GAA rivalries from the glory days of the seventies – evolved into lifelong friendships – are captured in a new feature-length documentary that focuses on some of the great teams of the modern era, including Dublin and Kerry…and the Galway team described by one Dublin icon as the greatest team never to win an All-Ireland.

TG4 will screen GAA 70’s – Réabhlóid Shóisialta (GAA 70’s – A Social Revolution), later this month; a brand-new, celebratory bilingual, feature-length documentary, that captures one of the most defining eras in Gaelic Games and Irish society.

Produced by Bankos Tales for TG4 with the support of Coimisiún na Meán, the film is shot in stunning 4K and offers unprecedented access to the legendary figures who shaped a golden decade of Gaelic Football.

In this cinematic and emotionally rich documentary, some of the greatest players from Dublin, Galway and Kerry reunite in their county colours to reflect on their friendships, rivalries, and the journey to Croke Park.

The documentary features an extensive cast of legendary players and influential figures including Galway’s Colie McDonagh, Brendan Colleran, Liam Sammon and Jimmy Duggan; Dublin’s Tony Hanahoe, Robbie Kelleher, Bobby Doyle, Gay O’Driscoll and Alan Larkin; Kerry’s Ogie Moran, Mickey Sheehy, Ger Power, and Cork’s Jimmy Barry Murphy.

The film also includes the last recorded interview with Seán Doherty and previously unseen footage featuring Brian Mullins.

The programme weaves a continuous narrative shaped by intimate interviews, rare archive footage, re-enactments, and unforgettable match moments.

It also unearths hidden stories in locations including Galway Golf Club with the Dubs and the Tribesmen from the seventies back together to watch the 2024 Championship quarter-final.

As both teams watched the game together, the Tribesmen celebrated a breakthrough moment 90 years in the making.

It was one of the stars of that breakthrough Dublin team of Heffo’s Army, David Hickey who proclaimed that the Galway team of the 70’s ‘was probably the greatest team never to win an All-Ireland’.

In turn, Galway’s Tommy Joe Gilmore describes the appointment of Kevin Heffernan as ‘a major, major coup’ while his team-mate Johnny Hughes admitted of that 1974 Final: “We foolishly fell into the trap, it was naivety on our part.”

The documentary contextualises the evolution of Gaelic Football within the broader social changes of 1970s Ireland. With unique insight, contributors recall how the sport, and the country, entered a period of profound cultural and social transformation.

The documentary culminates with the electrifying Dublin–Kerry rivalry that became “box office,” celebrating its golden jubilee while honouring the memory of fallen comrades.

GAA 70’s – Réabhlóid Shóisialta is a documentary for everyone; those who lived through the decade and those discovering its history for the first time.

It reflects on the origins of modern Gaelic Games, establishing new approaches, the social bonds formed through football, and the legacies that continue to inspire new generations.

The film also shines a light on the landmark inaugural Ladies All-Ireland Final in 1974, offering essential context to the evolution of women’s sport in Ireland.

TG4 will show two versions of the programme – the first on Monday, December 22, at 7:45pm, with Irish Sign Language (ISL) and Audio Description on TG4 and worldwide on TG4.ie, and the second on Tuesday, December 30, at 9pm, with English subtitles and Audio Description on TG4 and worldwide on TG4.ie.

Pictured: Tony Hanohoe in action in the Galway goalmouth, as Tommy Joe Gilmore watches on during the 1974 All-Ireland Football Final.