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National Forum

Looking Towards Football 2027

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post

Replying To ValPadden:  "In 2026, when it mattered:

- Dublin beat Donegal and Galway comfortably enough. Were unlucky to get caught by Kerry in the Semi Final.
- Armagh were skittled by Kerry, after losing to Louth!
- Donegal lost to Cork, Down and Dublin!

Think only genuine contenders are Dublin, Kerry, Tyrone, Mayo and Galway. top 5 based on last years results."
In 2026 Galway beat........Leitrim, Kildare and Westmeath.....

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 1006 - 28/10/2026 12:45:41    2698742

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Replying To Seanfan:  "In 2026 Galway beat........Leitrim, Kildare and Westmeath....."
when you put it that way, Galway shouldn't be included as a contender.
Drop it to 4 - Kerry, Tyrone, Dublin and Mayo

ValPadden (Galway) - Posts: 23 - 28/10/2026 14:44:40    2698751

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Some cracking matches proposed to kick-start the National League in January.

Galway v Kerry. (I wonder how Eamonn Fitzmaurice and Jack O Connor both feel about that one?)

Mayo v Donegal. Should be a good crowd at that one.

Armagh v Roscommon. Close match last year

Cork v Meath. Know each other well at this stage.

letsgetgoing (Roscommon) - Posts: 967 - 30/10/2026 13:00:50    2698981

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Replying To ValPadden:  "In 2026, when it mattered:

- Dublin beat Donegal and Galway comfortably enough. Were unlucky to get caught by Kerry in the Semi Final.
- Armagh were skittled by Kerry, after losing to Louth!
- Donegal lost to Cork, Down and Dublin!

Think only genuine contenders are Dublin, Kerry, Tyrone, Mayo and Galway. top 5 based on last years results."
Honestly how do you justify Galway in that group. Its the same every year before season starts. They won't be contenders with current set of players.

winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 1084 - 01/11/2026 08:29:51    2699138

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Replying To winatallcost:  "Honestly how do you justify Galway in that group. Its the same every year before season starts. They won't be contenders with current set of players."
As I said they beat Leitrim, Kildare and Westmeath in 2026.
Hard to predict anything after this year!!
Especially as there are up to 10 teams who could beat each other on any given day.

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 1006 - 01/11/2026 12:02:24    2699150

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Not sure I buy this "floodgates are open" theory and that just because Mayo finally won the all Ireland now everybody can. Mayo been challenging all my life. It was only a matter of when and not if we eventually got over the line (Only Kerry have been in more finals than Mayo in the last 35 years). For us it will now be about improving that final strike rate which I think we can do. Nothing guaranteed obviously looking towards the future.

I've seen counties been mentioned as possible winners now who I've never even seen win a quarter final. One commentator on a midlands radio station wrote in August, "the era of Kerry and Dublin dominating is over." I'm not buying this.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 12320 - 03/11/2026 20:40:33    2699373

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Replying To yew_tree:  "Not sure I buy this "floodgates are open" theory and that just because Mayo finally won the all Ireland now everybody can. Mayo been challenging all my life. It was only a matter of when and not if we eventually got over the line (Only Kerry have been in more finals than Mayo in the last 35 years). For us it will now be about improving that final strike rate which I think we can do. Nothing guaranteed obviously looking towards the future.

I've seen counties been mentioned as possible winners now who I've never even seen win a quarter final. One commentator on a midlands radio station wrote in August, "the era of Kerry and Dublin dominating is over." I'm not buying this."
Hard to say for sure.

In the late 90s and early 2000's there were plenty of teams coming through between 1990 and 2003 we had 10 different winners in 14 years - we then had a period of dominance by Kerry and Dublin where they won 13 of the next 17 up to 2020.

Since then we've had 5 different winners in 6 years. Every chance that Donegal and Galway could extend that to 7 different winners in 8 years. Equally possible is we've entered a period of dominance by Kerry and Mayo who will share the next 5 between them!

brianb (Kildare) - Posts: 514 - 11/11/2026 12:18:18    2700056

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Replying To yew_tree:  "Not sure I buy this "floodgates are open" theory and that just because Mayo finally won the all Ireland now everybody can. Mayo been challenging all my life. It was only a matter of when and not if we eventually got over the line (Only Kerry have been in more finals than Mayo in the last 35 years). For us it will now be about improving that final strike rate which I think we can do. Nothing guaranteed obviously looking towards the future.

