The 1980 O'Byrne Cup was a Gaelic football competition contested by the county teams of Leinster GAA. It was the 22nd staging of the competition that was first held in 1954, with the aim of starting a fund for injured footballers. It was reintroduced to the GAA calendar in 1980 after not being held since 1978.
Louth won the competition after defeating Dublin in the final, played at St Brigid's Park in Dundalk.
Format The 12 participating counties were split into three groups, with the best four performing teams qualifying for the semi-final stage.
Matches Group A
Table TeamPldWDLPtsStatus Louth3 3 0 0 6 Advance to semi-finals 3 1 1 0 3 Eliminated Longford3 1 02 2 Eliminated Westmeath3 0 12 1 Eliminated
Group B
Table TeamPldWDLPtsStatus Offaly3 3 0 0 6 Advance to semi-finals Laois3 2 0 1 4 Eliminated Carlow 3 1 02 2 Eliminated Kilkenny3 0 03 0 Eliminated
Group C
Table TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 3 2 0 1 4 Advance to semi-finals Kildare3 2 0 1 4 Advance to semi-finals Wicklow3 1 02 2 Eliminated Wexford3 1 02 2 Eliminated
Semi-Finals
Final
GK1 Gerry Farrell (Cooley Kickhams)RCB2 Séamus Haughey (Dundalk Young Irelands)FB3 Michael White (Dundalk Gaels)LCB4 Frank Taaffe (Oliver Plunketts)RHB5 Michael McCabe (Dundalk Young Irelands) (c)CHB6 Aidan Wiseman (Clan na Gael)LHB7 Gary O'Callaghan (Clan na Gael)MF8 Matt McDermott (St Fechin's)MF9 Jim Lynch (Kilkerley Emmets)RHF10 Jimmy McDonnell (Geraldines)CHF11 Denis Kelleher (Dreadnots)LHF12 Eugene Judge (Newtown Blues)RCF13 Pat Lennon (Kilkerley Emmets)FF14 J.P. O'Kane (Kilkerley Emmets)LCF15 Kevin Dawe (O'Raghallaighs)Substitutes: 16 Johnny McDonnell (St Fechin's) for Dawe GK1 Niall Fitzgerald (Na Fianna)RCB2 Colm Murphy (St Margaret's)FB3 Tommy Drumm (Whitehall Colmcille)LCB4 Dave Foran (Crumlin)RHB5 Mick Kennedy (St Margaret's)CHB6 Gerry Collins (Kilmacud Crokes)LHB7 Fran Ryder (St Vincent's)MF8 Rupert Davis (O'Dwyer's)MF9 Bernard Brogan (St Oliver Plunketts)RHF10 Pat Canavan (St Vincent's)CHF11 Anton O'Toole (Synge Street)LHF12 Jim Ronayne (Clontarf)RCF13 Johnny Quinn (Na Fianna)FF14 Tony Hanahoe (St Vincent's)LCF15 Bobby Doyle (St Vincent's)Substitutes: 16 Barney Rock (Ballymun Kickhams) for Murphy 17 Pádraig Heffernan (Naomh Barróg) for Collins
References