HoganStand GAA Football and Hurling

National Forum

Name Your Best 15 Gaa Players Over The Past 40 Years

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post

You need to Login to Post

Replying To The_DOC: "Galway team that won 2 of 3(4) All Irelands between 1998 and 2001 is being hard done by due to recency bias here. - PJ - Donnellan - Ja Fa I could name more but I'm just trying to be realistic. Shout out to, Sean óg de Paor, Thomás Mannion. County aside and looking at club: Kieran Fitz" A great team for sure. Michael Donnellan was a fantastic footballer. Could have played that man anywhere on the pitch. Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10086 - 06/10/2025 12:23:58 2638647 Link
Replying To The_DOC: "Galway team that won 2 of 3(4) All Irelands between 1998 and 2001 is being hard done by due to recency bias here. - PJ - Donnellan - Ja Fa I could name more but I'm just trying to be realistic. Shout out to, Sean óg de Paor, Thomás Mannion. County aside and looking at club: Kieran Fitz" That Galway team won 2 All Irelands out of 4 (1998 to 2001 is 4 seasons) not 2 out of 3. They had an identical record (2 out of 4 All Irelands) to 2 other teams of that era (Meath won 2 of 4 between 1996 and 1999; Kerry won 2 of 4 between 1997 and 2000). The 3 teams shared equally the 6 all Irelands between 1996 and 2001. Despite 2 one-sided victories in the 3 championship fixtures they played in this timeframe looking back the 3 teams were actually evenly matched, Galway beat Meath, Meath beat Kerry and Kerry beat Galway. I always loved watching Michael Donnellan playing, he had an X factor about him like Geraghty had when playing for Meath, they both were lovely to watch when they were on song. GreenMan1987 (Meath) - Posts: 116 - 08/10/2025 13:51:50 2638947 Link
Replying To GreenMan1987: "That Galway team won 2 All Irelands out of 4 (1998 to 2001 is 4 seasons) not 2 out of 3. They had an identical record (2 out of 4 All Irelands) to 2 other teams of that era (Meath won 2 of 4 between 1996 and 1999; Kerry won 2 of 4 between 1997 and 2000). The 3 teams shared equally the 6 all Irelands between 1996 and 2001. Despite 2 one-sided victories in the 3 championship fixtures they played in this timeframe looking back the 3 teams were actually evenly matched, Galway beat Meath, Meath beat Kerry and Kerry beat Galway. I always loved watching Michael Donnellan playing, he had an X factor about him like Geraghty had when playing for Meath, they both were lovely to watch when they were on song." Yeah when Donnellan took off & got up a head of steam....forget about catching him. Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10086 - 08/10/2025 14:44:16 2638957 Link
Team is from 1985 onwards - Kerrys golden years team were washed up by 1986. That rules out all of them really Stephen Cluxton Mark O Se Mick Lyons Keith Higgins Lee Keegan Seamus Moynihan James McCarthy Brian Fenton Anthony Tohill Trevor Giles Maurice Fitzgerald Peter Canavan Colm Cooper Michael Murphy David Clifford. Subs: Rory Beggan Seán Marty Lockhart Jack McCaffrey Sean Cavanagh Larry Tomkins Conor McManus Squad Members Darran Fay Kieran McGeeney Kevin Walsh Ja Fallon Mickey Lindon tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1624 - 08/10/2025 14:49:09 2638959 Link
Replying To S1234: "Amazing not many putting the Gooch into their team. Also Lee keegan not in many team selections? Colm Boyle? Andy moran ? Also from a mayo person Paul Conroy ? If Clifford is in their so is Conroy ." Keegan possibly, the other talent is stacked against Boyle and Moran I'm afraid. Keith Higgins would have more of a chance than those though I think. What a defender he was. I'll never forget his battle with James O'Donoghue in Limerick in 2014. Worth the admission fee alone. peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1371 - 08/10/2025 15:00:05 2638962 Link
