Where it all began...
October 1931
TROUBLE broke out in Mayo GAA circles when one of the county’s best ever forwards, Gerald Courell, tendered his resignation.
His action rose from arrangements being made by the County Board for the proposed visit to New York of the Mayo team in 1932 and none of the Mayo players were involved. The invitation came from New York Mayor, William O’Dwyer, a native of Bohola. Gerald’s brother, Joe, who was a selector and member of the County Finance Committee, also resigned. The reason put forward by the two brothers was that a third brother and former star, D.F. Courell, had been slighted by a member or members of the County Board and an apology was needed.
January 1932
THE invitation from Mayor O’Dwyer for the Mayo team to travel to the USA was discussed at length and heated debate ensued as to the composition of the travel party. At first it was understood that the Championship team of 1931 should travel, but the O’Dwyer brothers, William and Paul, expressed a wish that Dick Hearns and Sean ‘Baller’ Lavin should be added to the travelling party.
Despite the fact that Mayor O’Dwyer was financing the trip, strong objections were raised to the two names because they were not members of the 1931 team and because they did not sign on when invited to join the 1931 panel. Eventually a motion that the two men named be included in the panel provided they agreed to play in 1932 was carried by a substantial majority. The Chairman of the Board, Bernard Durcan, was unanimously appointed team manager.
May 1932
Following considerable excitement at farewell functions in Ballina and Castlebar, and after over-nighting in Dublin before first sailing for Southampton, Mayo eventually arrived stateside to play their first of eight tour matches, at the Polo Grounds, where they took on a New York team in front of an estimated 45,000 supporters. The ball was thrown in by ‘Gentleman’ Jim Corbett, for mer heavyweight champion of the world. The home side, aided by Mayo men Joe McFadden, Westport, and Ballina brothers, Mick and Martin Ormsby, won 2-7 to 1-9.
Mayo beat a Boston selection 4-9 to 1-2 in Rhode Island in front of 25,000 and they also defeated a Providence selection 0-18 to 0-9. Their fourth game was at Yankee Stadium where again New York were victorious, 1-7 to 0-7, but Mayo beat New Jersey at Newark Ball Park, 2-8 to 2-6. The penultimate game also resulted in a win for the tourists, this time against
Philadelphia who they beat 3-6 to 0-5, however, they still couldn’t get the better of New York who beat them at Yankee Stadium, 1-5 to 1-2.
Mayo touring squad: S Moran, Jim Forde and J O’Dwyer (all Ballyhaunis); G Courell, M Mulderrig, captain, and P Culkin (all Ballina); J Egan, P Moclair, P Quinn, T Burke, P Hoban and P Flannelly (all Castlebar); J Kenny and M Moran (both Westport); T Tunney (Charlestown); S O’Malley (Claremorris); P Munnelly (Crossmolina); T Kelly (Newport); J Curran (Irishtown); S Lavin (Kiltimagh) and D Hearns (Dublin).