Gaelic Chapter’s well-travelled H.O.G. flag

Member Alan Fallon has been flying his chapter’s colours across the world and collecting signatures along the way

Words by Wendy Brooking

There are many ways to share your passion for the Harley Owners Group^® – and sometimes, you don’t even have to say a word. From the patches and pins decorating your jacket that trace the story of your riding adventures to how you customise your ride. For Gaelic Chapter member Alan Fallon, it’s a chapter flag that’s collecting treasured memories of great roads and good people.

Alan joined H.O.G.^® in 2008 and has been riding with Gaelic Chapter since. While he admits he was a little late getting into motorcycles, for him, it has always been Harley-Davidson. Now, he can be found riding either his 2021 Pan America^® or a Street Glide^® 121 CVO^™ and often picks up souvenirs along his way.

“I’m a big memorabilia collector,” he reveals. “Being a member of a chapter is really great, no matter how many times you ride with them – whether it’s once a year or 20 times, you are treated as part of a big family. They are all super people. One day, I just got the idea to purchase the chapter’s flag.”

While he had no particular plans for it at the time, this simple piece of cloth would soon become something special. “When a work trip to the US came up, I decided to take the flag with me and get pictures outside some of the dealerships,” shares Alan. “From there, it spiralled into getting signatures at every dealership.”

With each trip Alan makes, the collection of signatures grows. Riding High Harley-Davidson^®, North Carolina, was the first to put pen to fabric. Then came several more US dealerships, all offering warm welcomes, before Alan flew to Dubai and added some names from the dealership there as well. To date, there are around 80 signatures on the flag.

“The flag is now the first thing I pack, no matter where I go,” shares Alan. “The plan is to fill it with signatures from all over the world. People jump at the chance to sign the flag and have their picture taken with it outside the dealership. They even take their own pictures to share on social media and are so pleased to see someone from Ireland.”

It’s a big flag, with lots of space left to fill – and an inspired way to remember the people he has met along the way. When it’s not out meeting potential signatories or billowing in the breeze on the steps of a new dealership, the flag takes pride of place in Alan’s garage, where it waits patiently for its next adventure.

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