Aimee Boden, executive director of the Randall's Island Sports Foundation, who has been with the project from the beginning, told the Tribune that "planning for the Randall's Park redevelopment has proceeded apace without any anticipated involvement from the RIGS."

RIGS, as the Randall's Island Gaelic Sports Group came to be known, is the corporation that was formed to pursue the project, winning the right to build a New York GAA headquarters on the island in Manhattan's East River. However, financing the multi-million dollar project proved to be a sticking point as development languished.

A recent shake-up on the RIGS board of directors saw the GAA take on a bigger role as the founding directors, all former or current New York GAA officers, ceded the lead role to Croke Park.

Peter Quinn, Sean Kelly, Nickey Brennan, and Tony Hanahoe were all handed seats on the expanded RIGS board, lending the project some much-needed credibility in New York's Irish community.

Although he "understands the city's frustration, " Sean Kelly told the Tribune, "we are not prepared to throw in the towel yet."

It was under Kelly's leadership that the GAA pledged $2 million to RIGS in the hope of jump-starting the push for a new home for the New York GAA. The home body's largesse was expected to spark interest but that spark was soon doused as the New York GAA, the GAA, and RIGS failed to move quickly enough, leading the city to pull the plug late last year.

New York City negotiators left the door open for RIGS to come back into the project if they could raise significant capital in a timely manner, but when months passed without any news they decided to move on.

Kelly plans to meet with Quinn and company early this week before a likely trip to New York designed to "rescue the situation".

However, when Aimee Boden was asked if she sees any way back for the gaelic centre, the Randall's Island executive director answered simply: "None."