becoming Olympic sports is a long-term possibility, Olympic status on its own in the coming years could open several doors and expand the games on foreign soil.

It is hoped AIMS recognition could come next year while a two-day exhibition of Gaelic games took place at last year’s Summer Olympics in Paris as GAA officials held talks with other sports bodies.

“In places where people don’t have a clue what the GAA is, like Asia, I’m not saying the GAA should become an Olympic sport but if you get Olympic status, it means then that it becomes a lot easier for clubs and the association abroad to hire pitches,” said Burns.

“And that’s what it’s all about.”

Burns also claimed the NFL regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings in Croke Park later this month will be worth €270 million to the Irish economy.

It is hoped the sold-out September 28 game in which the Government has invested €10m could be an annual event.

“Croke Park is an incredible asset for us, it’s a great financial dynamo, it brings in about €16m every year for us, which considering it takes €20m for us to run our coaching set-up throughout the country with all our games development officers almost provides that budget for us.

“Peter McKenna (GAA commercial and stadium director) is a very visionary person in charge of it and he just wants to sweat the asset as much as possible. The Steelers coming to Ireland is worth about €270m to the Irish economy and having this iconic stadium where everybody wants to play in whether you’re a band or a team, it’s our duty to do the most we can to make the full use out of it.”

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