New York's and Killybegs' Donal Gallagher’s life to be recalled this weekend  

A special Mass to celebrate the life of the late Donal Gallagher will take place  in St Mary’s Church, Killybegs , this Saturday February 25 at 12 noon. 

Donal passed away in December of 2022 but ahead of the special Mass, the Killybegs Drama Society have paid their own unique tribute for a special visit to the United States they made, back in the year of the first Sam Maguire to the Hills, in 1992. The success of that trip was in no short measure, thanks to Donal.

Donal had emigrated to New York from Killybegs when he was just 18 years of age, becoming a successful entrepreneur, prominent NY GAA man and a welcoming beacon for all Irish emigrants that travelled Stateside and especially those from his native county.  

Members of the Killybegs Drama Society recalled: 

“As someone said on hearing of the sad passing of Donal Gallagher RIP late of  Killybegs and New York, everyone has their own story about Donal. 

“He was a friend to all and a great help to any young Irish person heading to New York, in the last nearly 50 years.

Our involvement with Donal came about accidentally through Killybegs Drama Society. 

“On one of his regular trips home to Killybegs,  his brother Michael, who had been doing the lighting on our amateur dramas, organised a meeting with Donal. 

We had brought the show to London where the Byrne family, especially Marie Byrne RIP had been so helpful along with Niall Erskine and many people from Killybegs and the Donegal Association in London. 

The original poster from the 1992 Killybegs Drama Society 'Big Maggie' Production in New York

“We wondered if an American presentation could be possible and so a meeting to scope out the possibility of taking one of our plays to America was fixed, and that began a long association and friendship with Donal Gallagher culminating in three weeks of an unforgettable trip to America in 1992.

“1992 was the year Donegal won the senior All-Ireland for the first time and the whole county will remember it as such but we will also remember it as the year ‘Big Maggie went to New York’.

The late Donal, ably assisted by Patrick Breslin, Bobby Boyle and Sean O’Rourke, together with the Donegal Association in New York and a group of trusty stage hands who many, thankfully have since returned to Killybegs rallied together to craft a set of a grocery shop in rural Ireland presided over by Big Maggie Polpin and her family. 

The late Donal Gallagher was heavily involved with the New York GAA and was a regular at Gaelic park

“The late John B Keane granted us permission to bring the play stateside, ‘Go with my blessing’,  he said and ‘ Be sure to let me know how ye get on’. 

Donal set about the task of galvanising the troops in New York and a collection of meetings and weekly progress updates ensued and the Donegal Diaspora combined their skills of carpentry, electrician, sound, props, music, transport and marketing to make sure our show in The Good Shepherd Auditorium, 125 Broadway was not a flop. And did Donal deliver! 

The show was a sell out and we were guests of honour at the Donegal Association of New York annual dinner. The play was a hit on our off  Broadway location and the cast was on a high for the three week American cultural odyssey that followed. 

FULL CAPTION: 

Killybegs Drama Society on their visit to the United States in April 1992: 

Back row left to right: Michael McCallig, Bobby Boyle, Johnny from Letterkenny, Doc from Derry, Michael ‘Sparks’ Gallagher, Sean O’Rourke, Anne Gallagher, Fiona O’Shea, Mary Breslin, Clare Tully. Donal Gallagher, RIP and Enda o Callaghan.

Front row includes: Patrick Breslin. Lilyan Holmes. Mary Graliga (RIP) and in buggy, Baby Rian Breslin and Rosaleen Boyle. Not included in the photo were Eugene McHugh and Eamon Gillespie. The t-shirts were printed in the Twin Towers and the photo was taken outside the Heritage pub in Yonkers, which was owned by Donegal Town man Michael Breslin.

“We went from The Catskill mountains upstate New York down to Philadelphia culminating in frequent mandatory  appearances at our twin offices at the Heritage in Yonkers and Sam McGuires.

We raised the funds to make the return trip by producing Moll, another John B Keane classic to fund the flights but Donal and the Donegal / American crew raised the entire funds to cover the three week trip including food and accommodation. 

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“They hosted us in their homes in  New York and Philadelphia  and Donal gave us his house  in the Catskill mountains to perform in the High School there and to explore upstate New York for a week.

We will be forever grateful to the generosity of the many Killybegs and Donegal people living in New York and Philadelphia  in the early 90’s.

“Some have gone to their eternal reward but many thankfully have returned to our shores , but we will never forget the one man that made the whole dream possible: the Don . . . Donal Gallagher a real Donegal legend," the most gracious and poignant comments from the Killybegs Drama Society concluded.