http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/63157.htm

ERIN GO BYE-BYE


IRISH LEAVING NYC IN DROVES


By JENNIFER FERMINO

May 1, 2006 -- The Big Apple is losing its brogue.
In a stunning reversal, hordes of Irish immigrants are waving goodbye to the Statue of Liberty and heading home.

"A lot of them don't want to go back," said Seamus Dooley, chairman of the Gaelic Athletic Association. "They're here illegal, so they don't have a choice."

The GAA kicked off its 94th season yesterday in Gaelic Park in The Bronx - but with 10 less teams.

The group - which plays Emerald Isle sports like hurling - has lost 200 players in two years.

It's tempting for many to bolt now while the economy in Ireland is booming. The Irish government reckons that 14,000 people moved to Ireland from the U.S. from 2000 to 2004.

In the same period, the number of Irish-born residents living in The Bronx has dropped by 36 percent.



"My neighborhood is dying," said Irish native Joan Henchy, referring to Woodlawn in The Bronx. "Our businesses are dying."

"We want the same things that were offered to our grandparents and great-grandparents," she said. But their ancestors didn't have to deal with 9/11. Since then, "It's a lot harder to get a job without papers," said one Irishman who's lived here for over 10 years.

Trips home used to be a piece of cake, but now immigrants are fingerprinted. Overstay the three-month tourist visa and one risks being banned for life.

Marie, 29, an illegal immigrant with a 31/2 year old son, was at Gaelic Park yesterday. She's waiting to see if the Senate acts before deciding whether to leave. Meanwhile, she can't have a bank account, drive a car or buy a house.

"And they say 'the luck of the Irish,' " she said.

Additional reporting by Jana Winter