(HOBOKEN) – We at the Hoboken Guards Hurling Club hold our annual Pub Crawl & Hurler auction each spring as a pre-season kick off the hurling season, introducing our team and the world’s fastest – yet often misunderstood – field sport to curious local residents. Tomorrow, April 20st, starting at 4 p.m., our team invites and encourages the Hoboken community to join us at Willie McBride’s (616 Grand St, 4-5 pm), Mulligans (159 1st Street, 5:30-6:30) and The Shannon (106 1st Street 7-9) in a celebration of Irish culture. This is hurling.

Live Irish music will be featured at the first two venues, tasty food will be served at Mulligans, then its off to The Shannon for the highly anticipated “Win a Date with a Hoboken Hurler” Player Auction as the 7:15 pm main attraction to the event. Local ladies have the chance to bid on at least 13 Hoboken Guards hurlers – mirroring the number of players on the hurling “pitch” (or field) for one team at one time – each carrying a gift certificate to Hoboken or New York establishment.

The Hoboken Guards hold this event knowing the terrible events which have transpired in Boston the past few days and have thus gripped the nation. It is our organizations belief that when such a heinous, senseless act of large scale violence is perpetrated, communities should again pull together, despite the fact that it wasn’t members of our own direct community which bore the brunt of the madness. That said, Irish American Michele Rose Mahoney, a former Manhattan College student, was one of the Boston Marathon attendees who was severely injured during the bombings there Monday. She is pictured here.

The Hoboken Guards Steering Committee has agreed to offer a portion of the proceeds of the 3rd Annual Pub Crawl & Hurler Auction to the MRM Fund, which was set up by Mahoney’s friend, Monica Baczko, “in order to assist Michele and her family with her medical bills and expenses that she will incur during her long road to recovery. Michele, like the amazing woman she is, has vowed that any donations received that are not used to cover these expenses will be donated to charity to help others who were affected by this horrible act.”

The New York Gaelic Athletic Association’s Gaelic Park is the  99-year old home to Gaelic Sports in the New York area, and is also the home field to numerous Manhattan College sports teams.

Baczko wrote:

“My beautiful best friend, Michele Rose Mahoney, was severely injured in the attacks that took place during the Boston Marathon. She was standing along side her friends Remy Lawler and Jeff Bauman, cheering on her roommate, Erin Hurley, as she ran the marathon that day. They were unfortunately located in the direct area of the first explosion and Michele suffered extensive damage to both of her legs. She is by far the strongest most positive person I know and is handling the aftermath of this terrible tragedy so well. She is extremely strong-willed, polite, and courteous to all of the those who are assisting in her recovery and has earned the nickname “super star” by the hospital staff…

Michele has said that there is no where else she would have rather been than waiting to cheer Erin on as she crossed the finish line. And I know, that even now, she would not change that for anything. Please show the same compassion to this wonderful woman and remember that no donation is ever too small to help.”

By supporting the Guards with your presence tomorrow, as we need to sustain and grow our club through 2013 (with costs that include club insurance, field space, transportation, equipment/gear), you will also be supporting others who were affected by this horrible act. If you can not attend the event and wish to become a supporter of the Hoboken Guards Hurling Club with a donation, please email hobokenhurling@gmail.com. You can also make a direct donation to the MRM Fund.

A New Jerseyan who was injured in the Boston explosions is Sparta High School graduate and former Sparta native Michael Gross and family. Also injured in the Boston attacks, as listed on a Manhattan College Alumni Blog, was Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Officer Dic Donohue, whose wife Kim (Forrest) Donohue graduated from Manhattan College in 2004. Dic was wounded in a shootout with the Boston Marathon bombing suspects last night, April 18, and is in critical condition. The Hoboken Guards Hurling Club, a constituent member of the NYGAA, send our thoughts and prayers to the Donohue, Gross and Mahoney families, and all those impacted by the Boston attacks.

With more than 65 people already committed to attend the Pub Crawl, sign up to our Facebook page here, we hope to see you tomorrow at what is shaping up to be, yet again, an uplifting event of good will and good times.

Calling all members of the New York/New Jersey Irish and Irish American community:

A 5 year-old boy named Jake is in need of a bone marrow transplant, and we’re told by his Irish American parents Kimberly Cluff and Bob Larkin that the most likely match for Jake may come from someone of Irish descent. Friends and supporters in the Hoboken community have rallied and organized a bone marrow drive to help find a match. Larkin lived in Hoboken for many years. The whole family is in Wisconsin at the Childrens Hospital.

