THE PEOPLE of Donegal never doubted his heritage – and neither did the McCarthy family.
So when James McCarthy, gifted footballer and grandson of a proud Donegal man, kept his promise to that grandfather and played for Ireland at the weekend, there were lumps in throats throughout the county.
McCarthy was bemused at the abnormal standing ovation.
“I didn’t think I would get that reception,” he said.
“I couldn’t appreciate it any more. They were fantastic all through the game, different class.”
As a county with so many links to Glasgow and Scotland in general, it appears so many people in our own capital city fail to recognise how deep those routes run.
Tell Ray Houghton that he’s not Irish – and then run.
Houghton, whose heritage is in Buncrana, is from the same area of Glasgow as McCarthy, Castlemilk. People there still see themselves as Irish, two, three and even four generations on. Some still speak Irish.
Tonight Wigan midfielder McCarthy, proud grandson of Gaoth Dobhair, will start for Ireland in the friendly against Uruguay at the Aviva Stadium.
He’s already looking forward to i.
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