But there's a bigger issue than attention when it comes to New York. Ever since 9/11 the GAA board has seen the candle burning fast. Fewer Irish people have been going to the States. More have been forced to return. "The whole thing has become a massive worry, " says Holland. "It has become more and more difficult.

"Like, take this year's championship. I went over to see Sligo play Wicklow in their final league game and came away thinking they aren't a bad side but I wouldn't be anywhere near afraid of them and I'm going into it very hopeful that we can win.

But what then? If we win then we are away to Roscommon and that can never ever happen. We'd probably have to forfeit because we can't leave here as we saw with the hurlers last year.

"Basically I'd say five of my lads this year have green cards, the rest haven't and it is tough on them because they haven't been home in two or three years. They are in a really hard situation and they are scared that if they do go home, they'll never get back. And I've lost two or three very good players from last year who went home and got on their own county panels, the likes of Aidan McCarron who is now back playing with Tyrone.

"There is no fluctuation of players coming here.

Between trying to get a visa and the money that is there to be made in Ireland, there's nothing really attractive about it any more. Then on top of that no clubs want their players to go because everyone wants to win a championship, you've junior and intermediate club All Irelands and it gives managers a huge incentive to keep teams together and it has curtailed America a lot.

That has hit us hard."

Regardless. The football championship coming to New York is an underrated occasion from this distance and their senior team must be competitive if they're to survive.

Holland has had the panel out training on a beach near Brooklyn every Sunday since February. Players show up from 12-hour shifts, making their way from the vast suburban churches to wear themselves into sickness in a wind chill that often cuts below minus 20.

"Where else do we go with this? All we can do is keep playing and trying to win.

We've a game coming up on 13 May and it's going to be a huge occasion here. The game against Sligo is the opening of the new synthetic pitch at Gaelic Park and they've put floodlights in as well.

"We are sharing the place with Manhattan College at the minute but it's getting closer to being something we can say is ours and hopefully now we can get more game time.

"That's vital because even if Irish aren't coming out, people here have still managed to put together under14 and under-16 teams that are coming through and they are the only hope for the future. First generation Irish.

And I really hope that there is some sort of future here. I am leaving and going home for good in August and it's why I took this role, so I could get substantial experience behind me in the line of training teams.

"But it has become more than that and I'm hoping the GAA people over here will get behind each other and instead of bitching and moaning about things, they back other people and try and progress because it's getting more and more tough. They are not great for that and they begrudge people trying to bring it on and that's a sad thing and at this stage it just can't happen. I just hope everything here doesn't slowly fade away because of the circumstances."

Think your county has it hard this year? Think again.