Dream come true for '˜Ireland-mad' Oran

Nine-year-old Oran Doherty is “very, very excited” about the dream opportunity, which he won this week through a facebook competition with Lifestyle Sports.

His mother, Aisling, told the ‘Journal, that everyone in their house, including her husband Paddy, Oran’s twin brother Conor and younger brothers Pauric and Darragh, are all ‘Ireland-mad’.

The family hold a season ticket and always attend the national team’s home games.

In fact, young Pauric went ‘viral’ online earlier this year when a video of him singing ‘Come On You Boys in Green’ in support of the Ireland team during the World Cup was picked up by media across the country.

Oran and Conor have also regularly expressed their desire to be player mascots and both entered the competition separately earlier this week.

While it was Oran who won, Conor is not at all jealous and is “over the moon” for his brother, who will be team mascot at their World Cup qualifier against Georgia on October 6th.

Aisling said all of the family were due to go to the game even before Oran received his good news and they are now even more excited to attend.

She also told how she was the first to receive the news, when she was contacted by the competition organisers.

Oran found out his dream had come true when Aisling called to share the good news during his lunch break at Illies National School.

She said: “He just couldn’t believe it. He was so over the moon. He kept saying: “Are you joking, mammy?’ He went in then and told all his class and they were delighted for him.”

Oran himself said he was “very, very excited” and while he is a huge fan of all the team, his favourite player is Robbie Brady.

All the boys are also great admirers of fellow Donegal man and Ireland player Seamus Coleman and James McClean, who is from Derry and who they have met.

Aisling said: “They’re just all Ireland mad. Their went to Ireland matches since he was a young boy and he passed that on to the boys. They such huge fans and just love it all.”