National Forum

Best 5 GAA County Managers In Your Time

(Oldest Posts First)

Tomsmith here

I ask you to name the best 5 County Gaa managers in your time of watching Gaa matchs .
Present day managers can be included even if the dont mange ones own County
My six are as follows
No1 John Kiely Limerick
No2 Michael Harte Tyrone
No 3 John Maughan Mayo
No4 Martin Mc Hugh Cavan Manager
No 5 Jack o Connor Kerry manager

Kevin Heffernan , Malachy o Rourke, James Mc Guinness did not make my selection cut
Put your expert opinion down

tomsmith (Cavan) - Posts: 4145 - 20/02/2026 09:29:42    2657404

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Replying To tomsmith:  "Tomsmith here

I ask you to name the best 5 County Gaa managers in your time of watching Gaa matchs .
Present day managers can be included even if the dont mange ones own County
My six are as follows
No1 John Kiely Limerick
No2 Michael Harte Tyrone
No 3 John Maughan Mayo
No4 Martin Mc Hugh Cavan Manager
No 5 Jack o Connor Kerry manager

Kevin Heffernan , Malachy o Rourke, James Mc Guinness did not make my selection cut
Put your expert opinion down"
Mick O'Dwyer
Mickey Harte
Brian Cody
John Kiely
Liam Griffin

In no particular order.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18437 - 20/02/2026 09:59:54    2657409

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Martin McDermott -Roscommon

moros (Roscommon) - Posts: 1267 - 20/02/2026 10:04:00    2657413

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Mick O'Dwyer
Brian Cody
Jim Gavin
Sean Boylan
Cyril Farrell

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8441 - 20/02/2026 10:48:01    2657426

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1. Jim Gavin
2. Mick O'Dwyer
3. Paidi
4. Jack O'Connor
5.Mickey Harte

Honorable mentions to Jim McGuiness, Davy Burke, John O'Mahoney, Mikey Moran, Billy Morgan

sourmilk93 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1272 - 20/02/2026 11:21:58    2657435

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Replying To Viking66:  "Mick O'Dwyer
Mickey Harte
Brian Cody
John Kiely
Liam Griffin

In no particular order."
Jack oconnor gets in in my opinion for recird at evddy level with kerry i have in over grigvin or kiely

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 1194 - 20/02/2026 11:24:04    2657436

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "Mick O'Dwyer
Brian Cody
Jim Gavin
Sean Boylan
Cyril Farrell"
Goid list jack oconor to me gets in on that list but some it is sjubhective when throwing hurling and footbalk together

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 1194 - 20/02/2026 11:24:54    2657437

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Mick o dywer
Cody
Jack O'Connor or jim gavin
Jim gavin or jack .
Sean boylan

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 1194 - 20/02/2026 11:26:38    2657439

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I'd have Ger Loughnane in my list.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2727 - 20/02/2026 12:01:32    2657448

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Replying To Gaaforlife2023:  "Goid list jack oconor to me gets in on that list but some it is sjubhective when throwing hurling and footbalk together"
Fair point. If it was just football it'd be:

Mick O'Dwyer
Jim Gavin
Sean Boylan
Mickey Harte
Jimmy McGuinness.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8441 - 20/02/2026 12:11:49    2657453

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Micko
Jim Gavin
Ger Loughnane
Brian Cody
John O'Mahony (for obvious reasons)

Bonus managers, Sean Boylan, Joe Kernan

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1823 - 20/02/2026 13:57:11    2657478

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "Fair point. If it was just football it'd be:

Mick O'Dwyer
Jim Gavin
Sean Boylan
Mickey Harte
Jimmy McGuinness."
These would be my 5 also.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 2081 - 20/02/2026 14:40:30    2657492

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Replying To Gaaforlife2023:  "Jack oconnor gets in in my opinion for recird at evddy level with kerry i have in over grigvin or kiely"
Kiely led his to victory in 14 Finals in a row. Unequaled Hu we

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4538 - 20/02/2026 15:39:50    2657501

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