On Thursday, July 26, there’s an event 6-1o p.m. at Willie McBride’s (616 Grand St.) in Hoboken, NJ, where you’ll get a complimentary pint for undergoing a cheek swab, which will help identify potential matches. There’s also a booth set up at St. Ann’s Italian Festival (704 Jefferson Street, Hoboken) July 20 – 26 this week during the same time frame, 6-10 p.m., just a block away from Willie McBride’s.

Irish Central Reporter Kerry O’Shea wrote an excellent article about Jake’s life threatening dilemma:

Kimberly and Bob noticed something was wrong with Jake earlier this year when he was getting frequent nosebleeds and was bruising easily. One day when walking to school, Jake said to his parents that he was just too tired to go on. Kimberly and Bob knew something was wrong. Jake was then diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia. Kimberly explained how the doctors aren’t positive how he got it, but believe it may be traced back to a “touch of the flu” the whole family had in December.

Severe Aplastic Anemia is an autoimmune disease that causes Jake’s bone marrow to stop working. It is very, very rare as only 3 in 1 million Americans are diagnosed with it every year.

Kimberly explains how Jake’s body isn’t making a lot of blood, and has thus had several blood transfusions. She said that each transfusion, which provides Jake with a few pints of blood, takes about 6-8 hours in the hospital. This, she adds, is only a temporary fix as the body can only take so much transfused blood.

The hunt is now on to find Jake a suitable match for a bone marrow donation. Jake’s parents are searching within the Irish community, both here and abroad, to find a match, as most of Jake’s genetic makeup is Irish and his doctors believe the best shot at finding a match would be within that genetic pool.

If you’d care to learn more, feel free to reach out to Lori Perbeck at lperbeck@gmail.com.
Donations can be made at: BetheMatch.org

Stop by St. Ann’s Festival tonight or tomorrow night and join the registry, or come by Willie McBride’s any time 6-10 p.m. THIS THURSDAY, July 26 and get a pint on the house for signing up!

BREAKING NEWS FROM DUBLIN – The largest sportswear manufacturer in Ireland has made available for purchase the official Hoboken Guards Hurling Jersey and other quality HGHC clothing!

Deputy Counsel General of Ireland in NY Peter Ryan, Hoboken Guards/NJGAA Chair & Co-Founder David Cosgrove, Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny

The Hoboken Guards, a junior hurling club which competes in the New York Gaelic Athletic Association Junior Hurling Division, and will compete in the 2012 North American GAA Championships, have partnered with O’Neills Sportswear. A 100% Irish owned company, O’Neills, founded in 1918, employs over 560 people in Ireland.

Copy and paste this URL to the O’Neills website to check out the current assortment of Hoboken GAA gear, which features polos, rain gear, sweatshirts and hoodies. A few options are listed below this article.

http://www.oneills.com/shop-by-team/gaa/international/hoboken-gaa.html

Whether you are a fan of the Guards and watch GAA matches at the Blackthorn in Kenilworth, New Jersey, done with a days work on a Roscommon farm, basking at the Alaska frontier or painting the town in Toronto, a personalized Hoboken Guards jersey – with your name and number of choice – is calling! It will be mailed to your doorstep! The same exact jersey which Hoboken Captain Conor Costigan wears in the fullback line… the same jersey  Taoiseach Enda Kenny has in his possession (see photo) and promised he would sport in Kerry when on holiday. We’re waiting for that photo Taoiseach!

Depending on the level of feedback and interest, we are considering including female and youth clothing/gear in the near future. Email hobokenhurling@gmail.com to express such interest for yourself, family and friends or post a comment (below) to this article.

The Hoboken GAA have worked with O’Neills since the founding of our club in the winter of 2010 and greatly appreciate the professional courtesy, diligence and attention to detail which the Dublin-headquartered company demonstrates day-in, day-out. Sincerest thanks to Antoinette Kelly, O’Neills North America Export  Manager, for executing this project and other related Hoboken GAA gear orders with cost in mind, pride, diligence and care.

(Aug. '11) Hoboken Guards back Simon Brickenden clearing sliotar (ball) through outstretched hurley of Bronx Warrior during NYGAA Junior Hurling Final.

Discover Ireland’s national sport – Hurling – enjoy live Irish music,  great drink specials, free food, make new friends and enter to win one of several Irish hurling jerseys at the 2nd Annual Guards on Patrol Pub Crawl & Hurler Auction.

Ladies and gents of all country origins who enjoy having a good time (craic, in Irish) are encouraged to attend this preseason kickoff fundraiser for the Hoboken Guards Hurling Club.

