In my living memory, there are a few all irelands that stand out for the wrong and right reasons.

There were epic matches between tyrone and kerry. There was the final between dublin and kerry in 2011. There were finals back in the 90s with all the ulster teams involved and of course meath and later galway.

For me the most exciting all ireland final that I can remember, that had the best football and nip and tuck etc of all time was the dublin kerry match of 2011. Followed by tyrone kerry of 2008. Best performance was probably any of the kerry performances of the 00s that they won.

Worst final was last year. The second half the ball was dead longer than in play.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3854 - 19/01/2014 12:31:44    1533646

Best final. Tyrone v Kerry 2005. Worst. Kerry v Roscommon 1980.

Byanthon (Tyrone) - Posts: 1792 - 19/01/2014 12:45:22    1533652

The best AI football final: Tyrone v Kerry: 2005
The worst AI football final: Kerry v Mayo: 2006

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 19/01/2014 12:51:19    1533656

Last years final was amazing.....we won!!!

But last years final had a bit of inevitability about it once Dublin got on top. Mayo ran out of gas after 25 mins as they tried match Dublin and hit them early and they didn't get out far in front and Dublin took over. Surrounded by Mayo fans, I sensed they felt what I had felt many a time in Croke Park, your team isn't quite good enough to win. You are living in hope something will happen but it never does.

I found the atmosphere strange actually in the stadium, the fact more Mayo fans were there than Dublin made the place quiet. Probably the hill being infiltrated by Mayo fans didn't help the atmosphere. Mayo fans great "Mayo Mayo Mayo" chant went quiet very quickly, and there was a subdued feeling around the ground once Dublin took over. Lack of noise and atmosphere.

I suppose any final is a GREAT final and the atmosphere is amazing depending whats going on down on the pitch. The semi final this year and the final in 2011 were both amazing occasions and spectacles.

(This is not a Dublin versus Mayo thread).

Armagh Kerry was a good final....and the Tyrone Kerry Final were good watches. Apologies to Kerry fans but I haven't felt that Kerry played in any good final they won, as a spectacle in recent years, and that's only because Kerry were far superior to the teams they played in the final. That's not their fault, if you are far better than the opposition and perform you win comfortably and that doesn't always make for a memorable final. The finals Kerry lost were all good games but only because the other teams had to play brilliantly because Kerry were so good!

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 19/01/2014 12:57:05    1533658

1976 was best for me. First football final I was at (had been at Cats/Galway hurling in 1975). 1979 was worst. Car crash ending for the great Dublin team.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 19/01/2014 13:07:58    1533665

Of those I've attended:

Best: Tyrone/Kerry 2005; Galway/Kildare 1998; Down/Dublin 1994; Donegal/Dublin 1992
Worst: Meath/Cork 1988 replay; Tyrone/Armagh 2003; Kerry/Mayo 1997; Meath/Cork 1999

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 19/01/2014 13:18:10    1533669

best this years replay. worst kilkenny waterford hammering

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1055 - 19/01/2014 14:47:03    1533697

I enjoyed the '76 final the most, Dublin 3-8 0-10 Kerry

I didn't enjoy the '78 one though Kerry 5-11 0-9 Dublin

Kerry/Tyrone battles were always good, the '11 final for obvious reasons!

The 2006 final wasn't too hot.

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8821 - 19/01/2014 15:10:55    1533705

Hurling

Best: Kilkenny v Tipperary 2009 and 2010. Kilkenny v Galway 2012 (draw). Clare v Cork 2013 (both). Clare v Tipperary 1997

Worst: Kilkenny v Cork 1999. Kilkenny v Waterford 2008.

Football

Best: Kerry v Tyrone 2005 and 2008. Kerry v Armagh 2002. Dublin v Kerry 2011. Kerry v Galway 2000. Galway v Kildare 1998.

Worst: Kerry v Mayo 2004 and 2006. Donegal v Mayo 2012.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13844 - 19/01/2014 15:51:12    1533733

Do I detect a common denominator in your list of the worst Mes Amis?

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 19/01/2014 15:55:22    1533735

Brend

You do. As a neutral I don't like games that are over after a few minutes.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13844 - 19/01/2014 16:13:27    1533748

The Armagh/Tyrone 2003 final had everything. It was a tough, physical game with some great scores and a match Armagh really threw away. Diarmuid Marsden's very unfair dismissal turned the game. Any final involving Mayo follows the same pattern and is usually awful to watch. Mayo are usually beaten through fear and nerves before a ball is thrown in.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9838 - 19/01/2014 16:23:06    1533751

The worst all-ireland was 1980 Kerry v Roscommon - pure awful, dire, pulling, dragging, cyncical fouling, missed shots, a Junior D Club today looks a million light years ahead of it,

Dublin v Galway in 1983 was memorable for all the wrong reasons, Dublin v Tyrone in '95 was also a poor final, but for me its a toss up between 1991 Down v Meath and 2005 Kerry v Tyrone,

in hurling , worst was Waterford v Kilkenny and the best was the 2013 replay,

but for me the best game ever was the 1st round of the Ulster Championship in 1994 Down v Derry - the greatest game ever!!!!!

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1691 - 19/01/2014 16:57:47    1533782

I agree with the posts that included Galway v Kildare, that was a great final. I forgot to mention that I was only referring to football. If hurling was factored in, last years final would trump any football game played over the past 130 years.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3854 - 19/01/2014 16:58:47    1533784

Ulsterman
County: Antrim
Posts: 6567

The Armagh/Tyrone 2003 final had everything. It was a tough, physical game with some great scores and a match Armagh really threw away. Diarmuid Marsden's very unfair dismissal turned the game.
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You obviously weren't watching the same game that I was. It was a dull, nervous affair in which both sides underperformed. Tyrone missed 4-5 good goal chances long before Marsden's sending off or Gormley's block. I was delighted with the result but, in all honesty, it was a poor final. Now the AI semi final between the sides in 2005, that was a different story...

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 19/01/2014 16:59:47    1533787

Hard to decide the best , 87 after 20 years was amazing, probably best performance was 88 replay v cork that was stupendous ( anyone who says different knows nothing about football) the 96 final replay was unreal the tension of the drawn game the early bust up, Giles and geraghty sublime , and all this with a bunch of kids that were fav to lose to Carlow in rd 1 of Leinster , it took the greatest manager of all time to win it , only sean god could have done that, proof if it was ever needed that every other manager of any county at any time is really insignificant compared to sean God boylan often copied never equalled. So for me 96 replay.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 19/01/2014 17:14:56    1533800

Thomas Clarke..

Why did you think Meath/Cork in 99 was a bad final?

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 19/01/2014 17:21:55    1533809

Ya Galway/Kildare in 98 was a very good final,really enjoyed that..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 19/01/2014 17:24:03    1533810

ziggy320001
County: Meath
Posts: 50

Thomas Clarke..

Why did you think Meath/Cork in 99 was a bad final?
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I just thought that quality wasn't great. That was a very poor Cork side, and Meath weren't at their best that day either, yet they were still fairly comfortable winners. Maybe it struck me as poor because it was sandwiched between 2 excellent finals in 1998 & 2000.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 19/01/2014 17:31:11    1533815

ziggy320001
County: Meath
Posts: 52

1533810
Ya Galway/Kildare in 98 was a very good final,really enjoyed that..


In fairness it was a good one alright!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8821 - 19/01/2014 18:25:44    1533858