MANY GAA CLUBS throughout the country have been hit hard by emigration in recent years.

This Christmas players from one Galway side are travelling from all over the globe to pay tribute to a club stalwart in a festive period charity game.

Tuam Stars will host a game of exiles versus the current senior outfit on Saturday to remember club stalwart Michael McGough, who sadly passed away.

“The biggest thing is it’s for the Galway Hospice,” clubman Sean Murphy told TheScore.ie earlier, “it’s in memory of a good man. But it also shows how much we’ve lost.”

“The game itself will be of very high quality with the clubs county men such as Gary O’Donnell and Aonghus Tierney playing with the senior team and former county players such as Paul Doherty (Australia) playing with the exiles.

“The Tuam Stars team will be captained by Jamie Murphy and the Exiles team will be captained by Ian McGough, son of the late Michael.”

All donations collected on the day will be going to the hospice.

In Tipperary meanwhile, Gortnahoe-Glengoole are hosting a similar game tomorrow at their ground. Earlier this year they urged their long-emigrated players to ‘come home to hurl’ for a Stephen’s Day game.

Shane Long’s hometown club have seen 19 players leave since the start of the downturn while Tuam say they lost 20.

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