It’s almost hard to believe it’s almos been twelve years since the iconic video of Rory Gallagher and his mate Jimmy sitting on a beach in Lanzarote belting out Jimmy’s Winning Matches went viral.
All these years later, Rory has shared a hilarious story behind a photo taken with Jim McGuinness shortly after the video went viral and Donegal won their famous 2012 All-Ireland title.
“In the picture below, taken almost 12 years ago Jim McGuinness is actually saying into my ear ‘See if one more person shouts Jimmy’s Winning Matches at me I swear to God I’ll have you killed!’
However the phrase and the song have now become synonymous with Donegal’s footballers, Jim McGuinness and of course Rory himself – and despite it becoming tiring at times, Rory says he’s been able to embrace the song and what it means to Donegal fans the second time around.
“Now having had to sing that song about 7,000 times ten years ago I was glad it had faded away, but being sent new footage of kids singing it in schools or on the back of buses on the way to a match this year (kids who weren’t born even in 2012!) melted my cynicism away… and I was more than delighted to have my own 2 boys Aidan and Shay experience all this for the first time, second time around. It was a pleasure to re-record an updated acoustic version for the Donegal Hospice last month.”
For Rory, Donegal’s achievements this year have already been above and beyond anything that could have ever been expected.
“There is now of course the big Semi-Final vs Galway on Sunday. Some people are optimistic, a lot of people are worried! But to me we are already in bonus land.”
“When Jim McGuinness was re-appointed Donegal manager less than a year ago (!) we were in bad shape, If you told someone back then that right now we would be back in Division 1, Ulster Champions… and just about to play in an All Ireland semi final with a damn good chance of winning it… you would have been carted off by men in white coats!”
Rory continued; “But now on Sunday Donegal people all across the globe, some might be standing next to a Kangaroo, a Cactus in the Canaries, a Brooklyn bridge, a Big Ben, a Burj Khalifa, we will hunt down a pub with a dodgy box in Outer Mongolia if needs be!! But we will all unite and feel proud as we watch our team line out for ‘Amhran na Bhfiann’ in Croke Park thinking of family and friends in that one moment together, and those moments are like gold dust. We did not expect so many of them already this season, This was meant to be a re-building year, so for me whatever happens this has been an amazing season, the boom is back baby! Jimmy’s back!”
To finish, Rory showed some of that optimism that he showed in his song all those years ago that helped drive the county to victory.
“So here we are, Jim McGuinness has the magic touch, he blends sports phycology perfectly with physical fitness and most importantly a wee bit of the holy spirit!”
“If we win this next match it will be dreamland, if we don’t it’s been amazing and I’m already looking fwd to next year 😅 Up Donegal!”
“Call into The Irish Viking if you are in Lanzarote, I will be at the bar panicking. End of ramble!”