You’re saying you’ve never seen a hurling match? You’re the person this pub crawl was designed for, as hurling matches will be played on the sponsoring pub flat screens.

Click Here to See the Guards on Patrol Pub Crawl & Auction Poster!

Saturday, April 28, 4–10 p.m. (unofficial ending time)
Guard Patrol Destinations:
• Nags Head, 4-5 pm , 359 First Street
• Mulligans, 5-6:30 pm, 159 First Street
• The Shannon, 6:30-8pm, 106 First Street
• Morans, 8:30 till… 501 Garden St (at corner of 5th)

Cost to attend the event is a $10 bracelet and allows for discounted drink specials (to be announced shortly) and food at Mulligans. A five piece trad session band is included in the evening featuring a bodhran, accordian, banjo, pipes and guitar at three of the four pubs. Attendees can purchase the bracelet at sponsoring bars on the day.

Click here for photos from last years Guard Patrol, which drew 120 people despite pouring rain and gale force wind: http://www.hobokensocialsandbox.com/photos/1420031/#24047551

Sign-up on the corresponding facebook event page here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/348595608523294/

“We’ll Start the Bidding at… $20”
The featured event of the day will take place in Shannon Lounge when ladies on the crawl will have the chance to bid on their “favorite” team player as part of a Hurler Auction.

Nameless Cork-born Hoboken hurler on The Shannon auction block during the 2011 Guard Crawl.

On the auction block will be 13 single (meaning…unattached…we’ve had to explain this to people so just making sure we’re  on the same page) hurlers ranging in age from early 22 to 30 somethings…the same amount of men that we put on the field at once representing the black white and red in a New York Gaelic Athletic Association match.

Hurling is a physically demanding sport, so the lads should be moving from pub to pub in quick form. Each auctioned hurler comes with a gift certificate to a local restaurant such as Zylo Restaurant, Onieals of Hoboken and SoHo, The Madison Bar & Grill, Court Street, Carpe Diem, etc. Bidding will start at $20 per hurler. The winning bidder gets the gift certificate, whether or not she wants to use it on a date with the accompanying auctioned hurler is her call!

ATTENTION LADIES! Have a question you would like asked each auctioned hurler when he’s on the block? Post it on our facebook page, or email it with any other question to:

hobokenhurling@gmail.com

The Hoboken Guards are fresh off their first tournament competition of the year, the annual Rockland 7s Tournament in Orangeburg, N.Y. Hoboken were victorious in all five matches against  Philadelphia (Pa), Washington D.C., Rockland (NY) in their division play, knocking off Allentown (Pa.) in the semifinal, defeating Washington (D.C.) to capture the trophy, which will make its way to First Street in Hoboken and its home in Mulligans Bar.

The Guards, seeking both male and female new recruits, have begun training for the 2012 NYGAA Junior Hurling Championship season, which runs May through August in Manhattan College. Check hobokenhurling.com for the 2012 season schedule, which will be released shortly.

See you Saturday!

Hoboken Abu!

A very important planning meeting for anyone interested in playing or developing Ladies Camogie – the sibling sport to hurling , Ireland’s national game – will take place at 7:30 pm sharp in the New York Gaelic Athletic Association Games Development Office on 893 McLean Avenue (across from Rory Dolan’s bar) on Wednesday, April 18.

Hoboken Hurling Club Seeks Camogie Development Officer(s)

Previous meetings and word-of-mouth marketing have revealed player interest does, in fact, exist, from area ladies of varying standards – from first timers to experienced camogs. The NYGAA plan this spring and summer is to tog out two teams (Bronx & Hoboken) in the NYGAA a handful of times at historic Gaelic Park in friendlies, with a potential tournament or two, capped off with a trip to Philadelphia and entrance as one club into the North American GAA Championships Junior C Division.

The goal of NYGAA Camogie is for participants to have fun while making new friends, training together, spreading what many consider the greatest sport on earth. Along the way, the teams representing their clubs will offer local residents a portal into true, unmistakable Irish culture.

Camogie teams are sprouting up in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The brief video links below were produced by Jerome Quinn Media for the Camogie Association. The NYGAA and NJGAA recognize this, and continue to promote the clash of the ash through support and exposure of hurling for both sexes in Gaelic Park as well as involvement in North American GAA tournaments, whenever possible.

