They were the hurling heroes of our halcyon days – the Galway legends who bridged a 57-year gap to bring the Liam McCarthy Cup west of the Shannon for only the second time – and they gathered again at the weekend to remember and be honoured for that September day.

The All-Ireland winning panel and mentors were the star turn at this year’s Báireoirí na Gaillmhe annual social in the Clayton Hotel on Saturday night, where they also heard the night’s special guest Bosco McDermott – a man who won three football All-Irelands in-a-row – talk of his love and passion for the game of hurling.

Over 350 guests were present on the night – so many of them Báireoirí members who share the honour of having lined out in the maroon in white, through thick and thin, over the decades.

Five of that 1980 panel are gone to their reward and a few just couldn’t make it on the night – but this was a gathering of legendary hurlers to whet the appetite of any Galway GAA fan.

Those departed – Niall McInerney, Joe McDonagh, Finbarr Gantley, Jimmy Cooney and John Ryan, as well as selector and another Galway great, MJ ‘Inky’ Flaherty – were represented by close family members.

And a wonderful 56-page booklet produced by Tom Greene was a lasting memento of the night, with the memories of all of that squad of that unforgettable victory revealed.

Caption: The Galway panel which won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final in 1980, pictured at the annual social of Báireoirí na Gaillimhe in the Clayton Hotel on Saturday night, with family representatives of those who are gone or who were unable to attend (back row – from left) Shane McInerney (son of Niall), Willie Bennett, Frank Burke, Iggy Clarke, Gerry Glynn, Bernard Forde, Michael Earls, Michael Connolly, Mattie Conneely, Adrian Coioney (son of Jimmy); middle: John Connolly, Oliver King (brother of Michael), Pascal Ryan, Teresa Mahon (wife of Steve), Teresa Curtain (wife of Gerry), Deirdre Timlin (daughter of Inky Flaherty), Kay Cooney, Mary Ganley (wife of Finbar), Jackie Dervan, Caroline Lucas (daughter of Jack), Michael Mulkerrins, Padraic Connolly, with (front) Cyril Farrell, Sylvie Linnane, Sean Silke, Theresa Callinan (wife of former Hurling Board chairman Tom), special guest Bosco McDermott, Joe Connolly, Conor Hayes, and Bernie O’Connor. Photo: Joe Keane.

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