Galway 1980s ?-??
Galway 2017 ?-??
A crowd of over 7,000 turned up at a wet Kenny Park in Athenry this evening to watch the triumphant Galway hurlers of 2017 take on the kingpins of 1987 and 88 in a challenge match in aid of the Tony Keady fund.
In addition to the Galway luminaries of the '80s and of 2017, there were players from other counties participating including Brian Whelehan, Frank Lohan Colin Lynch and Ger Hegarty.
Two Galway camogie stars Deirdre Burke and Heather Cooney (both siblings of members of the 2017 hurling team) togged out in the match.
Not only that but there were three sets of fathers and sons on the pitch. 1980s stars Gerry McInerney and Joe Cooney lined out against their respective sons Gearoid McInerney and Joseph Cooney of the class of '17.
While dashing corner forward on the '87 and '88 team Éanna Ryan was lined up in opposition to his son Shane, a member of the Galway minor side that defeated Cork last Sunday.
The unique match was organised in memory of Tony Keady, the former Galway hurler who died suddenly last month.
What a great photo! Joe and Joseph Cooney and our own Gerry Mac with his son Gearóid McInerney at the Tony Keady Fund match in Kenny Park pic.twitter.com/d4mKi1CgX2
— Kinvara GAA (@kinvaragaa) September 7, 2017
Keady was centre-half back on the Galway team which won All-Ireland titles in 1987 and 1988.
He was named the Man of the Match after the latter final, though he famously ended up forsaking the banquet and presentation.
We will be taking on the 88' team tomorrow evening @6.30pm in Athenry! Please support and all donations are welcome https://t.co/esCo1rs2QI
— Joe Canning (@JoeyCan88) September 6, 2017
He won All-Star awards in 1986 and 1988 and was named Hurler of the Year in '88.
Keady's widow Margaret and their four children, Shannon, Anthony, Jake and Henry were all present. Jake and Henry carried the Liam McCarthy Cup and Bob O'Keeffe Cup onto the pitch prior to the match.
As for the result of the match, that appears to be inconclusive at this point.
Those of us who'd confidently predicted a narrow win for the 1980s team thanks to a late Noel Lane goal were confounded as an early flurry of three-pointers from the 1980s team prompted referee Christy Browne to stop counting the score.
No doubt an appeal is in train.
Notwithstanding their apparent defeat tonight, 2017 All-Ireland winning manager Micheál Donoghue was jubilantly tossed into the air by members of his squad in Athenry tonight.
It was his birthday tonight though he isn't divulging his age. Given that he won a minor All-Ireland title in 1992, we can guess the age range.
When quizzed about his exact age, he responded that "even a guard wouldn't ask me that."
Donoghue told RTÉ Sport that Tony Keady had a direct influence on the team which won the All-Ireland last weekend.
"The crowd here is just phenomenal. But it's for an unbelievable cause. The outpouring of emotion since the passing of Tony has been unbelievable.
"Margaret, Shannon, Anthony, Jake and Harry, the resilience, the fght that they've shown has been just unbelievable. And we were delighted to support it today.
"Even from our own perspective, he coached an awful lot of lads on that team. And obviously the 87 and 88 team are held in the highest regard.
"Obviously, they were the last fellas that won the All-Ireland so they're held in the highest esteem and Tony was one of those."