CDOs Sought

The Hoboken Guards Hurling Club presently maintain a tentative interest roster of 17 individuals, however the second year club currently seeks a pair of development officers to manage a new email address (hobokencamogie@gmail.com), recruit players, plan special events/team outings, coordinate matches and trainings, etc. Much of the sponsorship/foundational “heavy lifting” has been handled by the Hoboken Guards hurling club/NJGAA, as a system is in place.

An unpaid role, the post would benefit the individual/s who step up in this leadership role, as she/they would help launch the first camogie team in New Jersey state history and thus, automatically be a club representative to both the NYGAA and North American GAA. Attributes of a successful CDO would be initiative, strong communication and organizational skills, a serious interest in camogie and Irish culture. Can-do achievers need apply!

Hoboken Camogie-Game On?

Camogie’s Star Rising @ Croke Park: (90 sec.): http://vimeo.com/22130970

Camogie Match Highlight Video

( 2 min.): http://vimeo.com/5499894

Camogie Developing in Australia (5 min.): http://vimeo.com/30479206

If you cannot attend this meeting but are interested in helping promote camogie in the NYC/NJ area, please email: hobokenhurling@gmail.com

(l to r) Peter Ryan, David Cosgrove, Enda Kenny. Photo by James Higgins.

Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny spent the last two work weeks between New York and Boston – with a pit-stop in Dublin – pitching Ireland as the most fertile and welcoming investment ground for companies to the likes of former President Bill Clinton, New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patric. The Emerald Isle’s skilled, educated (however fleeing) workforce coupled with a continued 12.5 percent corporate tax rate aid in Kenny’s effort to keep Ireland atop the Where-to-Invest radar.

Publications including Business Week, the Boston Globe and Irish Times covered his speeches and events.

Following his speech Feb. 9 to a packed suite of 150 young and old Irish and Irish American attendees at the Irish Consulate of New York reception, the chance arose to present Kenny with a symbol of hurling’s growth in America. Recently arrived from the good folks of O’Neill’s Sportswear, a brand new #17 Hoboken Guards jersey, in fairness, was to be dispatched to Hoboken Hurler Mike Flynn. We’ll get him another.

A Gaelic footballer in his native Islandeady, Mayo U16 team who won the West Mayo U16 championship in 1967, Kenny’s hustle to spotlight Ireland’s business friendly attributes during this age of austerity measures and political awakening by global citizens is both admirable and familiar. Politics aside, North American hurling organizers are – on the sporting scale – doing the same thing; selling a brilliant product with great people behind it, though lacking in resources, in an attempt to bring Ireland’s national game to the American masses.

Hurling advocates continue to raise the profile of the “clash of the ash” through grass roots club development via the North American hurling market. Indeed, one exists, and it continues to grow. Clubs form each year stateside, with more than 40 U.S. based hurling clubs to date. The UConn Husky Hurling Club is one of the most recent launches, marking the first collegiate hurling club to be created in the northeastern U.S. I’m fairly certain the Pocatello, Idaho Hurling Club is the only such club in Idaho state history.

Read up on the development of hurling in the North American GAA.

In a gracious thank you letter to the HGHC, Kenny wrote that he will try to wear the black, white and red of the Guards with pride when “spending holidays in the Kingdom (Kerry).”

The Hoboken Guards Hurling Club is named after a large group of Kenmare, Kerry immigrants, survivors of the famine, who landed in New York City circa 1850 and participated in the first reported hurling match on American soil–St. Patrick’s Day, 1858, in Hoboken, New Jersey. The Kerry hurlers. who found no team to play and thus played an intra-squad match, called themselves in the local paper the “Kenmare Guards.”

We’re Recruiting! Presently, the Hoboken Guards, New Jersey’s first mixed Irish and non-Irish born hurling club, are recruiting both experienced and novice/first-time hurlers to compete within the New York Gaelic Athletic Association Junior Hurling Division. Come one, come all! The Guards are also recruiting camogie players as part of the rebirth of ladies hurling in New York.

Email hobokenhurling@gmail.com with any questions or to express interest to train and play for the Guards, male or female. Our club trains in both New York City and Hoboken/Jersey City (which is a short commute from midtown Manhattan), and we have a great time doing so, on and off the field.

Pictured with the Taoiseach (r) are Peter Ryan (left), Deputy Consul General – Economic & Public Affairs at Consulate General of Ireland, New York; and David Cosgrove (center), Chair/Co-founder, NJGAA/Hoboken Guards Hurling Club. Ryan also served as Co-founder ACB & member of the Overseas Work Group GAA, at Asian County Board, GAA.

