GREEN & SOLD..

Shops are out of all items'

- BY NIALL DEENEY and MICHAEL SCULLY

VANS painted green and gold, blaring out "Jimmy's winning matches" amid fluttering flags and murals is what greets you in Donegal town this weekend.

As excitement, and perhaps some nervousness, builds in Donegal ahead of their first All-Ireland football final in more than a decade, sports shops in the town report a sell out of county jerseys with fresh deliveries already claimed by those still waiting.

There are hand-painted signs and decorations everywhere with the mastermind behind the team's resurgence, Jim McGuinness, a familiar sight in cardboard cutout form or giving a determined look from shop window murals.

His face could even be seen on an upturned wheelie bin on top of a van that's being occasionally driven on a circuit around the busy town centre with black strings fluttering behind to represent his curly hair.

BUZZ

Gareth Britton, who runs a sportswear store in Donegal town, said he's struggling to keep up with the demand for jerseys.

He added: "There's a great buzz in the town this week, great atmosphere around, and everyone is really looking forward to the weekend. We're getting excited now.

"For GAA people we're starting to get a wee bit of nerves now to be honest. Look, it's 11 years since we've been in an All-Ireland final.

"They don't come around too often for Donegal, even though we've been there or thereabouts at different times for things over the years. It's definitely excitement - but there's nerves at the same time." He added: "We're pretty much sold out of everything from nine to 10 up to the 4XL. polo shirts, jerseys.

T-shirts, everything's pretty much gone.

"We're waiting on a courier to arrive with another hundred jerseys but we have a list with about 60 or 70 of them gone already.