This might serve to demonstrate the gulf between the more successful and unsuccessful counties.
However it is hard to beat that pride when you have just witnessed your county play the near perfect game and maybe upset the odds as well
I will kick off with my County , who i first saw live in 1962 so a long an arduous relationship.
In all that time i saw a huge amount of games and we had a few notable wins and performances. However our win against Kikdare in Tulamore in 2018 is head and shoulders over any Carlow game i saw in either code.
We scored 2-14 agsinst 1-10 and hit no wides. Not bad for an ultra defensive team. We just bullied Kildare for 80% of the game.
It was a near perfect performance. I knew from the first score within seconds of the start of the game that it was going to be a special day. Maybe its only crumbs of tbe big table but to me it was magical
I would love to hear from as many counties as possible.

Blackbog (Carlow) - Posts: 704 - 19/04/2020 16:03:01    2276270

Beating Tyrone in the All Ireland quarter final in 2004. Tyrone were a class act, reigning All Ireland champions and they bounced back in 2005 to win again. Fermanagh beat a class Armagh team in the game before it.


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If a draw can count I have to say the first final in 2016 was, for me, our best performance in Croke Park since '51. Rochford' s first intercounty final, we scraped through the qualifiers unfancied against a great Dublin team, just a good freetaker and one good scoring forward, too reliant on half backs for scores. Popular belief was that we'd do well to be within 10 points of The Dubs at full time. But, unlike previous finals we hadn't peaked, Rochford rotated players throughout the qualifiers. Previously I thought we peaked for Connacht Finals or All Ireland quarter finals. We conceded 2 own goals in the first half but didn't lie down. And near the end, composed football, got the ball to Cillian for the equaliser. We didn't win, because like before and after we lacked the killer instinct that great teams have. But sure we held our heads high walking out of Croke Park for the final and it was a hell of a game.

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GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7337 - 19/04/2020 17:03:05    2276273

Leinster final 98 against meath.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1898 - 19/04/2020 17:06:08    2276274

If by best you mean quality: Probably the 2013 quarter final rout of Donegal was our most complete performance.

2017 final v Dublin, scored 1-16, highest scored by a loosing team in a final was it?

If by best you mean enjoyable then 2006 and 2012 semi wins over Dublin and the 2011 victory over Cork when Brolly and co were basically laughing at us in the pre match discussion.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11227 - 19/04/2020 17:32:05    2276275

I think it was 2006 when Eugene Cloonan came off the bench for us against Kilkenny and almost single handedly brought a very poor Galway side across the line. We lost but you couldn't fault Cloonan who was on his last leg around this time. Unstoppable in that particular match.

I think it was 2008 when Joe Canning scored 1-15 or more against Cork and Galway still lost.

Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2113 - 19/04/2020 17:45:00    2276276

Oh tough one, their have been so many ,
V Dublin 83, v cork 88 replay , v Dublin 91, v Dublin 96 v Tyrone 96 , v Kildare 97,
V cork 99, v Kerry 01 , v Tyrone 07 v Mayo 09, v Kildare,
But for me the top has to be 5 past cluxton in 2010.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 19/04/2020 18:01:54    2276280

I suppose hamming Kerry in 2001, or thrashing Dublin in 2010 were good displays. 99 and 96 finals obviously. Beating Mayo in the 1/4 finals in 09 was a good display by Meath who were underdogs on the day. People will say Tyrone 07, but Tyrone were rubbish that year. Beating Kildare in the 01 Leinster semi-final was a very solid win, same as beating Offaly in 98. Didn't think much of beating Dublin up until about 2005, just expected to beat them every year. How times change!

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4122 - 19/04/2020 18:14:19    2276282

Has to be 2013 Ulster Final, Not too many gave us a chance, we won the league that year, beat Antrim and got by Cavan thanks to McManus but nothing would of suggested to any fan that we would of put in the performance we did against Donegal who were All Ireland Champions at the time, Everything was done to perfection, Every player was fantastic and done their role but K.Hughes, D.Mone, D.Wylie and C.Walshe, Corey and Beggan under the high ball were immense that game. To Top it off Tommy Freeman got that point at the end.

For me that day will never ever be topped, Monaghan ladies won Ulster too and Monaghan Minors put in the best comeback i'd ever seen in person against Tyrone just before the senior game. For a few weeks after that the Score was left up on the scoreboard with the teams names, Great times.