Quote of Note: “I played football with him years ago, and the speeches he gave at half-time were inspirational . . . He wouldn’t send you back out through the door, he’d send you out through the wall.”-Islandeady teammate Phil Hogan told The Irish Times of Enda Kenny in the dressing-room.

Interested Irish and American-born camogs (AKA female hurlers) are meeting tomorrow night – Tuesday – 8:30 p.m. – to discuss the current plan to launch a camogie team under the Hoboken Guards banner, with their own jerseys already guaranteed. Whether you are interested in playing, coaching, assisting in recruiting, etc., please know that the Hoboken Guards Hurling Club has already received serious interest and player commitments from interested lady hurlers, and in order to bring this concept to reality, we need a few gals handling small duties (player recruitment primarily) to spread the word.

Helmets and jerseys will be provided. Girls will have to provide their own shin guards, ashgard if desired, an extra hurley or two. Issues to be discussed include club annual fee, prospective match dates being determined by NYGAA and North American GAA, fun events, insurance, etc.

Many hands make less work! Spread the word…I know its short notice, but a couple New York Gaelic Athletic Association camogie development meetings have transpired the past couple months regarding the two teams presently being created (one representing the Bronx, the other…all areas of NYC and NJ!)

Tir na Nog, 33rd and 8th, is located near Madison Square Garden, and is the location of this meeting. Pass the word along if you know anyone headed to NY or already in the NY/NJ area interested in being a part of playing or helping organize a camogie team.

Are you an American-born athlete in the Manhattan/New Jersey area looking to be part of a team, willing to give the fastest sport on grass a chance?

Are you a sound club hurler with match experience and wish to play at a competitive level in historic Gaelic Park?

The Hoboken Guards Hurling Club (HGHC) is presently recruiting players for its second season of existence within the New York Gaelic Athletic Association’s Junior Hurling Division. At this time, the Guards – which intend of fielding both an A and B hurling team this year for both experienced and newer players to the sport, to compete in both New York and North American GAA boards – call on anyone interested in training and/or competing with our fun, tight-knit club to email us at hobokenhurling@gmail.com.

The season runs May through August with additional tournaments in the fall (if interested). We begin training in early March. There is a small annual fee for player membership, which includes insurance and related costs.

Don’t know what hurling is still? Stop living in an American bubble and pay attention!

Two Minute Hurling Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXoCeQZUqgs

Hometown Hurling Pride: Up-close with Joe Canning & Portumna Galway Hurling (10 mins):

Quick overview, though in the NYGAA Junior Hurling, we play 13 per side:

http://www.gaa.ie/about-the-gaa/our-games/hurling/

15 Second Commercial:

http://www.admad.tv/view/729/irish-lotto-ad-hurling-readhead-and-georgia-salpa-2011/

Our two teams will allow for players of all standards to receive enough playing time as you can handle! The 2011 season, our inaugural season, saw our deep roster of 40 players – ranging in ages 18 to 39 – capture the 2011 NYGAA Junior Hurling Division League championship, falling in the title match to the Bronx Warriors.

With exhibitions at area colleges planned, an accompanying camogie team also presently recruiting players for its first season of play, fun events which include pub crawls and player meet-and-greets, an exciting annual Dinner Dance upcoming in April, drop us an email with your interest. We look forward to hearing from you!

Please note: Inter-county Irish hurlers of any level (Senior/Int/Junior/U21/U18) are not eligible to compete in NYGAA Junior Hurling.

There will be a meeting for anyone interested in developing Senior Ladies Camogie for the 2012 Season on November 16 at 7:30 pm in the New York Gaelic Athletic Association Games Development Offices on 893 McLean Avenue (across from Rory Dolan’s bar).

Anyone with an interest in playing, organizing or administering camogie for the 2012 season should attend this meeting.

If you cannot attend this meeting but are interested in helping promote camogie in the Bronx area, please email: Simon Gillespie, NYGAA Games Development Officer, at: newyorkgdo@gmail.com

If you cannot attend this meeting but are interesting in playing, administering  or promoting camogie in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn or New Jersey, email: hobokenhurling@gmail.com

The sibling sport to hurling – Ireland’s national game – camogie is spreading around the world. Grassroots clubs are forming in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The following brief video reports were produced by Jerome Quinn Media for the Camogie Association:

Camogie’s Star is Rising – Captains at Croke Park: (90 seconds): http://vimeo.com/22130970

Camogie Developing in Australia Report (5 minutes): http://vimeo.com/30479206

Camogie Match Highlight Video ( 2 minutes): http://vimeo.com/5499894