FORMER LAOIS PLAYER Brendan Quigley has been named New York captain ahead of May’s Connacht championship clash with Mayo
Quigley, a former Aussie Rules player with Brisbane Lions and a 2003 All-Ireland minor winner, recently transferred to the Donegal club in New York after a standout year for the Leitrim club.
The role of vice-captain will be taken on by Kerry’s Gary O’Driscoll who won a New York senior medal under Galvin last year.
Quigley admitted he was surprised by the call but said he was ready for the added responsibility.
“To be a captain of any team is an honor,” the Timahoe clubman acknowledged, “I really wasn’t expecting it when Ian gave me a phone call on Thursday. But I was definitely delighted. I’m very proud to take it on.”
Despite a long cold winter in New York, the big midfielder said he was delighted with how training has been going, taking into account the usual drawbacks of being 3,000 miles away from competitive football.
“It’s a lot more professional than I thought it was going to be,” he said.
“I know there hasn’t been a match won here but every effort is being made to try and compete with Mayo. I don’t know what it was like before but for this year, from what I’ve seen, it’s close enough to what you’d be doing at home.
“We don’t have the competitive games you have at home and the weather has made it tough but everything else has been done to get us up to standard.”
Manager Galvin said Quigley was the obvious choice although he was quick to praise his choice for vice-captain, former Kerry player O’Driscoll.
“Brendan’s experience and leadership qualities are there for all to see,” said Galvin.
“He has played at the highest level at home and he has been successful at that. His commitment throughout the winter made the decision easy but Gary gave us just as much. He was one of the main reasons we won the senior club title here last year and he’ll be a great voice in the dressing room.”
Meanwhile, the New York GAA will be out in full force on Saturday night with the centenary banquet taking place in Queens.
The eight living past and present chairmen of the County Board will be honoured on the night, a total of 40 years dedicated service between them.
Terry Connaughton, Jackie Salmon, Oliver O’Donnell, Monty Moloney, Seamus Dooley, John Riordan (Kerry), Larry McCarthy and Liam Bermingham are all part of what the latter and current chairman describe as a collective effort. GAA President-elect Aogán Ó Fearghail will be present for his first official engagement since the recent election.
