Stephen and Sharon O’Callaghan with their son Darragh, who won a competition to carry the flag to lead out the Irish team on Sunday, pictured with Louis Byrne (centre) of Byrne’s Spar Oakpark, Tralee.
A TRALEE boy will carry the Irish flag leading the Irish team out for their vital European Championship tie against Scotland this Saturday.
Scoil Eoin pupil, Darragh O’Callaghan, from Oakpark, couldn’t believe his luck this week when he won a competition to be a flag bearer for the Republic of Ireland Soccer team at the weekend.
The six-year-old’s mum Sharon entered a facebook competition on the SPAR Ireland website to give her favourite Irish soccer memory.
She was amazed when SPAR contacted her telling her that her entry – Packie Bonner saving that penalty in the 1990 World Cup – won the chance for Darragh to lead the Irish team out in front of a capacity crowd of 50,000 with millions watching on live national TV.
Spurs fan Darragh will travel to Dublin on Saturday with his parents Stephen and Sharon and his older brother Joseph who will all have pitch side seats with VIP treatment compliments of SPAR and the FAI.
The O’Callaghan family are from Killeen Woods in Oakpark and are regular customers of Byrnes SPAR in Oakpark.
“We’re all really excited,” said Darragh’s dad Stephen when we contacted him on Wednesday. “It’s a great opportunity for him to meet all the players and hopefully get autographs. We haven’t been to an Irish soccer match in Dublin since 2005 so it’ll be nice to see the new Aviva stadium,” said Stephen.
Local SPAR retailer Louis Byrne, presented Darragh with a supporters pack in advance of his big adventure on Saturday.
“Louis Byrne has been great to us. He’s really involved in supporting the community and sponsors St Brendan’s Park FC among other organisations,” said Stephen.
Stephen said the whole family will be travelling up early on Saturday, with Darragh scheduled to attend rehearsals two hours before kick-off.
It promises to be some day for the O’Callaghan’s!
