DERRY football fans been setting the Euro 2016 finals alight with their kind heartedness and generosIty shown to supporters across Europe.
Yesterday, Derry Daily reported on Carmel McConnellogue from Derry who is in France to support Martin O’Neill’s boys in green in their bid to make it past the group qualifiers against the likes of Sweden, Ukraine and Germany.
She helped reunited a devastated Swedish fan which he had lost and which she had found en route to the game.
Now we have another story about an an Irish fan helped save a man’s life – then lost his ticket to the Sweden Game on Monday.
Jay Keating performed CPR on an elderly man who had collapsed near the Stade de France.
But afterwards he discovered he had lost the ticket bought for him by his wife as a wedding present.
Luckily, four generous Irish fans clubbed together to buy him a replacement – then hailed him as a true hero.
Brian Kerrigna from Derry said: “We were making our way to the stadium and were coming over the bridge when we saw this Irish lad who explained that he had lost his ticket.
“We empathised with him of course and luckily there were a load of touts lining the street.”
They bought a ticket for €50.
Brian, 30, added: “Between four of us and the guy’s friend it was only a tenner each.
“He was ecstatic.
“It was only afterwards that we heard he was the guy who had done CPR on an elderly gent who had collapsed near the stadium.
“He’s the real hero, that’s a much bigger deal than what we did.”
Brian also said he was delighted to share his stories following reports of riots and violence among some teams’ supporters over there.
He added: “We’re happy to give Irish fans a good name, you hear so much negative stuff about the Euros.”
Well done lads!
ALL SMILES FOR THE CAMERA…Derry woman Carmel McConnellogue with the Swedish fan after reuniting him with his lost ticket
