Dublin hurlers to play Galway in Fenway Park in November

The Dublin and Galway hurlers will play off in Boston's Fenway Park as part of an Irish festival to be held at the venue in November.

The AIG Fenway hurling classic will take place on November 22nd, a day after Boston College take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame in a much anticipated college football game in the same venue.

The game will form part of an Irish Festival at Fenway Park on that weekend where organisers say “all aspects of Irish culture and music will be celebrated”.

It will be the first time since November of 1954 that hurling will be played at the world famous home of the Boston Red Sox. Back then All-Ireland Champions Cork defeated an American Hurling selection.

Fenway Park is the oldest operating ballpark in MLB and three years ago was added to America’s National Register of Historic Places, while celebrating its 100th year anniversary.

The match will played in a Super 11s format; an eleven aside adaptation of traditional hurling where only goals can be scored, developed specifically to allow hurling to be played in venues where the pitch size is smaller.

GAA Director General Páraic Duffy said; "It is encouraging to see the interest and impact our national games can have overseas and we're delighted to be involved in this project for that reason. Our overseas network is extremely important to us and bringing hurling to what is widely recognised as an Irish city outside Ireland is massively important to us.

While speaking on behalf of the GPA, Chairman Dónal Óg Cusack added: “This a truly wonderful opportunity for us to exhibit hurling at a high profile US sporting venue, and there is none more iconic than the home of the Red Sox. We believe that hurling ranks alongside the best sports in the world and the staging of this game in Fenway is part of our commitment to convey that message to a new and influential audience.”