55 home every year and it still amazes him how much Galway has developed in the short time he has been away. He hopes someday to be able to make it home to watch Galway win an All-Ireland hurling title. Ciarán Hanley: Goalkeeper Ciarán is another Galway man and the older brother of Ronan Hanley who also lives and hurls in San Francisco. Ciarán hurled for Kiltormer until he hurled in San Francisco for a summer 7 years ago and he has not returned since. He has hurled for Naomh Pádraig for the duration of his time in the USA and has been the mainstay in goal throughout that time. Ciarán graduated from LIT with a degree in Construction Management but now works as a Pipe Fusing Technician for the largest Irish Pipeline Construction company in the Bay Area. He has fond memories of growing up in Galway. He lived in Ballinasloe until he was two years old and then his family moved to Kiltormer where they still live. He loved going to Galway Bay and Loughrea Lake whilst growing up and still doesn’t understand how he is not able to swim. Ciarán loves San Francisco but Galway will always be his home he is quoted as saying. The earlier mentioned Pat Uniacke is probably the Galway and now San Francisco native with the most storied GAA history in the city. From being Kilconieron club chairman at the ripe old age of 20, playing football on the Gaza Strip in the early 80s with Irish Soldiers serving the UN to being honoured by then GAA president, Nickey Brennan, with a GAA president’s medal for outstanding contributions to GAA in their area in 2009. This medal was duly deserved as Pat who had given so much of his adult life playing GAA, founding and organising new clubs, serving on varying GAA boards in varying capacities and coaching kids spear headed the 2007 board that were tasked with finding and developing a permanent home for GAA in the Bay Area. With this being the inception of the International Hurling Tournament, I’m sure if it is continued, many more successful stories of Galway Gaels triumphing on and off the field will emerge. Christy Moore sang about a gathering of people from “Cork, New York, Gortahork and Glenamaddy”. He could’ve been singing about Chicago Hurling team travelling to Galway and the town of Ballinasloe for the Aer Lingus International Hurling tournament. Players from Cork, Wexford, Waterford, Carrickshock (Kilkenny), Banagher (Offaly), Drangan and Ballingary (Tipperary), Kildimo and Knockaderry (Limerick), Drumcree (Meath), Chicago USA and from many famed Galway Clubs will represent the Chicago squad in Group One based in the town of Ballinasloe. Competing with teams such as the Robert Emmett’s, St. Gabriel’s and Australia is something that Chicago is looking forward to and with luck will progress to play in Pearse Stadium. There is a massive Galway connection with Co. Galway in this Chicago team with Players from Carnmore (Rory Kenny), Abbeyknockmoy and Turloughmore (James Treacy and Declan Hession). There are mentors from Eyrecourt (Tony Murphy) and Athenry (Paul Reynolds) and Ballymurphy, Carlow (Martin Redmond). The largest connection with Galway comes from the Chicago Born players with Galway connections. There are McLaughlin brothers born in Chicago to a mom from Athenry (Joseph and Danny). Chicago has a connection to the famed Connolly’s of Castlegar with Brian, a second cousin of the famous Hurling brothers, playing for Chicago (his Dad is Colm is from Lettermore). New Inn, Bullaun is well represented with two Dolan Boys (Tom and Liam), both sons of Tommy Dolan who played underage Hurling for Galway. Tommy Dolan went onto represent the Harry Boland’s club of Chicago and then was the first Chairman of the CuChulainns Hurling club of Chicago. Tommy spent many years as a Chicago Board Chairman and then as a Chairman of the North American County Board. The Dolan Boys along with their Galway, American and other Counties of Ireland teammates are proud to represent Chicago Hurling and to be part of a very historic Gathering Festival in Ballinasloe. September 19th cannot come soon enough to the throw in in Duggan Park and good luck to all the International teams not just from the USA but across the Globe. “It’s a long, long way from here to there”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzM2OTY=