Sligo Rovers will host Celtic in a friendly at the Showgrounds on Wednesday 9 October.
The game, which has a 7.30pm kick-off, will honour the memory of the late Tommie Gorman, lifelong Sligo Rovers supporter, who was instrumental in initiating this visit of the Scottish giants to Sligo before he passed away in June.
It will also celebrate the friendship and close links between the clubs, with Ballymote native Andrew Kerins, better known as Brother Walfrid, the founder of Celtic FC in 1888.
Another huge figure which connects both clubs is Sean Fallon. The Sligo town native played for Rovers and Celtic but was also Celtic's assistant manager when the famous Lisbon Lions beat Inter Milan in the 1967 European Cup final.
It's another high-profile friendly for the Bit O Red, this after Everton visited the Showgrounds in July, in a game that finished 3-3.
Looking ahead to welcoming the Scottish champions, Sligo boss John Russell said: "It’ll be a great day for both clubs given the history Celtic have here in Sligo. I’d expect the game to sell out straight away and it’ll be great to see the Showgrounds packed to the rafters. It’ll be a nice test for our boys to see how they get on against one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce that @CelticFC will travel to the Showgrounds for a mid-season friendly on Wednesday, October 9th, kick-off 7.30pm.
— Sligo Rovers (@sligorovers) September 6, 2024
Full news story and ticket details: 👇https://t.co/oAeGNFPquO#Bitored | #Since1928 pic.twitter.com/GC1Lp6hr2m
"The excitement in the area when Everton visited in the summer was amazing and I’d expect a huge amount of attention will be focused on this game also."
Russell's counterpart Brendan Rodgers is also relishing the prospect of a "great occasion" for a match that will take place during the international break.
"When you’re working at a club like Celtic you are reminded every day of its history. So it’s great to be able to visit and play in Sligo, a place where the club has so many amazing links. The game takes place during the international window so it’ll be a good work out for the first team players who aren’t involved with their countries that week.
"We know there is a huge Celtic following in Ireland, nowhere more so than in the north west, so it will be a great chance for so many to see the players in action.
"For myself personally, its always great to go home so this is a trip I am really looking forward to but for everyone else of course, both sets of fans and both clubs, I know this will be a great occasion."
Watch Republic of Ireland v England in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday from 4pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
