The Road to Croker was much different 40 years ago for Shay Given

The photo on Packie Keeney’s Facebook page last week was a great reminder of how things were for Donegal fans travelling to big games back in the day.

“We were travelling to support Donegal minors, theUlster champions, who were playing Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final in 1985 in Croke Park. 

“It is a sign of the times. We didn’t think anything of it at the time,” said Packie Keeney.

This weekend the Donegal fans will be on the road again but there will be more cars and other means of transport.

“It will be a different scene,” says Keeney, who said it was typical of what was happening then.

“The 1983 All-Ireland semi-final against Galway, I have photographs of that game and I think they estimated there was 35,000 at that game. So that was kind of average enough for a semi-final at that stage. Donegal would  have had most of them.

“But the last day in Dublin, Donegal would have 35,000 of their own there. I would say it was the biggest Donegal exodus ever to Croke Park.”

Among those in the back of Packie’s car was his nephew Shay Given, who would go on to become a household name at professional soccer level.

“He was only nine there. Himself and our Michael were the same age. Shay was all into it at the time. He grew up with both sides of the football scene. He was talented enough to do both, just like his father.

“We had no luck against Cork that day. We lost by a few points.”

Around those years Packie Keeney started videoing Donegal GAA matches but he wasn’t able to do so in Croke Park.

“I wasn’t allowed to do any video in Croke Park. I did do a video that year in the first round of the championship in Ballybofey. I put it up there last week on my Youtube channel.

“Funny enough I got a call from Jimmy White only a week ago when he saw the photo of the packed car going to Croke Park. He said ‘I just saw the photo and I was laughing because I was intending to ring you because we have a get-together at the end of August and I was wondering if you had anything on that team’.

“I was able to tell him that we had that first game anyway.”

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Packie hasn’t made up his mind yet if he will go to the final. “I was up at the semi-final and my son Declan was looking for a ticket. If I get only one I will give it to him.

But then he has seen the other three All-Ireland finals so it might be hard to keep him away.

“It was amazing too. We never thought we would win an All-Ireland and then ‘92 came along. I don’t think anything will ever surpass that for me. It is fantastic to win an All-Ireland at any time.”

This Donegal team will be playing their 11th game in the championship. “If they pull this off it will be amazing. But they are playing unbelievable football,” said Keeney, who says it is much better with the new rules.

“I had moved away from watching it. I was fed up with the old game until this change. I think there could be a few wee tweaks done but it is a 10 times better game.

“We have some fine footballers there now; the skill they have is incredible, every single member of that team could play in the forward line or back line, anywhere.”

If he decides to travel on Sunday, the car load will be much lighter.

“I was thinking there, Marcus Given, on the left in the photo, he runs a health and safety company now over in Newcastle. It wouldn’t be in the work manual what happened in 1985

“Some of the boys were also joking about the hairdos in the photo,” laughs Keeney.

Shay Given has had a wonderful soccer career but like many others still retains his close Donegal links.

Just over a week ago he was  special guest at a fund-raising breakfast event in the Clanree Hotel and has helped out in the past with Donegal squads.

His memory of being in the back of Packie Keeney’s car on the trip to Croke Park in 1985 was also rekindled by the photograph.

“Those were great times and we were just happy to get a day out. Trips to Croke Park didn’t come around too often at that time. But since then Donegal have been regulars taking the journey.

“Hopefully, this present team will make a successful one on Sunday next and I would like to wish Jim McGuinness and all the boys the best of luck. It would be nice to have Sam back home in Donegal next week,” said Given.