ANTRIM duo Dessie Donnelly (above, left) and Terence McNaughton (above, right) are among the players to be honoured as hurling's 'Stars of the '80s' on All-Ireland hurling finals day on Sunday, September 8 at Croke Park.
Due to the fact that both Galway (hurling) and Meath (football) won back-to-back All-Ireland titles in 1987 and 1988, the customary jubilee celebration is being replaced this year. The players to be honoured were deemed to be the 15 best hurlers of the decade who didn't win an All-Ireland senior medal.
Both Ballycastle man Donnelly and Cushendall's McNaughton played for the Saffrons in the 1989 All-Ireland final loss to Tipperary. Donnelly won an Allstar that year, while McNaughton won his Allstar in 1991. Other players to be honoured include Clare's Ger Loughnane, who enjoyed a brilliant career at wing-back before going on to manage the Banner to All-Ireland titles in 1995 and 1997, and the late Tommy Quaid, widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation, whose son Nicky currently keeps goal for the Treatymen. 'Stars of the '80s': Tommy Quaid (Limerick); John Galvin (Waterford), Leonard Enright (Limerick), Dessie Donnelly (Antrim); Ger Loughnane (Clare), Sean Stack (Clare), Terence McNaughton (Antrim); Mossy Walsh (Waterford), Pat Critchely (Laois); John Callinan (Clare), Martin Quigley (Wexford), Paddy Kelly (Limerick); David Kilcoyne (Westmeath), PJ Cuddy (Laois), Jim Greene (Waterford).