The All-Ireland champions had been due to fly home at the weekend following a celebratory trip to the US. A travelling party of more than 40 players and management had made the journey after fundraising for the holiday to mark their fifth All-Ireland senior camogie title, secured last August with victory over Cork Camogie in the final.
The squad brought the O'Duffy Cup with them and took part in a series of events during their stay, including a coaching clinic at Gaelic Park in the Bronx on Saturday. The session was led by manager Cathal Murray along with members of the panel and was well received by the local GAA community.
However, their planned departure on Sunday was thrown into doubt when a blizzard swept across New York, grounding flights and halting much of the city’s transport network. More than 5,000 flights have been cancelled in recent days as record snowfall hit parts of the region. In some areas, up to 14 inches of snow fell, leaving over 600,000 people without electricity. The storm has been described as one of the most severe to strike the east coast in recent years, with six states declaring emergencies.
Galway camogie liaison officer Ann Kearney confirmed that all members of the travelling party are safe and that efforts are ongoing to arrange alternative flights home.
"All the players are safe and being well looked after. The snow is starting to melt so hopefully we will get home soon," she said.
Kearney also expressed gratitude to the team’s New York hosts, whose support has proved crucial as the group scrambled to extend accommodation and reorganise travel plans.
Around 18 members of the group boarded a flight on Monday in the hope of returning to Ireland, but that service was ultimately cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions, forcing them to spend an additional night in New York.
Galway are scheduled to face Waterford Camogie in the National League on Saturday and remain hopeful that, as airlines resume normal schedules on Tuesday and Wednesday, they will secure seats and make it home in time for their upcoming fixture.
