It’s 1888 and the GAA decide to embark on a tour of the United States and Canada. The trip has a dual purpose – to promote the organisation overseas and raise funds for the cash strapped organisation in Ireland.
On September the 16th, 51 hurlers, athletes and officials set sail for New York. The tour turns out to be a financial disaster. The weather is poor, attendances are small and the tour is cut short. Worse still, the travelling party are out of money and their bills are mounting.
Exhibition match at Madison Square Garden
Contact is made with the ‘Patron of the Association’, Michael Davitt. He agrees to make £450 available to them by way of a loan. This is a substantial sum of money in the 1880’s. In order to repay Davitt, an end of tour exhibition match is held in Madison Square Garden in New York. This venture is also a loss maker. The GAA cleared its debts but Michael Davitt never received repayment.