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Writer of Jimmy's Winning Matches reveals inspiration behind hit song
The singer Rory Gallagher wrote the song about African sellers
The singer and songwriter behind Donegal's football anthem Jimmy's Winning Matches is predicting a four-point victory over Kerry in today's All-Ireland final at Croke Park.
Lanzarote-based Rory Gallagher, formerly of The Revs, also reveals that he originally wrote the song about street and beach sellers from Senegal who flog counterfeit goods to tourists in the Canaries.
'It was originally called Jimmy's Selling Watches, but my mother, Mary B, who was in the band Luv Bug with my father, suggested I should change it to Jimmy's Winning Matches when Donegal started doing well under Jim McGuinness,' Rory tells the Sunday World.
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 27th
He also reveals how Donegal manager McGuinness has mixed feelings about the song.
'Jim came up to me at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin after the All-Ireland final big celebration (in 2012)…he walked over and he had a big smile on him,' Rory says.
'I thought he was going to give me a hug, but he put his arm around me and whispered into my ear, 'See that song you wrote, it has my head melted!'
'Everybody was shouting it at him in the streets. It was this catchphrase that he didn't want. The good thing about it is that it really freaks out our opponents because they just think 'this guy is destined to win matches.' It's his own fault for having such a high-win ratio.
'It could be worse, it could be Jimmy's losing matches. As long as we win everybody's happy.'
