'After the heart-attack I thought I’d never get to see a game again'

He might be 72 years of age now but on Sunday morning Dave Gallagher had the youthful enthusiasm of a first-time supporter as he headed north from Connolly station on the train to Newry.

Donegal, under new manager Paddy Carr, were opening their Dr McKenna Cup campaign against Down at Pairc Esler, where there would be nine new faces in a contest where the hosts would run out 2-14 to 1-10 winners. Dave, from Glenfin, was every bit as content as the debutants.

On the wider scale of things, McKenna Cup results on January’s second Sunday tend not to be the most important and for someone who has been following the fortunes of Donegal’s footballers for almost all his life, Dave would know that better than most. But even getting the chance to sit in the stand on Sunday in the cold was a memory he will cherish.

Following their extra-time defeat in the Ulster final against Derry last May, Declan Bonner’s Donegal were headed for the qualifiers, where they would face an Armagh side back at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones. For such weekends, Dave, known as ‘the suit’, would commonly make his way from his home in Templeogue in south Dublin and base himself and commute from the Abbey Hotel. His brother Michael, a postman who is commonly known as an amateur weatherman, and niece Marian, don’t miss too many matches either.

Sunday, June 12, was no different and Dave - a retired business development director who worked with Murray Consultants on Mount Street - headed off from the Diamond following breakfast at Marina's Cafe with his friends. Eddie Boyle from Creeslough and his partner Orla Doogan - who is a sister of 1992 All-Ireland winner Martin Shovlin from Naomh Ultan in Dunkineely - and daughter Aisling.

“Now, I can’t even remember anything about our breakfast or that journey,” Dave told DonegalLive this week. “I can’t remember even the day before, being in the Abbey. Eddie has since told me I was talking away as normal - like we would on any other day - but I can’t recall anything. That was the start of it. Me forgetting. There was a lack of oxygen going to my brain.”

One thing Dave had asked Eddie beforehand was to try and get into the car park behind the ground in Clones. Two weeks beforehand, with a massive crowd from Derry at the Ulster final, there was a long walk for those who hadn’t secured permits. Eddie pulled a string or two to get a spot.

“We got to the ground and as I was walking down the hill I met Brian McGill from Glenties, Brian from the Harcourt Hotel,” Dave added. “Not long after that, I collapsed and 20 minutes before throw-in, I was on the flat of my back outside the Gerry Arthurs stand.”

With the Donegal and Armagh teams warming up on the field, Dave had suffered a heart-attack. Immediately, a Garda named Martina McMahon from the local station in Clones was on the scene, resuscitating Dave, while a former Armagh footballer (who asked not to be named) and Dr Kevin Moran from the Donegal set-up got to work.

“They worked hard to get me back,” Dave said. “I will never be able to thank them enough. I was told afterwards my heart had stopped for a few minutes.”

Dave was whisked by ambulance to the Intensive Care Unit at Cavan General Hospital, where he would spend a few days before moving to a recovery ward. In all he spent three weeks in Cavan and then two more at Blackrock Clinic. He has four stents now.

The next step is an eight-week rehab programme in Blackrock, with Dr Peter Crean, a cardiologist, who is someone that has played a vital role in Dave’s recovery to date.

“Dr Crean has helped so much,” Dave added. “There are so many people that I am so grateful to for the help they gave me - everyone at Donegal GAA, Mick McGrath who was chairman, Dr Kevin Moran, Monaghan and Armagh GAA, Declan Bonner, Brian McEniff and Pauric McShea, who is a gentleman, Ulster GAA Council president Ciarán McLaughlin, the Gardai, emergency services and everyone in Cavan and Blackrock.

“There are so many. I have received messages and calls from people in Donegal and Armagh and from even further afield. Eddie and Orla who were with me that day and my wife Ethel, daughter Sinead and grandchildren Rían (5) and Fionn (3). At the time they were very upset, naturally, and have played a huge part in my recovery.

Dave Gallagher, pictured alongside former Donegal captain Pauric McShea and Marie and Liam McElhinney from St Michael's GAA club at the Ulster GAA awards night at the Manor House Hotel, Co Fermanagh, in November

“Since then I met Lettermacaward-based Fr Eddie Gallagher, who I went to school with many years ago, for lunch one day in Glenties, and he said ‘I saved you Dave.’ That day, June 12, was the 45th anniversary of his ordination.”

Having attended Letterbrick NS and the Tech in Stranorlar as it was called then, Dave left home in 1968 and worked in Leeds for the ‘Green Murphys’ as they became known due to the amount of Irish the construction company employed.

Dave, who is also an avid Celtic supporter, was at both legs of the semi-final of 1970 European Cup, where Jock Stein’s side won 1-0 at Elland Road and then defeated Leeds 2-1 in the return at Hampden Park in front of a crowd of 136,505 - a European record that stands to this day.

In later years, Dave worked as a tour guide, which, like following Donegal, took him to every corner of Ireland. Supporting Donegal was natural, same as Celtic and indeed the Republic of Ireland national team through three World Cups. Dave witnessed some of their greatest moments in Irish football history - Packie Bonner’s save in Genoa, Ray Houghton’s goal at Giants Stadium and Robbie Keane’s late leveller in Ibaraki - with his own eyes.

Dave Gallagher and DJ Kane at Pairc Esler in Newry on Sunday

On Sunday, with barely a soul at Pairc Esler and the gates not even unlocked, Dave was invited inside to the clubhouse by one of the local stewards from Newry Shamrocks. Inside, DJ Kane, who captained Down to the 1994 All-Ireland title, arranged a hot whiskey on a cold afternoon. Although he didn’t know Dave, he heard the story and he knows him now.

Afterwards, as Dave got a seat, he bumped into friends like Conal Gallagher from Lough Eske, former Donegal player Phil Kelly, a native of Buncrana, and was welcomed warmly back to Bernadine McCole, whose son Brendan was part of the Donegal team.

Dave was sharing his story on Wednesday morning’s train from Connolly to Sligo, from where he would catch the 64 Express to Ballybofey ahead of Donegal’s clash with Monaghan at MacCumhaill Park.

“It’s been just over six months now and I know I am not as active as I might’ve been before, but I’ve recovered well,” he said. “After the heart-attack I thought I’d never get to see a game again. I was determined to get back on the scene and get back supporting my team.”