Football Special (Yes it's a drink)

Kintarō Hattori

I have cousins up in Donegal and when I was a wee lad right up until I was a teenager I used to go up and see them every year. There were some things to look forward to when I got there such as the best ice cream I've ever had, which just happened to be from the newsagenrs next door, but I really looked forward to getting my gob around a bottle of Football Special.

Has anyone else here on board's sampled this? It's delicous. I think it's bottled in a place called Ramelton? Spelling might be dodgy, I haven't been up there for another a decade. The same place does/did all sorts of other soft drinks such as a banana flavoured drink and some sort of pineapple one as well. It used to be in a glass bottle, but now I see it's plastic, dunno if that'll affect the flavour at all.

I'd love to be able to buy this stuff down south. Does anyone know of anywhere it can be purchased outside of Donegal?

olaola

I think Football Special is confined to the north east of Donegal - Letterkenny/Ramelton area.
My Dad is from Glenties and has never heard of it!
I have heard of a Banana-ade too. Never tasted it though!

Creamy Goodness

it's only purchaseable in Letterkenny/Ramelton and northward of that.

it's lovely stuff, was nicer in glass but it's still lovely in plastic.

there's also the banana drink, i call it banana special as that's what it was called in the glass bottles, i also think they've stopped doing the pineapple one (i was never mad on that one).

i normally go up to donegal - i actually drive through ramelton - once a year and pick up a case of each as they are so good.

if you want an alternative to football special try a drink called morgan's spiced mixed with coke, it gives the same taste as football special and it's alcoholic too .

you got your spelling right on too.

Drag00n79

I remember drinking this in Sligo as a kid, I think.

europerson

I lived with two people from Donegal last year, and one used to have Football Special. I didn't like it myself: I found it very syrupy and sickening. It has the worst name ever too.

smashey

Football Special is available all over Donegal. It is made by McDaids. I still buy a bottle every now and then and it is very nice.

TJJP

Rarely found outside of Donegal, but I did see it in a £(€?) shop in longford once... for my £(€?) the pineapple is hard to beat...

smashey

TJJP wrote:

Rarely found outside of Donegal, but I did see it in a £(€?) shop in longford once... for my £(€?) the pineapple is hard to beat...

You have to look at Football Special from a kid's perspective. When poured into a beer glass, it looks just like beer with the head and all.

TJJP

smashey wrote:

You have to look at Football Special from a kid's perspective. When poured into a beer glass, it looks just like beer with the head and all.

You're not wrong. Reckon we should stock up now though before the EU gets hold! Never knew what was in any of it, but it ain't a fashionable probiotic... I see a market for my e-bay store www.football-special..com (not)...

Gillie

Remember having it in Sligo also years ago!

Peter Collins

It's a lovely soft drink, not too sweet nor fizzy...completely artificial taste, but nice with it.

I'm from Dublin but came across this on a trip to Letterkenny. I'm sure it would sell all over the country with a bit of decent marketing - I'd keep the name too, I think it suits it.

Try it if you can

mmckdon

Being a proud Donegal man myself I love Football Special. I'm from Bundoran in the very south of the county and it's still sold widely here. I'm not sure about getting it down south but the email address of the manufacturers is jmcdaid@iol.ie . If you were to contact them I'm sure they could answer any questions.

Beerlao

ahhh.. a wave of nostalgia washes over me. that stuff is amazing! i haven't had it in beards! i remember having a football special float when i was a kid too, that was delish.

i must head over to Funcrana some weekend and stock up

Inbox

Bump.....anyone seen this is Dublin yet?

hootietootie

Inbox wrote: »

Bump.....anyone seen this is Dublin yet?

Its to go nationwide in the summer
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/family-soft-drink-set-to-create-a-fizz-nationwide-2559019.html

S.R.F.C.

Super news!

sakani

Never seen it in Dublin or outside Inishowen for that matter, but it is the colour of smithicks, the sugarary taste or lucozade mixed with coke.

Personally I dont like it but I know people who drink it loads. Lots of the teenagers have started taking it as a mixer to Spirits too. Yeuck!

Oh and they were chatting about this on the ray D'arcy show earlier this week.... They're looking for some too!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Like the OP I used to get this all the time when I was up in Donegal as a kid. Haven't had it in years. Luckily though my mam is up there at the moment so I'm going to get on to her tomorrow to get me some. Thanks OP for reminding me about it

The McDaids website says you can buy stuff online but when you click on the shop it says there's no products available

It also says they now make an isotonic football special so you can use it for sports training

dregin

hootietootie wrote: »

Its to go nationwide in the summer
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/family-soft-drink-set-to-create-a-fizz-nationwide-2559019.html

Canny ****in WAIT!