All-Ireland replay between Donegal and Mayo pencilled in for next year.

Today the world record breaking Gallagher Clan launch their plans to hold in September 2013 a re-run of today's All-Ireland clash between Donegal and Mayo as part of the 2nd Gallagher Global Gathering. Both counties will field an all-Gallagher line-out in next year's event  The announcement comes in a full page ad in today's All-Ireland programme booklet .

The Clan held their 1st Global Gathering in 2007 and in the process gained a Guinness World Record by having the most people of the one surname in the one place at the one time. This beat the previous record holders, the Jones' of Wales. This event gained wide media coverage including  being televised coast to coast in the USA by ABC News as part of their 20:20 programme.

The 2nd Gathering is being held in Donegal from the 6th to 14th of September 2013 and will be part of the Gathering Ireland 2013 initiative. Already people from all over the World have begun to make plans to attend. One of the many  events being planned is a match between the Gallaghers of Donegal and those of Mayo.  Mayo has the largest concentration of  Gallaghers outside the original homeland, Donegal, where it is the most common surname. Already a number of people within the two counties have offered to manage the sides.

The organisers hope that it will be the fore-runner to an extended Gallagher Global Championship that will involve all counties capable of fielding a team and even cities and areas abroad. While next year's game will be in Co. Donegal, it is hoped that as the Gallagher Championship develops, it will move to other locations as well. “Gallaghers have a strong presence in a number of counties especially around the North West of Ireland, but we also have large numbers in Dublin and other cities, both at home and abroad. Unfortunately recent emigration has added to the latter”, said Seán Gallagher, one of the organisers. “While sport can sometimes be a dividing factor, it can also help create a great bond and we hope through next years game to strengthen the ties between the Gallaghers of Donegal and Mayo, as well as all those with family connections to the Gallaghers . It also helps fulfil our aims of 'collecting, conserving and celebrating our Gallagher heritage', as sport, in its many forms, has had a great Gallagher involvement over the years, none more so than in Gaelic football.

We are today extending an invitation to all Gallaghers and their connections and friends to come to the Gallagher Global Gathering in Donegal in September next. Where better to do so than today in Croke Park, given the great number of Gallaghers from both counties that will be in attendance”, he concluded.

ENDS