Your county’s toughest defeat to stomach

[thejuice]

1991 Final against Down and the 2001 Final against Galway.

In both cases we had some unbelievable games enroute to the final including some great performances such as the 01 game against Kerry, the clashes with Westmeath that year and 91 the 4 in a row with the Dubs, stumbling past Wicklow then coming back from the dead against Roscommon in the semi. Unfortunately in both finals it felt like we weren't at our best but at the same time the quality of the opposition even if we were at our best the outcome was still a close call.

01 probably sticks in the craw a bit more because I don't think Galway were 9 points better than us as good as they were. It was also the swansong for a lot of our best players and the beginning of lean times which we are still stuck in.

[The Subbie]

Although Sunday last was a tough one to take as a Monaghan fan I still don't think it ranked with the feeling after the Kerry defeat in the 2007 QF when we had them on the ropes but failed to land the final blow.  Also denied a late free in that game as far as I recall and that may have resulted in Kerry breaking forward for Tomás to score the winner late on.

100%
The 2007 defeat was truly one we left behind
Not just a chance to beat Kerry in Championship football but if we had won that day I truly believe we had  the team to go that wee bit further that year
I left Croke Park that day really really down
Last Sunday , maybe because I'm in Sydney and watching it on GAAGO roaring at the TV on my own and as soon as it's over I'm thinking " f**k it's 2:30am need to be up for work in the morning!" I moved on quite quickly and on Monday evening when I looked at the game again I could be a wee bit more clinical and analytical and say we just weren't good enough early on
2007 we were there every step of the way, mentally immense, physically bullying Kerry and had some magnificent displays everywhere, Rory Woods RAN the show, we were on it that day , really really tuned in and firing and then just came up short.
Tough man, really really f**king hard to take.

Anyway Monaghan football is in a good place right now , maybe that and the distance I am away from the hype has meant I am able to see 2007 as a much more sickening blow than 2018

[Puckoon]

I am surprised the whole of Kerry isn't on here talking about the AISF in 2003 and the AIF in 2005. Dareagh O'Se swinging the boot at it under the stand as the prodigy smacked the bitch up had to be as demoralizing as it came.

[stephenite]

1996 Replay. I haven't been right since

[Jinxy]

I was never too badly upset when we were absolutely tanked, i.e. complete systems failure.
It's the narrow defeats that get you.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

I was never too badly upset when we were absolutely tanked, i.e. complete systems failure.
It's the narrow defeats that get you.

100% Agreed.

[seafoid]

I think defeats when it was pure knockout with no second chance were more sickening. If the team is beaten twice there is less chance that it was robbed by fate.

[BennyHarp]

I think defeats when it was pure knockout with no second chance were more sickening. If the team is beaten twice there is less chance that it was robbed by fate.

+1 There was nothing as gut wrenching as being dumped out in the first round before the end of May.

[Jinxy]

Offaly beat us in the first round of Leinster in 2000.
Defending All-Ireland champions.
That was some come down, I can tell you.
There's also this sense of the whole Summer ahead of you and now what the fcuk do we do!

[FermGael]

Armagh. Athletic grounds. 1993

[thejuice]

There's also this sense of the whole Summer ahead of you and now what the fcuk do we do!

Go to Mosney. 

[ballinaman]

I was never too badly upset when we were absolutely tanked, i.e. complete systems failure.
It's the narrow defeats that get you.

Getting tanked in an AI final as per 04 and 06 is pretty shite.

[waterfordlad]

The All Ireland semi final defeat to Limerick in 2007 was a sickener as was the fifth semi defeat since 1998. We had been flying all year winning the league and Munster championship and were favourites but it was the 3rd Sunday in a row that we were playing and a fired up Limerick tore into us and 2 late goals killed us off.
The 2008 final was hard to watch as a brilliant Kilkenny team produced their best ever final performance to win the most one sided final in years. I was living and working in Kilkenny to make it worse. I tried to erase that day from my memory.

[rrhf]

National league final v Derry and subsequent championship defeat. Stunted our growth and I believe stopped us winning the all Ireland in that era.
88 Ulster final v Monaghan.
85 National leGue semi final v Monaghan.
2001 quarter final v Derry
2010 v cork.

[SHEEDY]

From my point of view as a Down man, I'd say:

1993 loss to derry in newry in the ulster championship, otherwise known as the massacre in the marshes.

1999 ulster final loss to armagh, enough said.

2010 all ireland final loss to cork, looking back its a match we could have won.