MonaghanGlory (Monaghan) - Posts: 738 - 19/04/2020 18:19:51    2276283

1994 was our greatest year, but we had a good team at that time and success was almost expected even though it would always be so hard to achieve it with a history of failure. However beating Roscommon in the 2000 Connacht semi final in the Hyde was our greatest single victory in my time following them. Completely written off before the game conceded three first half goals and could have easily conceded 3 more. Came out in the second half and turned the game around with Dermot Reynolds scoring a vital point and Seamus Quinn scoring the winning point with the outside of the boot and almost on his knees. That was like winning the all Ireland for us the celebrations after on the field was mad we were well beaten in the connacht final by Galway but that day was a sweet one. For counties like Leitrim winning a big championship game like that is our all Ireland as someone said once in Kerry they celebrate when they win the all Ireland in Leitrim we celebrate when we win! We had some great battles with Roscommon in those years never more than a kick of the ball between us oh how times have changed!

green.and.gold (Leitrim) - Posts: 427 - 19/04/2020 19:05:45    2276284

2011 NHL final against Kilkenny. 0-22 to 1-7 To win our first national hurling title since the Jurassic period against Codys cats and to restrict them to 1-7 in Croke Pk was a monumental effort from Dublins warriors that day. Keaney scored a monster point in second half that is etched into my memory.

CaogaCuig (Dublin) - Posts: 63 - 19/04/2020 19:43:06    2276286

Top 5 for me:

Beating Tyrone in 2004 when they were AI Champions. Down to 14 early on but McFadden was unbelievable that day with 1-7.

Beating Galway in 2003 quarter final in Castlebar. Many felt we'd left it after us the first day out but the lads put in a mighty shift in glorious sunshine!

2012 Ulster final. After a slow start we absolutely battered Down. A performance that made me believe we would win the big one.

2012 AI semi final vs Cork. Having been annihilated by Cork in 2010 it was nice to turn the tables. The final score flattered Cork. We should have been way more comfortable.

2014 vs Dublin. Enough said.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9116 - 19/04/2020 20:32:48    2276288

dubs 2000

lilypad (Kildare) - Posts: 1363 - 19/04/2020 21:18:01    2276290

Wexford v meath 2008, Wexford 10 points down with 20 minutes to go turned it around great great performance

Lockerroomboy (Wexford) - Posts: 431 - 20/04/2020 07:53:00    2276298

easy one 2004 leinster football final replay glorious day

mickcunningham (Westmeath) - Posts: 1799 - 20/04/2020 10:12:05    2276307

gilly1910 (Galway) - Posts: 170 - 20/04/2020 11:35:56    2276310

Though the Ulster Final of 2013 is probably the best moment for Monaghan there were some other noteable performances prior to that. One of my favourite days was in Newry in 2007 in the opening round of Ulster. Ulster championship wins were scarce for over a decade and we had a decent enough team emerging under Banty. And that day it clicked. Ciaran Hannratty banged in 2 goals, Tommy Freeman was at the top of his game and Jap banged over a few long range monsters on a swealtering sunny day.

A month or so later we played Donegal in Omagh in the qualifiers after an ulster final defeat to Tyrone. That was another fabulous performance with Vinny at Full Forward and Tommy Freeman working off him. I think between them they hit 2-5 or 2-6

Unfortunatly that probably lead to one of our best performances ever in Croke Park against Kerry only to fall short by a point. The feeling after that game of every monaghan person was best summed up by Rory Woods accepting the MOTM award on the Sunday game that night - Totally Dejected

Tim_NicebutDim (Monaghan) - Posts: 347 - 20/04/2020 12:01:41    2276314

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9116 - 20/04/2020 12:38:57    2276322

I think probably our draw with Derry in the 2000 Ulster semifinals. We'd a 45 in the last kick of the game to win it and Anthony Tohill caught the ball from above the bar to save a point. We'd beaten Down in the first round that year but it was a strange stop start game where the second half was delayed because of hail stones. That was a great result but maybe not the same performance. Derry the day was absolutely perfect championship weather and we went toe to toe with what were a very strong team at the time.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4210 - 20/04/2020 13:08:23    2276325

2017 final for me, despite the loss. The stats from both teams were unreal.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7885 - 20/04/2020 13:28:37    2276326

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2447 - 20/04/2020 15:56:10    2276329