Final foes’ big reunion – 40 years on from FAI Cup
Truth be told, they broke our hearts — but 40 years on from Shamrock Rovers’ FAI Cup Final win over Galway United, most of the protagonists from both teams will gather to watch the current iterations of their respective clubs do battle at Eamon Deacy Park on Friday week.
Those who were at Dalymount Park on Sunday, April 25, 1985, can still remember the moment that shattered our dreams; a long ball out from Rovers goalkeeper Jody Byrne found his namesake Pat in midfield. He switched it out left to John Coady who swung it in for Noel Larkin … the only goal of the game.
The fans will never forget it, but actually Pat Byrne doesn’t really recall it at all — and that’s just the way he is in looking back at a stellar career that saw him win eight caps for Ireland, four league titles in a row with Rovers and three FAI Cups, two leagues with Bohs and an FAI Cup — and an English Second Division title with Leicester City too.
“I don’t, to be honest. I’m brutal. It’s amazing the way some people tell you certain things that happened in a game and I wouldn’t really have a recollection of it at all,” he says.
That’s just because he lived in the moment, across a career that took him from Bohs to Philadelphia Fury, Leicester City (36 appearances), Hearts (65 appearances) and then to Shamrock Rovers, where he made 126 appearances over five seasons, scoring 16 goals.
But you wouldn’t know that from his house because there are no medals on show.
“No, nothing really here. The caps are in a bag somewhere upstairs. The only thing I loved — I loved playing. And meeting the lads. That’s why I’m so looking forward to next week,” he says.
Among those he’ll be renewing friendship with is Gerry Daly, legendary Galway United right-back and founder of the local branch of the Irish Professional Footballers Benevolent Association, with his old pals John Mannion and Kevin Cassidy.
Gerry has very clear memories of that Cup run, because he is proud of a team that built its strength on the collective spirit.
“We didn’t think we were world-beaters, but we’d do anything for each other. Don’t forget that Tommy Lally played that day with a broken finger, but that was typical of the commitment,” he says.
Caption: FAI Cup Final team-mates from 1985 Gerry Daly, who played 209 games and scored three goals, with John Mannion, who played 318 games and scored 25 goals for the club, with the strip worn by Galway United that season.
The two teams will be honoured at half-time in the Galway United/Shamrock Rovers game on Friday week – and they will be taking up a bucket collection to help fund the work of the Irish Professional Footballers Benevolent Association. They have asked supporters to bring cash, as opposed to credit/debit cards, if they’d like to contribute.
You can read more of their memories of that game – and the work of the IPFBA – in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.