Donegal manager Jim McGuinness may be on the verge of leading his county to the promised land.
So what better way for him to return home if his team manage to beat Mayo in the All-Ireland final than in a Sam-mobile!
The customised jeep has been designed by fanatical Donegal fan Darragh McClafferty and is based on the Pope-mobile.
Darragh, from the seaside village of Downings, has spent more than a month getting the jeep ready for Jim’s return to the North-West – hopefully with the Sam Maguire Cup.
Darragh, 36, has secured a ticket for the game and will drive the Nissan X –Trail jeep to Dublin in front of two buses of fans from Downings.
“I have to contact Nissan before we travel to check about stress tests for the top of the jeep.
“The last thing I want to happen is for the top of it to blow off when we are half-way to Croke Park,” laughed Darragh.
As well as being covered in pictures of players including captain Michael Murphy, the Sam-mobile has a roof-top balcony which is accessed by the sun-roof inside.
Darragh’s wife Victoria and two daughters Beth, 2, and Cora, six months, think daddy just might be a few players short of a full team.
“But sure it’s great craic and everyone is gone mad up here altogether,” he said.
Darragh, whose family run the Beach Hotel in Downings, is fitting a speaker system on the Sam-mobile to pump out the dozens of songs which have been recorded for Donegal’s second only All-Ireland final appearance.
In the coming days he has invites to visit five local schools to pump them up for the big day.
And Darragh says his ultimate ambition is to get a picture of Jim McGuinness holding the Sam Maguire sitting on top of the Sam-mobile.
“I would love to get even one of the players to do it. But if Jim agreed the that would just be something special,” he said.
Well – if it’s good enough for The Pope, then it’s good enough for Jim McGuinness.
The prayers have already been said.
Tags:
