IT'S not every day that you find a St Galls GAC jersey hanging in an Australian thrift shop – but discovering two in one day makes Aussie sports collector Jake Botwell’s find even more rare.
St Galls GAC are one of the leading GAA clubs in Antrim with hundreds of club members within their ranks. However, Jake Bowtell is certainly a peculiar new addition to the Milltown family after he bought two royal blue St Galls jerseys from the shelf of his local thrift shop in North-Eastern Victoria.
Jake, who is a sports podcaster and enthusiast, spoke with the Andersonstown News about finding the jerseys and how he became infatuated with GAA sports during the pandemic lockdowns Down Under.
“Well, the last couple of years many of us had a bit of time on our hands where we couldn't go anywhere far so, being a mad sports enthusiast, I was looking for new games to watch in lockdown," said Jake.
“I came across hurling on a YouTube channel and was immediately hooked. Quite strangely, the connection to it was very strong and immediate, and I wished I'd been playing it all my life.
“I ended up doing a bit of research on the different counties and learned that my great grandmother had roots in Templemore, Tipperary, and so I chose Tipp as my county to support.”
And about his St Galls find, Jake said: “I'm always on the lookout for amazing jerseys to add to the collection and a couple of weeks ago I came across an Antrim GAA shirt in the local Opp (thrift) Shop in Benalla, which I snapped up for $4, and then a couple of days later I found two St Galls jerseys in the same shop. So home with me they went for a grand total of $8 – an absolute bargain.
“It’s lovely to wear and it's cool to have a little bit of GAA with me when I go out and about. They're a bit of a conversation starter for people who ask, 'what team is that?' and I love that element of owning something so rare and unique," added Jake.
