Details confirmed for Gala Banquet to honour 1982 All-Ireland U-21 winners

Sunday, October 17 will forever be etched in Donegal GAA history when the county's U-21 team won the first All-Ireland title.

Now 40 years later, the history makers will come together for a special reunion in the Abbey Hotel, Donegal Town, on Friday, October 7 to mark the success. Donegal defeated Roscommon in the final on a wet day in Carrick-on-Shannon by 0-8 to 0-5, under the guidance of team manager Tom Conaghan and captain Brian Tuohy.

The Gala Banquet is being organised by members of the team with proceeds in support of the Donegal GAA Academy and two charities - Solace Cancer Centre and Parkinson's North West Branch.

Tickets for the special night are priced at €100 and can be ordered through administrator.donegal@gaa.ie or simply ringing Noreen Doherty at the GAA Office Convoy on 00353749101409.

Memories of the winning year will, no doubt, be recalled on the night. It was a different era with the competition beginning on April 25th in Breffni Park, Cavan and not completed until six months later in October.

In all Donegal played six games defeating Cavan (1-10 to 1-7), Down (in replay 0-9 to 1-4 after a 1-9 each draw), Derry (0-10 to 1-5), Laois (0-5 to 0-4) and Roscommon (0-8 t 0-5) with three points the biggest winning margin.

In a special commemorative publication to mark the 25th anniversary of the win in 2008, captain Brian Tuohy, spoke of a trip to Dublin for the Donegal U-16 panel in 1978 organised by Jackie McDermott, Jackie Reilly, Liam Mullin and Minor Board chairman and secretary Naul McCole and Eugene Boyle as being the catalyst for the success.

"We were invited to play Dublin in Croke Park. It was a fortnight after the Eoin Liston powered Kerry team beat Dublin in the 1978 before the sides met again in the National League. It was a huge experience for lads of 16 years of age to play in front of 35,000 in Croke Park and win.

"I remember meeting the likes of Joyce McMullin, Seamie Meehan, Paul Carr, Marty Carlin and others for the first time," recalled Tuohy.

Many of the same lads were involved with the minors in 1979 and 1980 and Tuohy feels they would have won the Ulster minor championship in 1980 only for the fact that it clashed with the Leaving Cert.

The other catalyst for the 1982 success was both St Eunan's and De La Salle, Ballyshannon winning All-Ireland Colleges titles in 1979 and 1980 respectively, while the Donegal U-21s were unlucky to lose out to Monaghan in the final of 1981. There wasn't any leeway as regards fixtures as the U-21s were asked to play a county final one week and an Ulster U-21 final the following week. For Tuohy it was even more difficult as he entered the Garda Training College in Templemore before the Ulster final and getting out for games wasn't simple.

"It was thanks mainly to the good offices of Kieran McCready and that was acknowledged by Eugene Boyle in correspondence to the training officer in Templemore afterwards," said Brian.

The 1982 All-Ireland win was new ground for the county and many of the side would go on to win the ultimate prize, Sam Maguire, 10 years later in 1992.

The winning team and panel was: Michael Kelly (Four Masters); Michael McBrearty (Four Masters), Sean Bonner (Na Rossa), Matt Gallagher (Naomh Brid); Eunan McIntyre (St Eunan's), Tommy McDermott (Aodh Ruadh), Brian Tuohy (Aodh Ruadh); Anthony Molloy (Ardara), Donal Reid (Red Hughs); Martin McHugh (Kilcar), Charlie Mulgrew (St Eunan's), Joyce McMullin (Four Masters); Seamus Meehan (Four Masters), Paul Carr (St Eunan's), Patrick McGroarty (St Naul's); Pauric Gallagher (Naomh Brid, RIP); Sylvester Maguire (Aodh Ruadh); Martin Shovlin (Naomh Ultan); John O'Donnell (Naomh Conaill); Marty Carlin (Red Hughs); Maurice Carr (Kilcar); John McGowan (St Naul's); Donie McCole (Ardara). Management: Tom Conaghan (Four Masters); Donal Monaghan (Four Masters, RIP); Michael Lafferty (MacCumhaill's).