I've seen counties been mentioned as possible winners now who I've never even seen win a quarter final. One commentator on a midlands radio station wrote in August, "the era of Kerry and Dublin dominating is over." I'm not buying this."
Not to be pendatic, but being pendantic, I think Dublin have also been in more finals than Mayo in the last 35 years. 12 v 11 without including replays. With replays included they'd still have played in more, as they both had two each.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 3169 - 11/11/2026 13:17:31    2700068

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Replying To WanPintWin:  "Not to be pendatic, but being pendantic, I think Dublin have also been in more finals than Mayo in the last 35 years. 12 v 11 without including replays. With replays included they'd still have played in more, as they both had two each."
By my count Mayo and Dublin were level on final appearances….ill need to check it again. Either way they are more or less level on that.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 12320 - 11/11/2026 14:56:57    2700092

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Replying To yew_tree:  "Not sure I buy this "floodgates are open" theory and that just because Mayo finally won the all Ireland now everybody can. Mayo been challenging all my life. It was only a matter of when and not if we eventually got over the line (Only Kerry have been in more finals than Mayo in the last 35 years). For us it will now be about improving that final strike rate which I think we can do. Nothing guaranteed obviously looking towards the future.

I've seen counties been mentioned as possible winners now who I've never even seen win a quarter final. One commentator on a midlands radio station wrote in August, "the era of Kerry and Dublin dominating is over." I'm not buying this."
All your life is not true as Mayo weren't challenging in 2022 2023 2024, 2025 and not even winning a quarter final before winning it this year so I'd suggest that's why many counties that haven't challenged in recent years will feel they can should things fall in place for themselves as they did with Mayo in 2026.

Dublin dominating era was ended a 5 years ago.

Drax_the_destroyer (UK) - Posts: 1023 - 11/11/2026 19:17:47    2700127

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Replying To yew_tree:  "Not sure I buy this "floodgates are open" theory and that just because Mayo finally won the all Ireland now everybody can. Mayo been challenging all my life. It was only a matter of when and not if we eventually got over the line (Only Kerry have been in more finals than Mayo in the last 35 years). For us it will now be about improving that final strike rate which I think we can do. Nothing guaranteed obviously looking towards the future.

I've seen counties been mentioned as possible winners now who I've never even seen win a quarter final. One commentator on a midlands radio station wrote in August, "the era of Kerry and Dublin dominating is over." I'm not buying this."
See what you're saying but this is a very new look mayo side and past final and semi appearances are of no bearing. No one rated their chances at the start of the year and most mayo people would have said a quarter appearance and maybe a connacht would hace been a good year. I think the mayo win highlights the fact that you can play as few as two really good games and win the whole thing so long as the draw is relatively kind. It's definitely a new thing where you can be beaten twice along the way. I think this opens up a lot more possible contenders.

WeGoAgain (Donegal) - Posts: 238 - 11/11/2026 21:16:58    2700141

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Replying To Drax_the_destroyer:  "All your life is not true as Mayo weren't challenging in 2022 2023 2024, 2025 and not even winning a quarter final before winning it this year so I'd suggest that's why many counties that haven't challenged in recent years will feel they can should things fall in place for themselves as they did with Mayo in 2026.

Dublin dominating era was ended a 5 years ago."
Most years then you know well what I mean. Mayo only been out of division 1 for one year in the last 20 odd years. My point it Mayo winning an All Ireland while a shock it happened this year, is not a shock in terms of a minnow coming out of nowhere.

Counties thinking they can now win Sam because Mayo did yet those same counties never challenge or reach the latter stages is a big fat fetched for me just yet. I may be proved wrong but let's just see. If anyone outside of the usual 5-7 contenders win it it would be an even bigger "shock" than this year.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 12320 - 11/11/2026 22:29:29    2700147

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Replying To Drax_the_destroyer:  "All your life is not true as Mayo weren't challenging in 2022 2023 2024, 2025 and not even winning a quarter final before winning it this year so I'd suggest that's why many counties that haven't challenged in recent years will feel they can should things fall in place for themselves as they did with Mayo in 2026.