Replying To tirawleybaron: "Team is from 1985 onwards - Kerrys golden years team were washed up by 1986. That rules out all of them really Stephen Cluxton Mark O Se Mick Lyons Keith Higgins Lee Keegan Seamus Moynihan James McCarthy Brian Fenton Anthony Tohill Trevor Giles Maurice Fitzgerald Peter Canavan Colm Cooper Michael Murphy David Clifford. Subs: Rory Beggan Seán Marty Lockhart Jack McCaffrey Sean Cavanagh Larry Tomkins Conor McManus Squad Members Darran Fay Kieran McGeeney Kevin Walsh Ja Fallon Mickey Lindon" no Mikie Sheedy John Egan Pat Spillane as a sub Jack O Shea has to be there clooney (Clare) - Posts: 1006 - 08/10/2025 16:46:42 2638968 Link
Replying To tirawleybaron: "Team is from 1985 onwards - Kerrys golden years team were washed up by 1986. That rules out all of them really Stephen Cluxton Mark O Se Mick Lyons Keith Higgins Lee Keegan Seamus Moynihan James McCarthy Brian Fenton Anthony Tohill Trevor Giles Maurice Fitzgerald Peter Canavan Colm Cooper Michael Murphy David Clifford. Subs: Rory Beggan Seán Marty Lockhart Jack McCaffrey Sean Cavanagh Larry Tomkins Conor McManus Squad Members Darran Fay Kieran McGeeney Kevin Walsh Ja Fallon Mickey Lindon" No Matty Forde?! Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17271 - 08/10/2025 17:33:04 2638973 Link
Replying To clooney: "no Mikie Sheedy John Egan Pat Spillane as a sub Jack O Shea has to be there" Clooney, did you not read his proviso: ""Team is from 1985 onwards - Kerrys golden years team were washed up by 1986. That rules out all of them really." foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2392 - 08/10/2025 18:20:55 2638983 Link
I will extend the timeframe by 10 years, as basically I've been following Gaelic football for 54 years. But I'll give an addition. I'll name my best 15 and my favorite 15…two quite different teams. Best 15 over 50 years Stephen Cluxton Mick Fitzsimons Seamus Moynihan Conor Gormley Lee Keegan James McCarthy Karl Lacey Jack O'Shea Brian Fenton Pat Spillane Matt O'Connor Peter Canavan David Clifford Michael Murphy Con O' Callaghan Proviso: I am loth to include present-day players, but Clifford and CON are two of the best that I have ever seen. My favorite 15 over 50 years Martin Furlong (Offaly) Paidi O'Se (Kerry) Mick Lyons (Meath) Niall Cahalane (Cork) Lee Keegan (Mayo) Sean Lowry (Offaly & Mayo) Paddy Barrett (Limerick) Brian Mullins (Dublin) Gerry McEntee (Meath) Matt O'Connor (Offaly) Declan Barron (Cork) Greg Blaney (Down) Anton O'Toole (Dublin) Frank McGuigan (Tyrone) John Egan (Kerry) I saw all those 15 players play live. They all had character, with some even having a bit of devilment in them. Only two players make both teams: Lee Keegan and Matt O'Connor. Imagine the carnage you'd get if Mullins (RIP) and McEntee actually played midfield together. Perhaps they did for Leinster, but I am not aware of it. foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2392 - 10/10/2025 17:06:10 2639271 Link
Replying To foreveryoung: "I will extend the timeframe by 10 years, as basically I've been following Gaelic football for 54 years. But I'll give an addition. I'll name my best 15 and my favorite 15…two quite different teams. Best 15 over 50 years Stephen Cluxton Mick Fitzsimons Seamus Moynihan Conor Gormley Lee Keegan James McCarthy Karl Lacey Jack O'Shea Brian Fenton Pat Spillane Matt O'Connor Peter Canavan David Clifford Michael Murphy Con O' Callaghan Proviso: I am loth to include present-day players, but Clifford and CON are two of the best that I have ever seen. My favorite 15 over 50 years Martin Furlong (Offaly) Paidi O'Se (Kerry) Mick Lyons (Meath) Niall Cahalane (Cork) Lee Keegan (Mayo) Sean Lowry (Offaly & Mayo) Paddy Barrett (Limerick) Brian Mullins (Dublin) Gerry McEntee (Meath) Matt O'Connor (Offaly) Declan Barron (Cork) Greg Blaney (Down) Anton O'Toole (Dublin) Frank McGuigan (Tyrone) John Egan (Kerry) I saw all those 15 players play live. They all had character, with some even having a bit of devilment in them. Only two players make both teams: Lee Keegan and Matt O'Connor. Imagine the carnage you'd get if Mullins (RIP) and McEntee actually played midfield together. Perhaps they did for Leinster, but I am not aware of it." "A bit of devilment"? . There was a few "chainsaws" in your favourite fullback line for starters! You would have some problem getting by them, and then you met Furlong coming straight for you at high speed ready to finish the job. letsgetgoing (Roscommon) - Posts: 808 - 11/10/2025 16:20:43 2639333 Link
