Luxury reunion holiday planned by Offaly football heroes – supporters welcome to travel

OFFALY football heroes of the past have planned a big re-union holiday later this year. Members of the Offaly teams that won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1982 and 1972 will celebrate milestone anniversaries of their big success with a luxury all inclusive holiday to Turkey.

They will go to an upmarket five star resort in sun lashed Turkey for a week on Wednesday, September 14.

The group are staying in the Hotel Kaya in Belek, flying into Antalya, which is about a thirty minute bus transfer away. It is a 5 star resort at its very best and the town of Belek, with its many shops, including leather, jewellery, designer clothes etc, is only a five minute taxi drive away.

It is an excellent resort with four restaurants, 4/5 separate bars/lounges, four connected swimming pools and its own private beach. There is also a Leisure Centre with an indoor pool, gym, saunas and a spa along with hairdressers, massage centre, etc. The resort includes its own 18 hole championship course and golf will be arranged later..

All drinks, including wine, beer, whiskey, brandy etc are included. All meals are also included with breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight supper all available. The bars are open from 11am to 2am.

People won't have to spend a euro unless they want to on the holiday which represents very good value at €1,089. The travel agent is Edenderry man, Freddie Grehan, himself a former Offaly footballer.

It is the 40th anniversary of Offaly's famous win over Kerry in 1982 and the 50th of their replay triumph over the same opposition ten years earlier.

Both 1982 and 1971/1972 teams have organised frequent reunions over the years. The 1971 squad travelled to Portugal to celebrate their silver jubilee back in 1996 and many of the squad went on a yearly trip for several years after that – sadly the main organiser of those trips and the scorer of a crucial goal in the 1972 win over Kerry, Paddy Fenning passed away last year.

The 1982 squad marked their silver jubilee with a memorable Mediterranean cruise in 2007 – they have generally marked their success every fifth year since then, usually with trips to Kerry while they went to Portugal five years ago. Members of the Kerry team that Offaly beat in 1982 are travelling to Esker Hills Golf Club for an outing with the victors on the Friday before the All-Ireland senior football final, July 22.

Most of the 1982 squad are expected to travel to Turkey with Martin Furlong and Gerry Carroll making the journey from New York.

They have decided to invite members of the 1971 and 1972 squads to travel as well – their exploits played a pivotal role in the development of the 1982 squad while three players, Martin Furlong, Sean Lowry and Seamus Darby won All-Ireland medals in both eras.

Supporters, family and friends are also welcome to travel to Turkey. Over 100 people travelled on previous holidays by both panels and an open invitation is being extended to anyone who wishes to travel.

A deposit of €250 per person is required shortly and more information can be got from Freddie Grehan, Golfholidays.ie at 086 8584144 and freddie@golfholidays.ie.