Laochra Gael – Na Comhlintí, Déardaoin, 8ín ar TG4

[Plain of the Herbs]

A superb documentary. Those programmes can be bland enough at times but Pat Fitzgerald’s contribution was priceless. Sometimes you don’t need words. And this is 28 years on from the match!

T’was great to see the little bit of footage of the Offaly v Dublin matches in ’78, ’79 & ’80. A spindly 18 year old Matt, taking on the Dubs’ defence in 1978. Matt’s bullet of a goal in 1980. My mental picture was of him being further out. I know the 1979 one has been shown in full on All-Ireland Gold a few times but does anyone know if the 1980 one has ever been shown?

Looking back on it now, they were mad mad times. But brilliant times. The audacity of going for the double in 1981!! And being level at half time in the football in 1981 before The Mighty Kerry kicked on to win well. That was the day Liam ‘defused’ the Bomber, one of the few to keep him scoreless ever. Gerry Carroll hitting the crossbar after a great run was a killer.

Matt Connor’s class. Words can’t describe it. Then there was Johnny Mooney’s superb leap and pluck from the air to set up a point for Matt in 1980.

Sean Lowry taking out Sean Walsh in 1980. Interesting to hear him relate what referee Paddy Collins said to him. Then the footage of the final whistle shows a devastated Lowry sitting on the ground and Collins goes to him to take his ball back!

Michael O’Hehir’s commentary. “A dummy . . . still a dummy . . . ah ta heck with it I’ll take me point” after Matt Connor’s mazy run and score. On Johnny Mooney’s point “ He came flying back, he came running back, he came racing through . . .” Edit: Then there was his "Oh when shall we two meet again?" as the tension reached a crescendo. Answers to that one on a postcard please!

There were two little eras when Offaly seemed to be in Croke Park every week when the footballers and the hurlers were on runs at the same time. There was 1980, ’81 & ’82, while there was also ’97 to 2000’. Great, great days. Ní beidh a leithead ann arís

[leinsterman]

A superb documentary. Those programmes can be bland enough at times but Pat Fitzgerald’s contribution was priceless. Sometimes you don’t need words. And this is 28 years on from the match!

T’was great to see the little bit of footage of the Offaly v Dublin matches in ’78, ’79 & ’80. A spindly 18 year old Matt, taking on the Dubs’ defence in 1978. Matt’s bullet of a goal in 1980. My mental picture was of him being further out. I know the 1979 one has been shown in full on All-Ireland Gold a few times but does anyone know if the 1980 one has ever been shown?

Looking back on it now, they were mad mad times. But brilliant times. The audacity of going for the double in 1981!! And being level at half time in the football in 1981 before The Mighty Kerry kicked on to win well. That was the day Liam ‘defused’ the Bomber, one of the few to keep him scoreless ever. Gerry Carroll hitting the crossbar after a great run was a killer.

Matt Connor’s class. Words can’t describe it. Then there was Johnny Mooney’s superb leap and pluck from the air to set up a point for Matt in 1980.

Sean Lowry taking out Sean Walsh in 1980. Interesting to hear him relate what referee Paddy Collins said to him. Then the footage of the final whistle shows a devastated Lowry sitting on the ground and Collins goes to him to take his ball back!

Michael O’Hehir’s commentary. “A dummy . . . still a dummy . . . ah ta heck with it I’ll take me point” after Matt Connor’s mazy run and score. On Johnny Mooney’s point “ He came flying back, he came running back, he came racing through . . .”

There were two little eras when Offaly seemed to be in Croke Park every week when the footballers and the hurlers were on runs at the same time. There was 1980, ’81 & ’82, while there was also ’97 to 2000’. Great, great days. Ní beidh a leithead ann arís

Well said plain of the herbs, maybe we are to hard on the hurler's and footballer's we have now they have a lot to live up to.
a we were spoiled back in the 80s and 90s. as i always said i seen my county win the Sam and MCarthy cups there's not to many men out
there alive that can say that.

[turk]

Did Paddy Collins train Kerry in 1981 in the changes to the handpass rule or was that just a nonsense rumour?

[The Biff]

I had forgotten how many goals Kerry "threw" into the net in 1980. Looking back on them now, those types of goals really were pathetic and were an indictment to whoever brought in that rule in the first place. It's good that Offaly relied on authentic genuine quality goals.

Also interesting to hear Eugene McGee concede that Offaly were not really up for that semi-final. Fair enough there would have been big celebrations after winning the Leinster and beating Dublin to boot, but Kerry had only 2-in-a-row at that point and so should not have been viewed in any invincible light. Still, if we had stopped them then, then the more historic and tasty day in '82 might never have happened.

Has anyone ever seen those jersey's from 1980 again? Were they ever worn for another match before or since? The vertical stripes were a bit Soccer-like but very distinctive. I dont think that design has ever appeared for another county either. Good e-Bay material for someone, someday!?!?!

Matt Connor - the legend grows with each little nugget of genius that gets broadcast now and again. What a privilege it was to see him playing at his best, and what a blessing that that it was an Offaly jersey that he graced.

Jack O'Shea - no matter how he tried to laugh it off, I reckon he's still a bit pee-ed off with Sheehy for missing the penalty.

1982 - after the goal, someone said that it came too late for Kerry to come back. I disagree. There were still a couple of minutes and Kerry had at least two separate attacks. But they wasted them, or to give our backs credit they were forced to waste them. I give the Offaly team huge credit for how they pressed Kerry back before the goal was scored, and then kept them out afterwards. It is still the greatest day in my Sporting Life. I can remember the crowd breaking through the old bull-fence of the Canal-End and clamboring over the wall. Glorious!