A 100-year-old flag, signed balls from Galway’s great teams of the past, and match programmes from decades gone by amid a sea of maroon and white bunting — Ballinasloe is infected with serious All-Ireland fever.
A Galway super fan has spearheaded a community-wide effort of decorating his hometown in the famous maroon and white of Galway ahead of their All-Ireland football final clash with Armagh on Sunday.
Joe Kelly, known locally as B’sloe Joe, said the locals began decorating the town and surrounding areas with flags and bunting eight weeks ago.
“The people saw me putting up a few flags outside Joe’s Bar and that started it,” Mr Kelly said.
“We didn’t have to ask anybody. People just kept coming with donations for flags and to help get them up.
“It was the small businesses and individuals from Ballinasloe, east Galway, and south Roscommon that are responsible for all this, not Joe Kelly,” he added.
Mr Kelly said supporting Galway is in Ballinasloe DNA and it’s “what we are born to do”.
He set up the ‘Galway Footballers Supporters Hub’ in a temporary premises on Society Street in Ballinasloe which showcases photos and memorabilia from Galway football spanning over 100 years.
The display also includes footballs signed by Galway’s historic ‘three in a row’ team from the mid-1960s, a flag believed to be 100 years old, and historic match programmes.
The hub also has Galway merchandise for sale, which gives locals the opportunity to don the maroon and white while raising money for the county’s training board.
Galway won their first All-Ireland football title in 1925 with 12 players from Ballinasloe on the panel, and Mr Kelly said those involved ‘laid the foundation’ for other successful Galway teams since.
Mr Kelly believes Ballinasloe’s presence in the first All-Ireland winning Galway team has christened the town as the ‘home of football’ in the county.
“Ballinasloe is known as the ‘gateway to the west’. Twelve Ballinasloe men were part of the first Galway team to win the All-Ireland in 1925, and that’s why it is the home of football. They were fabulous footballers,” he said.
Mr Kelly organised a street party on Wednesday morning which attracted over 150 children and their families despite poor weather conditions.
“There were about 150 children there with their parents and it was fabulous to see. We had sweets and minerals which were all sponsored by local businesses,” he said. “That is what gives you the satisfaction.”
Newly elected Fine Gael councillor for Ballinasloe Alan Harney said there is a ‘really special’ atmosphere around Ballinasloe and in other parts of the constituency ahead of Sunday’s final.
“I think there’s a huge sense of anticipation locally in advance of the final and I think it is particularly good for the younger children who may not have had the opportunity to experience All-Ireland fever in Galway,” Mr Harney said.
