Sligo’s most renowned soccer ambassador, Sean Fallon and a former Editor of the Sligo Champion, Seamus Finn are among those who will be remembered on The Bit O’Red Wall at the Showgrounds.
Tiles for the wall, being created by the Boyle-based firm Feely Stone, cost €100 each and the closing date for inclusion in the first section of the wall is January 31st.
To date, 200 tiles have been sold. Get yours here
Sean Fallon was born in Sligo in 1922. He was a sports all-rounder and after playing for Sligo and Glenavon, he signed for Glasgow Celtic and would later captain the famous club and play for Ireland.
He became a Celtic legend as was always conscious that the club was founded by Andrew Kerins, a Marist brother from Ballymote Co. Sligo. Sean was assistant manager to Jock Stein when Celtic won the European Cup, defeating Inter Milan 2-1 in Lisbon. Sean would later manage the famous club.
He and his family maintained their links with Sligo and regularly spent their summer holidays in Rosses Point. Shortly before his death, Sean passed on his Irish international caps to his grandchildren. Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, always acknowledged that Sean had a huge influence on his career and he delivered the eulogy at his funeral in Glasgow in January 2013.
Seamus Finn was the editor of the Sligo Champion who resisted several job offers in order to spend his journalistic career in his native Sligo.
Jim Gray, his twin brother, Leo and Michael Moran, who all worked with Seamus decided it would be appropriate to honour the contribution of their deceased colleague on The Showgrounds Wall.
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According to Jim: “ Seamus had the distinction of once being banned from the Showgrounds because his reporting for The Sligo Champion and for RTE annoyed some of the club’s committee.
“But peace soon broke out and Seamus returned to the work that he loved.”
“Seamus always felt there was a whole world in the local. As well as editing the Champion, he developed a great interest in photography and his empathy with Sligo was reflected in his photographic work.
“We learned a lot from him and we are delighted with the opportunity to see that his contribution is remembered and celebrated in The Showgounds.”
The Sean Fallon tile will read
SEAN FALLON
SRFC and CELTIC
LEGEND
The Seamus Finn Tile will read
SEAMUS FINN
1947 – 2017
A SLIGO CHAMPION