The result was the only disappointment as a packed Eamon Deacy Park welcomed back the Galway United and Shamrock Rovers teams that contested the FAI Cup Final 40 years ago – to see the current versions of the sides conjure up the same result at the finish.

Back then it was a goal from Noel Larkin that defeated Galway in that 1985 Cup Final; this time it was Tuam native Rory Gaffney who earned all three points for Rovers with the only goal of the game.

But watching from the stand were a host of famous faces from the past as Galway legends like Gerry Daly, John Mannion, Tommy Lally, Tony Mannion, Jimmy Nolan, Noel Mernagh, Johnny Morris-Burke, Johnny Glynn, Mickey McLoughlin, Martin McDonnell, Mike O’Toole, Gordon Brett, Derek Rogers, Brian Duff and Joey Malone were joined by old foes and long-time friends like Pat Byrne, Terry Eviston, Alan O’Neill, Harry Kenny and Noel King.

Indeed many of them weren’t from those 1985 teams as such – but all played their part in the past history between these two great clubs.

They gathered before and after in Mary Mullen’s pub – but the visit to Terryland wasn’t just about watching the game, because there was also a bucket collected for the newly-established Irish Professional Footballers’ Benevolent Association.

That’s why IPFBA chairman and former Rovers, Athlone and Dundalk centre-half Harry McCue was also in town, helping the old legends to raise the finance to help out some of their former colleagues who have fallen on hard times.

And the fans dug deep, because afterwards Gerry Daly revealed that they collected more than €2,500 on the night as Galway became the first League of Ireland club to allow such a fundraiser to take place.

It’s an event the Association hopes to take to other League of Ireland grounds in the months ahead, but next up locally is a charity golf outing at the Galway Bay Golf Resort in Rinville in September.

And it was fitting that the first one also happened on a night when Galway fans rose to remember one of their own, marking the death of John Herrick with a minute’s thunderous applause.

Pictured at the Galway United and Shamrock Rovers teams’ 40 year reunion in Mary Mullen’s, Prospect Hill,  marking the anniversary of their meeting in the 1985 FAI Cup Final, were, back row from left: Anto Whelan, Shamrock Rovers; Gerry Daly, Galway Utd; Pat Byrne, Shamrock Rovers; Mick Byrne, Shamrock Rovers; Harry McCue, Chairman IPFBA; Harry Kenny, Shamrock Rovers; Tom Lally, Galway Utd; Joey Malone, ex Galway Utd Manager; Gordon Brett, Galway Utd; Noel King, Shamrock Rovers; Terry Eviston, Shamrock Rovers; Tony Mannion, Galway Utd; Mike O’Toole, Galway Utd; Mickey McLaughlin, Galway Utd; and Brian Duff, Galway Utd. Front row from left: Alan O’Neill, Shamrock Rovers; John Naughton, Galway Utd; Jimmy Nolan, Galway Utd; John Morris-Burke, Galway Utd; Derek Rodgers, Galway Utd; and John Mannion, Galway Utd. Photos: Joe O’Shaughnessy.