A DUNGLOE Ladies GAA ball found washed up on the Outer Hebrides two-and-a-half years ago has been returned to Rosses Park.
Scottish brothers Arthur and David Heyes were in Dungloe last night and presented the club with the famous football.
In May 2017, Dungloe ladies were training on the shore front pitch in Maghery when a shot by player Niamh Rodgers found the estuary adjacent to the pitch.
The ball swept away in the Atlantic current, seemingly the latest one never to be seen again.
However, just over two weeks later, Arthur Heyes was walking on a beach on the remote island of North Uist – 300 kilometres from Maghery – when he found the O’Neill’s ball, perfectly inflated.
Arthur Heyes made contact with the Dungloe club on Facebook and said: “Either one of your ladies has a particularly powerful shot (throw? punt? – I’m not really up on the rules) or the ball has survived a seaborne journey of 100s of miles. Respect to the quality of your Gaelic footballs.”
Arthur Heyes with the football and a map after he found the stray football in North Uist in 2017
He vowed to return the ball and he stayed true to his word.
Last night, Arthur and his brother David visited the newly-developed Rosses Park and also the pitch in Maghery where the ball went astray.
“We thank them for their kind gesture,” Dungloe GAA club said.
“The lads have signed and dated the ball and it will take pride of place in the Club house, where we can remember a happy ever after story.”
The Heyes brothers were last in Donegal in 1966 when their family huddled around a transistor radio on Fintra beach as England won the World Cup final.
