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Noel Gallagher Lines Out At Croker Again After Making His Point 30 Years Ago













There are a few more wrinkles these days, but the bushy eyebrows and rock star sneer have not changed.

Oasis legend Noel Gallagher returns to Croke Park tonight to support the Red Hot Chili Peppers, nearly 30 years after scoring at the GAA headquarters.

Back in April 1983, the then 16-year-old was more in danger of becoming a GAA All-Star than a rock 'n' roll star.

He visited Croker when his Manchester-based Oisin's GAA club played an exhibition match at the ground.

Mr Gallagher gets the chance to play the stadium again tonight as his post-Oasis band, the High Flying Birds, supports the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Padraig Johnson, chairman and then selector of the GAA club, said that back in 1983 Mr Gallagher would not have realised that he was playing on hallowed turf.

"To be honest with you, looking back, I'm not sure if Noel or any of his teammates knew the significance of playing in Croke Park."

The young Gallagher -- seen here pulling a face next to the goalie -- is remembered by Mr Johnson as "always up for mischief".

"But Noel wasn't a bad kid. He was just like a lot of young men you meet, a little bit wild. You'd coach him and he'd listen.

"All in all, he was a very promising young player, and might have gone further in the GAA if he hadn't taken up rock 'n' roll," added Mr Johnson, who himself progressed to be president of the GAA in Britain.

The game at Croke Park came completely by chance, when the Manchester side were invited over to Dublin for the weekend by local side Kilmacud Crokes. "A few strings were pulled and at 11.30 one Saturday morning, I saw my young lads from Manchester coming out under the Hogan Stand to the sound of 'Amhran na bhFiann'," he said.

Gallagher's debut on the hallowed field is remembered in Croke Park's museum, in a book on display commemorating Oisin's centenary in 2004.

And the experience clearly did stick in the memory as the star has previously spoken about the game himself.

"We came to Dublin to play exhibition games against some Dublin teams in Croke Park. We were hammered though. But I scored a point."

Both Noel and Liam Gallagher played for the Oisin side but Mr Johnson said he "has no idea" why brother Liam Gallagher was not part of the weekend trip.

The Gallagher brothers were born and brought up in Longsight, Manchester by parents Thomas Gallagher, originally from Duleek, Co Meath, and Peggy Sweeney, from Swinford, Co Mayo.

Source: www.independent.ie

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