Might be fun to get people's opinions on what they considered were the best senior football and hurling championships they have lived through, be it in terms of your county doing well, the quality of games, controversies/incidents or whatever.

For me looking back even though I was only a young enough fella, the 2000 All Ireland championship had it all, great matches and battles between Kerry Armagh and Galway. Three great teams that would each win an All Ireland over the following three seaons. Was a hell of a way to win the All Ireland, going through two replays in semi final and final. Seemed to recall it was nearly middle of October by time the replay was on for the final. Great year.

In hurling, well I suppose its hard to look past last year with the great games and epic All Ireland battle between Clare and Cork. Thank god the Kerry and Dublin match managed to remind people football has it merits too!

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 20/08/2014 17:06:26    1639503

1995 hurling and football. Great games and managed to have backed Dubs and Clare in July and doubled them up :-)

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 20/08/2014 17:25:08    1639523

1991 in football the year of the draw. The four game saga between the Dubs and Meath. Meath won their 5th Leinster Championship in 6 years, Roscommon win back to back titles in the West for the first time in a decade beating Mayo after a replay, Kerry win their first Munster in 5 years to end their drought and Down win their first their Ulster in ten years. It took Meath 9 games to reach the All Ireland final only to fall short to Down who Sam and it goes north for the first time in 23 years.

Hurling its hard to look past last year but there was some great years in the 90s.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 20/08/2014 17:57:10    1639542

95 was class!

Remember the Hill singing Jayo, everybody say Jayo.. JAYO

The Banners breakthrough was great - totally different to the Dub in that they were such an underdog..

And of course what made me happiest of all was the run which our minors made - All-Ireland Champions.

A real stand-out year

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1415 - 20/08/2014 18:02:31    1639545

2010 was fairly decent

Down shocking Kerry in the quarters
Dublin falling apart when they should have beaten Cork
Cork falling over the line after years banging on the door

Sligo beat both Galway and Mayo but fell to Roscommon in the final
Dublin DID NOT WIN LEINSTER-We all remember poor Louth

Loads of drama throughout the season

In the hurling Kilkenny were finally beaten on the drive for five
Some decent matches throughout the year too notably Tipp v Galway

shaggykev (Donegal) - Posts: 188 - 20/08/2014 18:12:17    1639549

And the Hill supported your minors Ban! Played same day Leinster final, AI semi and AI final. Quite a bond developed!!

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 20/08/2014 18:21:39    1639554

Have to go with last year for the hurling. Failing that, 2010 with Lar destroiying KK.

In football, 2005 in terms of standard was miles ahead of any before or since.
In terms of entertainment and the team I was most impressed by, I would probably say Donegal in 2012. They made possibly the toughest run of matches in championship history look almost easy with the manner in which they won it.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5012 - 20/08/2014 18:24:20    1639557

Peil 1991-
Ciarraí v Corcaigh
An Mhí v BAC x 4
An Mhí v Cill Mhantáin x 2
Ros Comáin v Maigh Eo x 2
An Dún v Doire
An Dún v Ciarraí
An Mhí v Ros Comáin
An Dún v An Mhí

Each provincial championship featured classics- hard to match.

Iománaíocht 1996-
Luimneach v An Clár
Luimneach v TÁ x 2
Loch Garman v CC
Loch Garman v Uíbh Fháilí
Loch Garman v Gaillimh

Not as confident on this one as the final was of a forgettable standard- I'm open to challenge

No disrespect to anyone, but it beats me how anyone rates last year's hurling championship as being good- couldn't name a classic match in it. 1st semi final this year, for example, was streets ahead of any of last year's games

an tseabhac (Kerry) - Posts: 441 - 20/08/2014 18:32:59    1639564

Should be a rule here that one cannot nominate a year when one's native county won the title (because of obvious bias)- our Craobh Mumhain in 1991 was nearly as sweet though!

An Lú knocking our Cill Dara that year was another good 'un

an tseabhac (Kerry) - Posts: 441 - 20/08/2014 18:35:29    1639566

@An Tseabhac

I remember that Louth/Kildare match like it was yesterday. Mickos first championship match with the Lilly Whites. Super Stefan White was brilliant that day. One of the few days that the Wee County could celebrate. There was no health and safety in the Gaa Grounds in Drogheda back then. Louth went on to meet Laois in the semi-final. They lost after a replay. The second match will be remembered for the big brawl.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 20/08/2014 19:13:14    1639592

probably the period of 2000-2002 was the most enjoyable for me. 2001 even too!
This was attacking exciting football in its prime.
2000 had some great games Kerry v Armagh x2 (the replay in the semi final was prob my favourite game in Croker) then 2 titantic battles with Galway.
2002 as a whole was my favourite championship year even if Kerry eventually lost out in the final to a great attacking second half display by Armagh

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 21/08/2014 08:09:07    1639699

Football - hard to pick any one year, there've been both crackers and borefests every time.

