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Graeme Finegan and son James with their HolyGoals candles
Graeme Finegan and son James with their HolyGoals candles

A Newry father and his 12-year-old son have turned a match day joke into a small business aimed at bringing a little luck to Ireland supporters.

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Graeme Finegan and son James who run the appropriately named Finegan & Son café and restaurant in Kildare Street in the city have created a 'HolyGoals' candle encouraging Ireland soccer fans to bring a bit of hope to the team by lighting it up before a big game.

The idea for HolyGoals.ie came during a conversation before the Ireland v Portugal match when the pair joked that maybe they should phone James’ Granny to light a candle for the team ahead of a seemingly impossible feat. The team went on to win 2-0, with Troy Parrott scoring both goals.

The HolyGoals candle finds its spot on the mantlepiece
The HolyGoals candle finds its spot on the mantlepiece

A candle was once again lit ahead of the Hungary v Ireland game, where again Troy Parrott supplied 3 goals to take Ireland to the Playoffs for this years World Cup.

The pair, who are season ticket holders at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, launched the website this week and are aiming to sell their first batch of candles ahead of upcoming fixtures involving the Czechia.

“We were laughing about it before a match and thought it might give people a bit of a laugh,” said Graeme.  “If it becomes a fun little ritual for Ireland fans, that would be brilliant.”

The candles featuring a particularly 'Saintly' Troy Parrott are now available to order through their website HolyGoals.ie

 

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