McDaid's Football Special facts for kids
McDaid's Football Special is a popular fizzy drink, often called a 'mineral' in Ireland. It's made by a company called James McDaid & Sons Ltd. This company is based in a lovely place called Ramelton in County Donegal, which is in Ulster, Ireland.
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What is Football Special?
McDaid's makes other tasty drinks too, like Pineapple, Creamy Cola, and American Ice Cream Soda. All these drinks used to be made and bottled in Ramelton. But since 2014, another company, Maine Soft Drinks Ltd in Ballymoney, County Antrim, now makes and bottles them. Some McDaid's drinks, including Football Special, are also made in the USA by Reading Soda Works in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Football Special is one of McDaid's oldest and most famous drinks. It even won awards for being excellent in 1984 and 1989! These awards came from the London Beverage Society.
How Football Special Began
The idea for Football Special came from Edward McDaid. He was the boss of the company. He also helped start a local football team called Swilly Rovers FC. This team won the FAI Junior Cup twice.
Edward wanted a special way to celebrate their wins. He thought it would be fun to fill the winning cup with a non-alcoholic drink. So, they created a new drink. It had a foamy top, a bit like a beer-like head. They first called it 'Football Cup', but later changed the name to 'Football Special'.
Where to Find Football Special
You will find Football Special most often in County Donegal, where it first started. It's also sold in nearby areas like Derry and Strabane. You can find it in other parts of west County Tyrone too.
It is also sold in Tesco in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. Some shops in Belfast also sell Football Special. It usually comes in plastic bottles.
Recently, people have even used Football Special to make special cheesecakes! These cheesecakes were sold in SuperValu shops in Newtowncunningham and Ballybofey. You can also find Football Special in some shops in Glasgow. Since 2019, it has been sold in some shops in Cambridge too.
Sponsorships
Football Special was the main sponsor of the Foyle Cup in 2011. The Foyle Cup is a big youth football tournament.
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