Lee Keegan is not better than either Seán óg de Paor or Declan Meehan! The_DOC (Galway) - Posts: 824 - 14/10/2025 09:01:37 2639882 Link
Replying To The_DOC: "Lee Keegan is not better than either Seán óg de Paor or Declan Meehan!" Most neutral observers rate him as one of the best of all time. A true warrior richiepmurphy (Kilkenny) - Posts: 39 - 14/10/2025 10:50:27 2639902 Link
Replying To richiepmurphy: "Most neutral observers rate him as one of the best of all time. A true warrior" Id have Keith Higgins ahead of him but neither starting a 40year best ever! The_DOC (Galway) - Posts: 824 - 14/10/2025 12:19:53 2639921 Link
Tomsmith here An y Poster that would leave Murphy Donegal ,Mc Donald County Mayo and Tohill L, Derry of the best 15 players in the past 40 years knows very little about the skills of the Gaa. All three of these lovely footballers were tops in Skill and delivery ( and I dident include Sheanie Johnston of Cavan and Kildare fame ) in my lie up as the greatest exponents of theGaa game tomsmith (Cavan) - Posts: 4109 - 19/10/2025 12:52:33 2640622 Link
Replying To Lockjaw: "A great team for sure. Michael Donnellan was a fantastic footballer. Could have played that man anywhere on the pitch." I would agree that there haven't been 15 better than Donnellan in the last 40 years, and probably not in the last 140 years either. Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4436 - 19/10/2025 20:40:26 2640690 Link
Lads debating the greatness of Lee Keegan. I know it's sport to hate on Mayo but Keegan makes the cut every time. TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8555 - 20/10/2025 10:55:33 2640762 Link
Replying To TheFlaker: "Lads debating the greatness of Lee Keegan. I know it's sport to hate on Mayo but Keegan makes the cut every time." Without Seán óg de Paor and/or Deccie Meehan there no way Galway would have won one if not both All Irelands. Without Lee Keegan, I'm fairly sure Mayo would still have lost all those finals though. The_DOC (Galway) - Posts: 824 - 20/10/2025 13:04:05 2640796 Link
Replying To The_DOC: "Without Seán óg de Paor and/or Deccie Meehan there no way Galway would have won one if not both All Irelands. Without Lee Keegan, I'm fairly sure Mayo would still have lost all those finals though." Meehan and de Paor were great Players but not the best on the team. Donnellan, Joyce, Fallon Walsh. Galway in general had a far better forward line than mayo and those lads didn't have the pressure of having to bail out the forward colleagues like keegan did richiepmurphy (Kilkenny) - Posts: 39 - 20/10/2025 13:43:21 2640807 Link
I guess ye know more about football than Paul Galvin, "Speaking on Radio Kerry, Galvin said Galway's Declan Meehan was his toughest opponent." https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20257589.html The_DOC (Galway) - Posts: 824 - 20/10/2025 14:26:22 2640818 Link
Replying To The_DOC: "I guess ye know more about football than Paul Galvin, "Speaking on Radio Kerry, Galvin said Galway's Declan Meehan was his toughest opponent." https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20257589.html" He'd of marked Meehan, doubt he marked any of the other lads in a game? Just as an aside Paul Galvin played Senior intercounty hurling for Kerry before he played Senior Football for them. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17271 - 20/10/2025 15:20:08 2640827 Link