Mullingar welcomes New York hurlers

Mullingar received a welcome boost last week as the New York senior hurlers enjoyed a stay in the Annebrook House Hotel in the centre of the town.

Hotel proprietor Bertie Dunne spoke in glowing terms about the players from the Big Apple, and of how friendly and courteous they were during their stay. And the good news is that they are set to make a return visit to the town next year.

“The staff were very pleased with how the week panned out and how easy the New York group was to deal with. It was a pleasure to have them staying in the hotel, and the town of Mullingar got its own little spin-off in different ways as they met up with families locally and did their shopping here,” he remarked.

“Already they have plans to return next year, and it’s a very positive story for the town.”

New York overcame Monaghan at TEG Cusack Park on Saturday May 24 in the Lory Meagher Cup semi-final, and Mullingar became their base for the week. The trip had been meticulously planned by logistics manager Michael J. Stones, who runs the company MJS Building and Development New York with his brother, James.

“Michael has been planning this for a long time and made contact last November in the hope that the team would do well in the Lory Meagher Cup. They have two local hurlers on the team in Adam Loughlin Stones, Michael’s son, and James Bermingham, which adds to the Westmeath connection.

“I know Michael well; he has been coming to stay with us for many years now, and the group he brought over were exemplary. We couldn’t say enough about them, and before they left on Friday, they made a presentation to both myself and Clancy Nolan, our receptionist, for all her help in organising the stay-over.

“It was a lovely gesture and we really appreciated it, and the way they behaved towards the staff really impressed us. Everything ran smoothly, and they were a pleasure to deal with.”

The community of Mullingar and Westmeath welcomed the team for the week, and they were in Castletown Geoghegan on Thursday for their final training session. Club chairman Ian Corrigan and the ladies’ committee, led by Ann Fagan, Yvonne Kane and Dorrie Mangan, catered for them after training.

“It’s great to welcome them here and wonderful that we have that connection with New York,” said the chairman.

Michael Stones said he was “very impressed” with how well they were received in Mullingar and around the county. “Everywhere we went we got a great welcome, in Mullingar itself and right across the county. We are extremely grateful for the fantastic support we have received in our eight days here, and we're looking forward to returning next year,” he added.