Hurling in which KK didn't win - '98, the soap opera that was Clare, would've gotten fair play in the abandoned semi v Offaly if Loughnane and his players kept their noses clean. The reemergence of Waterford and 35 years' worth of slagging across the Suir. Bond taking on the 'Sheep-in-a-heap' and, of course, winning the thing( against us in the Final but hey..).
Then there's last year. Dubs winning Leinster, OY putting 4 goals past KK, ye other 31 would've enjoyed a KK-less semis even though we provided some of the best games, notably v Tipp in Nowlan Pk and v WD in Thurles. Limerick's first Munster title in ages too.

So far this year - the WX/Clare saga. KK v Limk playing great stuff in atrocious conditions.

AnFearDonn (Kilkenny) - Posts: 65 - 21/08/2014 10:57:21    1639774

Excluding Dublin's recent wins of course :-)
2005 was excellent, every final (provincial and All Ireland) within a kick of a ball from going the other way or a draw.
Armagh and Tyrone's replay for the Ulster title and then Tyrone getting their own back in the semi.

Stephen O'Neill was at his peak, Brian Dooher inspirational. Sean Cavanagh really cementing his place as one of the best midfielders and of course Muggsy the fecker against the Dubs and just in general. McMenamin, the player I hated most at the time but was very effective.

Absolutely despised that years championship and Tyrone at the time but looking back on it both were brilliant.

GAAHattrick (Dublin) - Posts: 278 - 21/08/2014 11:28:04    1639796

2008, if it was one Kerry didn't win, I'd go for it. that championship had a lot going for it; the Galvin saga, that bizarre Munster Final when Cork were dead and buried only for big man Cussan to come on and snatch victory with 3 goals, Wexford's fine run, great master class by Tyrone against Dublin, the epic monsoon match between Kerry and Galway and, even though I was devastated at full time, the All Ireland final was pretty damn exciting.

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 21/08/2014 11:43:17    1639810

I thought 2012 was very good. Lots of big games, surprises, new teams challenging, clashes of styles, a celebrity gaa manager and an unusual pairing in an AI final. Everything seemed very fresh and new. A polar opposite to this year in fairness.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 21/08/2014 11:47:41    1639813

1990 Munster Hurling Final
1990 All-Ireland Hurling Final
1991 Munster Hurling Final & Replay
1996 Munster Semi-Final (Clare v Limerick)
2003 Munster Hurling Final
2006 All-Ireland Semi-Final (Cork v Waterford)
2007 All-Ireland Quarter Final (Cork v Waterford)
2013 All-Ireland Final & Replay

The_Bull (Cork) - Posts: 248 - 21/08/2014 11:56:12    1639819

2002 football championship was a great year. The Dublin v Donegal quarter - final on bank holiday Monday. The epic run and colour Sligo brought to Croke Park, the year the Gooch came on the scene, Longford minors winning Leinster and of course the great final when Armagh lifted Sam after a second half full of passion and pride.

sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 21/08/2014 12:16:42    1639837

The_Bull
County: Cork
Posts: 145

1639819 1990 Munster Hurling Final
1990 All-Ireland Hurling Final
1991 Munster Hurling Final & Replay
1996 Munster Semi-Final (Clare v Limerick)
2003 Munster Hurling Final
2006 All-Ireland Semi-Final (Cork v Waterford)
2007 All-Ireland Quarter Final (Cork v Waterford)
2013 All-Ireland Final & Replay

An exhaustive list in which you fail to include the drawn All-Ireland semi final of 2003 between Cork and Wexford ?? Very careless.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 21/08/2014 12:37:40    1639852

For me it was 2005 in football. Tyrones epic battles with Dublin and Armagh, the drama of the Leinster Final and the epic final between Kerry and Tyrone. 2012 in hurling wasnt bad either

222 (UK) - Posts: 692 - 21/08/2014 14:35:31    1639969

The 2013 hurling championship, and the 2010 football championships were very enjoyable.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 23/08/2014 18:44:18    1640924