irish

Irish National Squad Brings Baseball Back To America
(ContentDesk) July 29, 2005 -- The National Baseball team is preparing for a week of exhibition games in Southern California. "Most people don't know that we play baseball in Ireland," says first basemen Chris Foy. "This trip will be helpful from a training standpoint, but it will also help our fundraising efforts. It's a constant struggle to raise funds for equipment, uniforms and youth programs, especially in a country like Ireland where baseball is still in its early stages."The first baseball games in Ireland were played in the early 1990s, followed by Ireland's first international competition at the 1996 European Championships. Through its formative years, much of the support has come from Irish-American communities."We've gotten a great deal of help from Irish-American baseball fans and baseball fans in general," added shortstop Darran O'Connor.

"But they've done more than make financial contributions, they've also helped us receive top-notch instruction from American high school, college and professional coaches."Despite baseball's unlikely place in Ireland, the National Team has had an increasing level of success, highlighted by a bronze medal performance at the 2004 European Championships in Germany.Ireland's baseball community is spread across several areas, including Dublin, Greystones, Belfast, Cork and Kerry. In addition, the