After Kildare's heartbreaking defeat yesterday , and Louth's Leinster final misery.I was just wondering what was each counties most gut-wrenching defeat . As a Laois man I'm voting for our 2005 Leinster final defeat to Dublin . Down by 7 to 2 and later by 11 to 8 , we led 14 to 12 with minutes remaining , but lost out by one ( thanks to a couple of very dubious decisions ) . Would be interested to hear opinions .

Malonemagic (Laois) - Posts: 818 - 30/08/2010 19:46:41    760687

Cork loosing each time to Kerry in Croke Park especially the All Ireland finals of 2007 and 2009. I never felt so bad. Same will probably happen this year unless a born miracle happens.

Rebeldude (Cork) - Posts: 5 - 30/08/2010 21:00:13    760777

Limerick hurlers versus Offaly in 1994. 5 points ahead after 65 mins & playing well, end up losing by 6 points. The wait since '73 goes on...
For the footballers losing to Cork last year by 1 point in the Munster final was one in a long list of so near but so far.

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1156 - 30/08/2010 21:20:26    760808

Last years for tipp would have been up there....

but for me the ones that really hurt were the two defeats by clare in 1997 having last ditch shots (missed) to win both games made it even worse!!

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 30/08/2010 21:25:55    760817

Had to be losing to Kilkenny in 1991. We were 2 points up and Kilkenny (DJ, who else) got a goal which should not have been allowed. I will never forget the pit in my stomach and the tears of people coming out of the ground. I was only a kid at the time but it was so so disappointing. We should have won that year and that team were better than the team which won the All-Ireland in 1996 as well. The defeat to Kilkenny in 1993 after an Eamonn Morrissey point got them a replay was nearly as bad but at least we got a 2nd day.
Also right up there would be the defeat to Offaly in 1998, Johnny Dooley got a goal with the last puck of the match but at least we had tasted success at that stage.

Undoubtedly the worst defeat I have ever witnessed was Limerick in 1994 All-Ireland. How a county could recover from that I dont know.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 30/08/2010 21:35:32    760823

Rebeldude
County: Cork
Posts: 5

760777 Cork loosing each time to Kerry in Croke Park especially the All Ireland finals of 2007 and 2009. I never felt so bad. Same will probably happen this year unless a born miracle happens.

Would u get a grip man. Have you any faith in your county. A miracle? Wise up boy

rebeltrev (Cork) - Posts: 344 - 30/08/2010 21:35:43    760824

Would have said '95 against dublin when Charlie Redmond played on after being sent off and Peter the Great lost out on the levelling point because he was accused of lifting the ball off the ground. Think that defeat spurred on alot of young lads to become the team of the 00's which brought us 3 All Irelands though.

This years defeat to dublin was pretty galling too.

KennellyAirways (Tyrone) - Posts: 33 - 30/08/2010 21:44:09    760836

Getting beaten by Antrim in the hurling qualifiers this year.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 31/08/2010 08:26:00    760886

Nothing will ever hurt as much as losing to Wexford on September 1st 1996.

We had lost the All-Ireland final to Offaly in 94 in freak circumstances, Offaly caught us, good luck to them. In 95 we were hammered by Clare in the Munster final so in 96 we seemed up for it more. We beat Wexford in the NHL 1-13 to 0-8 in a game where Ciaran Carey destroyed George O'Connor. I never thought Wexford a threat. We marched through Munster destroying Cork, scraping past Clare, defeating Tipp in a replay and then beating Antrim in the All-Ireland semi.

Wexford got over Kilkenny with a 3 point win, needed a replay & extra time to see off Offaly but were superb in extra time with great point from Dempsey. By the time they knocked out Galway I was beginning to fear them. The semi finals were both in Croker and the noise of the Wexford fans that day was scary. But still going into the final I thought we had a good chance.

And then the final. Scallan sent off in the first half, Limerick 0-5 to 0-1 up after 15 minutes and then it all went wrong. Wexford had added hunger after going a man down. Mike Galligan was never used, we had a goal from Brian Tobin disallowed & we don't to this day know why, and at the end of the game the referee told Mike Houlihan (with us 2 points down) that his 65 had to go directly to the net. Apparently there was one second left on the clock.

nevertheless the better side did win on the day but that for me is my county's most painful defeat ever.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6628 - 31/08/2010 09:02:17    760902

Defeat to Meath in 2001. After going into the semi final as reigning champs and slight favourites Meath gave us a hammering never to forget. I've never seen Kerry outclassed in every position for an entire game from start to finish. It was over as a contest at half time. How Meath must have felt to go on and lose the final though?

Corrxxx (Kerry) - Posts: 584 - 31/08/2010 09:53:18    760937

Defeat to Kerry in 2009, it was the first time in 10 years I thought we had a better team than them.

Redfoot (Cork) - Posts: 388 - 31/08/2010 10:30:10    760985

Wexford in 08 wasn't nice. Bossed the game for 50 minute & then totally stopped.
Cavan in 05 was a bit of a sickner too.
Kildare & Ofally in 97 & 98 Leinster finals.
91 all Ireland to down. After that whole year I thought the team deserved a bit more.

Jinxie (Meath) - Posts: 6348 - 31/08/2010 10:56:31    761022

Have to agree with slayer, 96 v Wexford was the worst. I remember not wanting to go to school the day after and the parents said that was fine as they were as devastated as me! The expectation was way higher in 96 than 94.

lightbrigade (Limerick) - Posts: 16 - 31/08/2010 11:08:22    761038

Meath 91 - Carlsberg don't do heart breaking defeats, but if they did that one would be it

NavyNBlue (Dublin) - Posts: 1357 - 31/08/2010 11:13:49    761048

Meath in 2002. Led 2-09 to 1-08 injury time.
Some unbelievable naive defending & we lost 3-08 to 2-09 with 2 injury time goals from Geraghty & Kealy.

Dublin in Navan 1996. Led 0-08 0-07 with about 2 minutes to go having played really well in a very tight game.
Conceded a really sloppy goal to Joe Mc Nally & lost by 1-09 to 0-08.

Meath this year of course...

sam57 (Louth) - Posts: 1502 - 31/08/2010 11:14:22    761050

Losing to Meath in '96 was painful for us Tyrone supporters but alot more painful for the players!

Goodfella, Tir (None) - Posts: 1652 - 31/08/2010 11:51:14    761090

this years leinster final.enough said.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 31/08/2010 11:56:37    761101

limerick in 2008 was sickening after travelling the whole way down with great hopes after 2007..wexford was sickening aswell should never have lost that game 2008

sam1996 (Meath) - Posts: 436 - 31/08/2010 11:58:52    761107

too many to think of!!

arrows85 (Carlow) - Posts: 202 - 31/08/2010 12:00:16    761109

limerick in 2008 was sickening after travelling the whole way down with great hopes after 2007..wexford was sickening aswell should never have lost that game 2008

sam1996,

did you go to any bars in Limerick that night? I was in one & the Meath fans were speechless. Then a clever DJ played 'Limerick you're a lady' & the Meath lads started cracking up, then the video of the match was shown & every Meath lad left the pub. They were gutted, poor souls.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6628 - 31/08/2010 12:06:46    761120