St Finbarr's mark 40 years since famous 1985 Cork SFC triumph

There was a strong sense of nostalgia and pride last Friday, November 21, as St Finbarr’s marked the 40th anniversary of their 1985 Cork SFC title win over Clonakilty, a night that brought together almost every member of that historic panel.

Held at Heineken, the reunion drew a crowd of around 70, most of those that would have played hurling and football in that era of Barrs history.

“It was a great night, great night,” says Paddy Hayes, former All-Ireland winner with Cork and St Finbarr’s. “Lots of old friends and lots of old faces that I hadn't seen in a while.

“Brendan Searles and Mark Healy were the only fellas missing. Brendan was in America and Mark Healy was actually working in America. So those two couldn't make it, but everybody else was there. So we only had a panel of 20 on the day, 15 players and five subs!” 

The 1985 success remains one of the club’s defining football moments – their last county title before 2018. The Barrs beat Clonakilty that year before losing out to Imokilly in 1986, but went on to represent Cork and claim the All-Ireland Club title in March 1987.

“We wouldn't have thought in 1985 that it would have taken us so long to win another one.

“I was only just out of school at the time so I went from doing my Leaving Cert to playing with the likes of Jimmy Barry-Murphy and Dave Barry, and my teacher, Damien Philpott, who taught me English in school,” Hayes remarks. “I was the baby of the team.

“It was surreal really. I didn't really appreciate it because I was so young,” he says. “The Barrs in the 80s had won a lot of stuff before I came along, but to get into a team with the quality of what we had, there's a photograph of the team there, we were a big unit with a lot of big names and a lot of big players.” Was it made any more surreal to finish school and start playing alongside the English teacher?

“It wasn't really because he coached us in the Corn Uí Mhuirí,” Hayes explains. “He had coached me from under 16 to 18, he had a big influence on my career to be honest with you.

“It was more Jimmy Barry-Murphy, who was your folk hero at the time. Growing up, it was all Jimmy Barry-Murphy. Like when he’s your hero, and you get to play with him in a county final, it's kind of a dream come true.” 

The anniversary comes at a special moment for the club, with the Togher side preparing to celebrate their 150th year in 2026 and fresh off another county title win in 2025, with a Munster final to look forward to.

“When I was organising, the idea came around April or May,” says Paddy. “Obviously we hadn't won the county at that stage. I was just chatting to a few of my friends and I said wouldn't it be fantastic if we had the cup.

“It's a great time in the club, especially when you win a county. To be participating in the Munster club final in two weeks’ time, it's brilliant.

“To be honest it was just an idea that came when we were chatting some night in the club, I said I'd organise it so I just made a few calls. I had all the lads' names and numbers so I just contacted the lads and told them there was a night.

“Clonakilty were supposed to come up, but we were restricted on numbers so I had asked Eoin O’Mahony for four or five of them, but they couldn’t come on the night. It was a small bit disappointing, but sure we ploughed on.

“To be fair to Heineken, Aidan Cotter, I rang Aidan Cotter to see if he'd host it and he obliged so it was a great place to have it.

“A couple of phone calls and a couple of texts – a night in Heineken – on a Friday night in November, and a lot of fellas were going to show up!”