Turf from Eden Park to be laid in Donegal in honour of All Blacks hero Dave Gallaher
Former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick will represent New Zealand at the event at Ramelton’s Dave Gallaher Memorial Park
New Zealand rugby hero and Donegal native Dave Gallaher is to be honoured on Sunday with a soil exchange ceremony in his birthplace of Ramelton.
A piece of turf from Eden Park - New Zealand's national stadium in Auckland - is being brought to Donegal to remember the All Blacks legend.
Born in Ramelton on October 30,1873, his family left Donegal in 1878 and settled in Katikati, New Zealand. He went on to be captain of the original All Blacks from 1905 to 1906, and a first world war hero. He died in Belgium during the Third Battle of Ypres in October 1917 aged 43.
A dawn ceremony took place in Eden Park last month to remove a piece of turf from the pitch to begin its journey across the world to Ireland for a special soil exchange in honour of Gallaher.
Former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick will represent New Zealand along with the country’s ambassador to Ireland, Trevor Mallard, at the event, which is taking place at 2pm at the Dave Gallaher Memorial Park, Shore Road, Ramelton.
The soil exchange is part of a documentary about Gallaher, From the Field to the Front.