The organisers of the Friends of Ted festival, due to take place on Inis Mór in February, have called on the residents of Inis Mór and Inis Oírr to sort out their differences over the location of the festival by taking part in a five-a-side football match.

A row that broke out over which of the Aran islands had the most claim to the cult TV comedy Father Ted has sparked media interest as far away as New Zealand. Tourism Ireland now plans to bring a press delegation from the UK to the sites associated with the programme during the festival.

Ted Fest, the festival announced exclusively in the Galway Advertiser in December, became the subject of an inter-island spat when an Inis Oírr B&B owner complained that the island had more of a claim to the programme than its larger neighbour. The credits of the programme, which was launched in 1995 and ran for three seasons until the sudden death of Dermot Morgan in 1998, opened with an aerial shot of the coast of Inis Oírr and the wreck of the Plassey, which ran aground at Carraig na Finise in 1960.

“We’re saying why don’t they settle it with a game of five-a-side football,” said committee member Peter Phillips, who runs an annual Elvis festival in south Wales. “They can settle it in pure Ted style, and the winners will have the right to call themselves Craggy Island.”

Courtesy of 'The Galway Advertiser.'

And the winners are:..........................................

Inis Mor won the plaque, which read "The Real Craggy Island - as seen on Father Ted" after winning 2-0 in the match on the strand.

Irish soccer legends John Aldridge and Tony Cascarino agreed to manage the teams from Inis Mor, and its smaller neighbour, Inis Oirr. Both sides were determined to be awarded the title of "The Real Craggy Island" for the following 12 months.

Inis Mor manager Tony Cascarino said: "We had a bit of an advantage - more players to substitute so that was nice. It was really hotly contested, there was a lot of pride at stake you - could see that.

"It was the most unusual match I`ve ever been at."

Manager of the smaller island, Inis Oirr, John Aldridge said: "It was a good match, very competitive, both sides were giving it all. I thought our side was the best side but we never got the luck."

Is this the start of an anuual re-match??

Quotes courtesy of Limerick Live 95fm