Tony Hannon.

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2930 - 15/07/2009 13:53:15    346912

Peter Canavan not worth a mention when us talking bout the best free kick takers of all time, but yeah brian stafford was as cool as a cumcumber under pressure, canavan the king tho. Likes of O neill Bradley and Brogan good but cant help but say they there on their quality as an overall, not really as free takers, can be a little erratic

Lance (Tyrone) - Posts: 33 - 15/07/2009 13:57:00    346917

I agree with most of the free takers suggested. Just one to add - Aidan Carr from Down. Not as consistent in 2009 as he was in 2008.

ajdoyle78 (Down) - Posts: 520 - 15/07/2009 14:00:50    346923

Oisin McConville in his glory days & Aaron Kernan today

our_fella (UK) - Posts: 119 - 15/07/2009 14:05:53    346938

Martin McHugh, 1992 first round v Cavan, last kick of the game we're a point down and he pops it over the bar from the 45. When you see the highlights now you can see him smirking before he hits it. May not have always been 100% with the frees but purely because of that one free he'll always be a great freetaker in my eyes. Who'd have thought we'd be bringing Sam back to the Diamond that day against Cavan?

JoeSoap (Donegal) - Posts: 1432 - 15/07/2009 14:11:29    346944

Ciaran McDonald.

Galway11 (Galway) - Posts: 570 - 15/07/2009 15:23:15    347055

Fitzgerald and Corkery were the masters of free taking.

Wests_Awake (Galway) - Posts: 877 - 15/07/2009 15:30:25    347068

Jimmy Keavney has to be one of the all time greats! He could fairly move too for a man his size... Bring back the 70's!! (even though i wasnt born)

MyUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 227 - 15/07/2009 15:42:40    347097

Mark Vaughan

johnjoseph (Derry) - Posts: 158 - 15/07/2009 15:53:36    347127

Ronan Carolan, Maurice Fitz, Maurice Sheridan, Charlie Redmond, Colin Corkery.

Don't think any current players are as consistant as those? MJ Tierney maybe?

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12372 - 15/07/2009 15:58:36    347142

i forgot about maurice sheridan

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4158 - 15/07/2009 16:00:32    347150

If you only count success rate in all Ireland Finals then Manus Boyle must be considered

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 15/07/2009 16:10:32    347166

Superdub

Fair point on the Mort but he always manages to shuffle forward about 5 metres
So is he accurate when free is from 25 kicked from 20, or only on frees from 20 kicked from 15 out ???

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 15/07/2009 16:18:47    347176

I don't think I ever seen Ciaran Lyng miss a free. Also Ciaran de Paor (younger brother of Sean, Carraroe, Galway) can take frees with his eyes closed but unfortunately hasn't played with Galway yet.

throw_it_over (Galway) - Posts: 769 - 15/07/2009 16:28:42    347192

maurice fitz, remeber his sideline in thurles, i know it wasnt a free but it was still impressive

premierman21 (Tipperary) - Posts: 429 - 15/07/2009 17:41:20    347326

as an armagh man i have a strong dislike of Down but I must say Aidan Carr is a quality free taker. He was super last year against Wexford

corrinshego (Armagh) - Posts: 305 - 15/07/2009 17:46:49    347335

corkery?? redmond??

canavan was the man!

eochair (Tyrone) - Posts: 213 - 15/07/2009 19:32:06    347454

mortimer!!

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 15/07/2009 20:20:58    347502

I cant believe how little people have mentioned Micheal Meehan so far. He did not miss a single free or 45 in the whole of last years championship. Show me anyone else with anywhere near that record. A good free taker is someone who can score from 50m plus. Brian Sheehan is the only one who gets close.

Maurice Fitz in his day was one of the best ever.

Anyone who mentions a freetaker who takes his kicks off the hand is an idiot.

jafallon (Galway) - Posts: 489 - 15/07/2009 23:05:32    347720

For me best at the moment is Mulligan from Leitrim. Was injured for them this year, which was huge loss...but he never seems to miss.
Also honourable mentions to Sheehan (Kerry), Hannon (Wicklow), Carr (Down), Rea (Carlow), Doyle (Kildare)

The Real 1944 (Carlow) - Posts: 1114 - 16/07/2009 00:30:29    347877