Archives of Irish America Collection on the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) of New York
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Abstract
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) was established in Ireland in 1884 as a part of the Gaelic Revival as a way to encourage the playing of Gaelic football and hurling. Gaelic games had been played in America since the Irish first emigrated, but play was not standardized until enthusiasts in New York formed the city's first GAA Board in 1914. They also sought to organize games with teams in other cities along the East Coast. The collection contains programs, fliers, clippings, photographs, and publications by and of the Gaelic Athletic Association, specifically regarding the playing of hurling and football at the three fields in the New York area in the middle of the twentieth century.
Historical Note
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) was established in Ireland in 1884 as a part of the Gaelic Revival as a way to encourage the playing of Gaelic football and hurling. Local chapters were opened in Ireland and America throughout the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. While Gaelic games had been played in America since the Irish first emigrated, play was not fully standardized until enthusiasts in New York formed the city's first GAA Board in 1914. They also sought to organize games with teams in other cities along the East Coast. There were three fields of note in New York City for much of the twentieth century: Celtic Park in Queens, the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan, and Gaelic Park (a.k.a. Croke Park) in the Bronx.
One of the highlights for the New York GAA was the 1947 All-Ireland Gaelic Football Final between Cavan and Kerry. Played at the Polo Grounds, it is the only All-Ireland final played outside of Ireland. It was held in New York to commemorate 100th anniversary of the worst year of the Great Famine, and the thousands of Irish who came to New York as a consequence.
Interest in football and hurling is dependent upon immigration from Ireland and there was a slump in the 1970s. However, the 1980s revived the local GAA, as the influx of undocumented Irish brought with it new players.
Arrangement
Files are arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Contents
The collection contains programs, fliers, clippings, photographs, and publications by and of the Gaelic Athletic Association, specifically regarding the playing of hurling and football at the three fields in the New York area in the middle of the twentieth century.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open for research without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Because of the assembled nature of this collection, copyright status varies across the collection. Copyright is assumed to be held by the original creator of individual items in the collection; these items are expected to pass in to the public domain 120 years after their creation. The Tamiment Library is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials from this collection.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) of New York Collection; AIA 028; box number; folder number;
Archives of Irish America /Tamiment Library
New York University Libraries.
Location of Materials
Custodial History
The bulk of the material comprising this collection was part of a larger donation given by Dorothy Hayden Cudahy to the Archives of Irish America in 1995. In addition, printed material in the collection has been gathered by Archives of Irish America staff from various sources, including other collections at the Archives of Irish America. The accession number associated with this collection is 1997.052.
In March 2025, Marion Casey donated an accretion of photographs and photocopied newspaper clippings; the accession number associated with this transfer is 2025.026.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Decisions regarding the arrangement, description, and physical interventions taken on this collection prior to 2025 are not documented. In March 2025, an accretion of photographs and photocopied newspaper clippings was rehoused in an archival box and folder, and intellectually added to the collection's alphabetic inventory.
