By Paddy Walsh
A historic house in Ramelton has, in its time, accommodated two former captains of the world renowned All Blacks rugby team.
For a short period of five years, Dave Gallaher lived with his family in their home at Market Cross before they departed for a new life in New Zealand in 1878 where he went on to lead the country’s rugby squad.
And just last weekend, another All Blacks captain of more recent vintage, Sean Fitzpatrick, stayed in the house as guests of Drew and Christine Corry.
His visit was, of course, connected to the legendary Gallaher – carrying as he did a wooden box containing turf dug up from the famous Eden Park rugby ground which he presented at a special ceremony on Sunday at the Dave Gallaher Memorial Park overlooking the river Lennon.
In return Fitzpatrick, who made 92 appearances for the New Zealanders, is transporting a box of soil from Ramelton to be laid at Eden Park – an exchange that formed part of a special documentary ‘From the Field to the Front’ which will be broadcast next year.
“It’s very special to not alone travel for this ceremony but to stay in the very house where Dave Gallaher was born,” Sean Fitzpatrick told the Donegal News.
“I’ve never been here before but I have been to visit his grave in Passchendale. It’s great to see him honoured in this way.”
Following his distinguished career on the rugby fields, which included a match against Ireland in the early 1900’s as part of a Northern Hemisphere tour, the Ramelton native went on to fight in the Boer War and the First World War, the latter claiming his life during the Battle of Passchendale on October 4,1917. He was laid to rest in Nine Elms Cemetery in Poperinge in Belgium.
“Did dark clouds then like mourners gather
Over the birthplace of David Gallaher,
Husband and proud father,
His wife and only daughter,
Left victims of the slaughter,” Declan Foley read out his beautifully crafted poem ‘Common Ground’ during Sunday’s ceremony.
“And in those bleak and final hours
Pour the benedictions of the showers
Upon the bowed heads of the flowers
Growing where the Lennon flows
Into the Lake of Shadows
Through Ramelton town
Mindless of any man’s renown.”
Singers from New Zealand perform at Sunday’s special event in the Dave Gallagher Memorial Park in Ramelton.
Earlier proceedings had been introduced by the President of the Dave Gallaher Society, Kevin Shields in front of a large attendance that also included the New Zealand Ambassador to Ireland, Trevor Mallard, along with two direct descendants of Gallaher, brothers Malcolm and James Stewart and representatives of Letterkenny Rugby Club – the only club in the world outside of New Zealand that bears the crest of the Silver Fern.
Their home ground is Dave Gallaher Park but on Sunday it was the venue in Ramelton that drew the television cameras of RTÉ, BBC and UTV along with those making the New Zealand documentary.
There were, as is customary with such documentaries, various takes during the afternoon with Sean Fitzpatrick carrying and re-carrying the small boxes to and from the memorial monument where Jim Sweeney stood to collect it on a number of occasions.
“I took a few passes from Sean Fitzpatrick and didn’t drop one of them,” he quipped.
The New Zealand Ambassador spoke of Dave Gallaher’s contribution to rugby and to his time on the battle front in the Boer War and the First World War.
“He was a hero in two fields and we are very grateful for the establishment of this link between New Zealand and Ireland.”
After his recitation of his poem, Declan Foley, asked for a minute’s silence to commemorate the hero of this and many hours and all those who had perished in wars. And following that Tracy McGrory performed a moving piece on the violin.
Not the only music on the afternoon as New Zealand brought its own musical contribution through the voices of members of the Te Waka Aumihi group – stirring renditions of traditional songs from the country.
Later they were to perform in the tightly packed Bridge Bar – tightly packed it may have been but it didn’t stop Sean Fitzpatrick and three fellow New Zealanders from performing the HAKA, the ceremonial Maori dance the All Blacks enact before each of their games.
“We’ll do our best to tell the story,” documentary director, Jude Dobson, told the gathering at the memorial park earlier.
“Now let’s go get a Guinness….!”.
From the All Blacks to the Almost All Blacks….