Dublin dominating era was ended a 5 years ago."
Even in those 4 'down' years Mayo reached 3 division one league finals, winning one of them against Galway. Although we didn't go deep into the championship there were numerous narrow/heartbreaking losses which showed we weren't very far away.

2022 narrow defeat to Galway who went on to nearly beat Kerry in final.
2024 lost Connacht final by a last minute point, Galway then went on to AI final. Dublin got a last second equaliser to stop us topping the all Ireland group. Lost to Derry on penalties the following week.
2025 another narrow Connacht final defeat to Galway. Could and should have beaten Donegal which would have meant topping the all Ireland group or a draw would have got us a prelim game. However conceded a last second point to lose and get knocked out.

If some of those narrow defeats went differently the seasons could have been very different.

I think Mayo have shown over the last 30+ years that it doesn't take much for us to get run of momentum and go deep into the championship. Aside from Dublin, Kerry and maybe Tyrone I don't think many other counties have shown that consistently.

MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 584 - 12/11/2026 01:39:13    2700157

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Replying To MayoDan:  "Even in those 4 'down' years Mayo reached 3 division one league finals, winning one of them against Galway. Although we didn't go deep into the championship there were numerous narrow/heartbreaking losses which showed we weren't very far away.

2022 narrow defeat to Galway who went on to nearly beat Kerry in final.
2024 lost Connacht final by a last minute point, Galway then went on to AI final. Dublin got a last second equaliser to stop us topping the all Ireland group. Lost to Derry on penalties the following week.
2025 another narrow Connacht final defeat to Galway. Could and should have beaten Donegal which would have meant topping the all Ireland group or a draw would have got us a prelim game. However conceded a last second point to lose and get knocked out.

If some of those narrow defeats went differently the seasons could have been very different.

I think Mayo have shown over the last 30+ years that it doesn't take much for us to get run of momentum and go deep into the championship. Aside from Dublin, Kerry and maybe Tyrone I don't think many other counties have shown that consistently."
I'd tend to agree with most of what you say there however I'll pull you up on "should" have beat donegal in championship 2025. That was a game donegal didn't even need to win and really should have put mayo away much earlier. The league final they reached that year was mainly due to donegal travelling with a weakened team to castlebar and had o'baoill not hit the bar with the penalty effort mayo could just have easily been relegated.

WeGoAgain (Donegal) - Posts: 238 - 12/11/2026 11:07:28    2700179

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Replying To MayoDan:  "Even in those 4 'down' years Mayo reached 3 division one league finals, winning one of them against Galway. Although we didn't go deep into the championship there were numerous narrow/heartbreaking losses which showed we weren't very far away.

2022 narrow defeat to Galway who went on to nearly beat Kerry in final.
2024 lost Connacht final by a last minute point, Galway then went on to AI final. Dublin got a last second equaliser to stop us topping the all Ireland group. Lost to Derry on penalties the following week.
2025 another narrow Connacht final defeat to Galway. Could and should have beaten Donegal which would have meant topping the all Ireland group or a draw would have got us a prelim game. However conceded a last second point to lose and get knocked out.

If some of those narrow defeats went differently the seasons could have been very different.

I think Mayo have shown over the last 30+ years that it doesn't take much for us to get run of momentum and go deep into the championship. Aside from Dublin, Kerry and maybe Tyrone I don't think many other counties have shown that consistently."
We had good players badly managed in that era. We lost too many games by tight margins and management looked on that as progress rather than try and fix it and improve. We didn't win Sam in the era of great Dublin and Kerry teams but James Horan improved standards to the level where we were very competitive with both except for finals. We kept that Division 1 standard for the years after Horan. But various management teams put out talented but unbalanced teams with no self belief in some big games, poor positional switches and McStay never adapted them to the new rules. They didn't seem to learn and improve. Bar some of the new lads I don't think Andy had a much higher standard of player. He improved the balance, self belief and encouraged players to learn from their mistakes. He was also smart enough to get a very good backroom team including Paddy Tally and Rachel Sheehan.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8795 - 12/11/2026 11:17:14    2700180

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