As GAA summer stories go, this one has everything, including a happy ending.
Arguably even more passionately supported than the senior codes, minor football and hurling can get crowds into the sort of frenzy normally reserved for South American soccer matches. The combination of local rivalries, family ties and the hope that your team could be about to embark on a glorious decade of success mean that the emotions can get out of hand at underage games.
That was never more true than at O’Connor Park on Sunday when a Roscommon supporter, wildly celebrating his team’s All-Ireland quarter-final win over Kildare, lost that most precious of items, his good jumper.
This led to a tweet by the Roscommon Supporters Club, a tweet that sparked a national search for the jumper.
In After match celebrations a #Roscommon #gaa Supporter dropped a good jumper on the pitch in Tullamore today Roscommon Co Secretary has it
— Ross Supporters Club (@RossSupporters) August 5, 2013
Thankfully, the tale had a happy conclusion as Martin Finnan was reunited with his purple jumper later in the week after the story, and the jumper, became the feelgood story of the summer.
An Ecstatic Rossie reunited with his “good jumper” by Supporters Club Chairman Brian Carroll & Treasurer Tom Murray pic.twitter.com/cdUhHsXKLy
— Ross Supporters Club (@RossSupporters) August 7, 2013
We fully expect Martin, and the jumper, to be the star attraction at the All-Ireland semi-final against Tyrone on September 1.
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