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There could be joyous celebrations in Co Antrim if Argentina can lift the World Cup trophy by beating France in Sunday’s final.
Hats off because residents of the coastal town of Cushendall think they may be related to Argentine midfielder Alexis McAllister.
The 23-year-old was born in Santa Rosa, La Pampa, in the South American country, which is currently chasing its fourth World Cup win.
It may be more than 11,000 miles from the small village of Glens but, due to the spelling of his surname and his obvious Irish heritage, some people in Cushendall are investigating a potential connection to the man who currently plays for the Premier League side. Brighton and Hove Albion.
“Oh, that’s been the talk around Cushendall this week and the last couple of weeks,” said Dominic McAllister, speaking to BBC NI’s Evening Extra on Friday.
He runs a corner shop in the village and describes the street opposite his shop as ‘all McAllister’.
“A lot of guys were Googling it and it turned out (Alexis’s) family comes from Cushendall,” he explained. “If you take the McAllisters out of here, there won’t be many left, frankly.”
Former GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghail gave more specifics when he shared a photo on Twitter of Dickie McAllister – from Buenos Aires – receiving an award from the GAA Federation in 2018.
Mr O’Ferghale said Dick’s family is originally from Cushendall but has ancestors who moved to Argentina in the 1800s with his “cousin” who is now playing for Argentina in the Qatar tournament.
Fergal McAllister, who runs the GAA club in Cushendall, also told the Evening Extra that Alexis is considered a “local boy” because of his perceived family roots in the village.
Alexis McAllister has been known to talk about his “Irish roots” in the past. His father, Carlos McAllister, who won three caps for Argentina in 1993, also said he believed his family may have descended from Fife.
Viewers can see how the ‘local boy’ gets on when Argentina take on France in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday.
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Cushendall residents have claimed a family link with Argentina’s Alexis McAllister (left) (Anthony Devlin/PA).
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