County with best performance in the Decade

[armaghniac]

From Sunday Tribune

1. Kerry
They never took a year off. Ultimately that's what separated them from the rest, including Tyrone. Only one other side in the history of the sport has remained among the top three counties in the land for 10 years and they made a video of them. Speaking of which, isn't time someone got round to making the DVD Kerry: The Golden Years, 2000-2009? They've been accused of winning a few soft All Irelands but that argument holds no weight. In his latest book Mickey Harte concedes that a failing of his Tyrone side in recent years is not to drive on regardless of the challenge posed by the opposition; "If the opposition are playing like a team 10 points worse than us, bet them by 10 or more, not by five." Some commentators like our own Liam Hayes seem to believe Kerry's All Irelands of '04 and '06 would carry more weight if they'd beaten Mayo by only five. The mark of Kerry is that they didn't settle for that. No one would have lived with them on those days, including the Tyrone of '04, '06 and '07.

Top three players of the decade Colm Cooper, Darragh Ó Sé, Tomás Ó Sé

2. Tyrone
That they were in contention for team of the decade until the final year of the decade says it all. Were in more All Ireland finals than the previous 115 years combined, won them all and it's little wonder with the concoction of Mickey Harte and those that played under him. May not have won the Ulster titles Armagh did but that was no harm. Instead they won 75 per cent of their championship games this decade compared to Armagh's 69 per cent and won two more All Irelands than their Ulster rivals. Top three players Brian Dooher, Seán Cavanagh, Ryan McMenamin

3. Armagh
Might have only ended up with the one All Ireland but changed the way Tyrone and Kerry played football. In the first seven championships of the decade, they went all the way once and five times it took the team that went all the way to stop them. Was there ever a more committed and dedicated Gaelic football team who went to such lengths in pursuit of greatness? We reckon not. Top three players Stevie McDonnell, Kieran McGeeney, Paul McGrane

4. Galway
Their great rivals out west may have been the sob story of the past 10 seasons, but at least they were a story. After that brilliant All Ireland win in 2001 for Galway, no one could have imagined the loudest noise in football suddenly going quiet. Haven't been back to even an All Ireland semi-final since which is a shocking indictment of a team that has to essentially win two games to reach the last four. Complained Peter Ford was too defensive and Liam Sammon was too attacking, but after seven barren seasons it became clear it was the players' mentality that was the problem. Their league form explains their high position here – but even then they couldn't deliver an actual league title. Top three players Pádraic Joyce, Kevin Walsh, Michael Meehan

5. Dublin
In a decade when they won 74 per cent of their championship games, enough Leinster titles to put them joint second on the all-time list for titles per decade – only one behind their countymen of 1890s – and won as many provincial titles as both Armagh and Kerry, it would take some spectacular failures to leave such a bad taste. But the near misses against Mayo in 2006 and Kerry in 2007, and the lack of lessons learned thereafter ruined much of the good work. Their non-appearance in an All Ireland final on the back of some shuddering collapses will be the defining memory. Top three players Ciarán Whelan, Alan Brogan, Paddy Christie

6. Cork
If the back door hadn't been built this decade, who's to say what might have been for Cork, after all they've only ever had two better decades in Munster and one of those was the 1890s. But that Kerry have only beaten them once in the last five attempts down south is little consolation. Six times this decade Kerry have finished them off for the season and in the case of 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2009, that was after they had already beaten Kerry. Good enough to get past their old rivals once, but lacked the fire power and guile to beat them twice. Top three players Graham Canty, Nicholas Murphy, Colin Corkery

7. Mayo
One of only seven counties to reach an All Ireland final this decade and only Kerry were in more. Should be a source of huge pride but, like in decades past, lost finals are remembered in Mayo but all the big games they won to get to those deciders are forgotten. Exits in the second and third rounds of the qualifiers as well as the quarter-finals these past three years suggested a side with too much honesty and too many footballers. Top three players Ciarán McDonald, David Heaney, Conor Mortimer

8. Meath
Kept their record alive of competing in a Leinster final every decade since the 1900s and winning a Leinster final every decade since the 1920s but such a fact is just spraying deodorant without having a wash. Only in the 1910s were they in less Leinster deciders and when you consider their average number of finals over the previous 50 years was over five per decade, the one they contested this decade around was a failure. Somewhere along the line (with the retirement of John McDermott, perhaps?) they lost that trademark Meath steel but a semi-resurgence in recent years means that no Leinster team was in more All Ireland semi-finals and they were the only side from the east to reach a final. Top three players Graham Geraghty, Anthony Moyles, Nigel Crawford

9. Derry
Perhaps the most frustrating team in football this past decade. Ulster titles may have been a duopoly over the last 10 years but every other team in Ulster has been to a provincial final since they last made it back in 2000. In fact, since reaching an All Ireland semi-final in 2001, they've barely won over half of their championship games. Unacceptable. Top three players Paddy Bradley, Enda Muldoon, Seán Marty Lockhart

10. Donegal
For all the indiscipline within the panel and turmoil at county board level, they still found themselves in three All Ireland quarter-finals, three Ulster finals and with a league title. How good could they have been then had they kept their heads down? We will never know. Top three players Karl Lacey, Adrian Sweeney, Kevin Cassidy

11. Laois
For all the talk of wasted talent, it's too easy to forget that by the time they won the 2003 Leinster title it was their first appearance in a decider since 1991, just their eighth since their previous triumph 53 years earlier and they'd lost the lot of those by an average of nearly eight points. But success breeds expectation and, while they'd initially have given over Claire Byrne and Lisa Burke for just the one title, the losses in 2004 and 2005 and the lack of a last-four appearance gave the feeling they were left slightly short-changed. Top three players Ross Munnelly, Fergal Byron, Joe Higgins

12. Fermanagh
Started off the decade playing some of the most attacking and entertaining football about and not long after were just two points shy of reaching an All Ireland final. Finished off the decade playing some of the most defensive football around but were just a point shy of winning an Ulster title. But despite this being their greatest era they leave it behind like they left all the rest – without a trophy. Top three players Barry Owens, Marty McGrath, Ryan McCluskey

13. Westmeath
It's a sign of a good decade when just about everyone has forgotten how bad you used to be. Those two Division Two titles were unprecedented, never mind their Leinster victory. Only beaten by Meath and Dublin in Leinster the first five years of the decade in which they were always competitive and sometimes sublime. Fifteen years ago they could never have dreamed of ending up with the above, a Leinster minor and under-21 title, their first ever All Star and then another four. Top three players Dessie Dolan, John Keane, Rory O'Connell

14. Kildare
Bookended the decade with some highs and some hope. However, having finally broken with a wretched past in 1998, much more was expected. Of the other Leinster counties, only Carlow, Westmeath and Longford failed to beat them. In fact by the time they fell to Wicklow last year, it took their five-year record to four wins from 13 games against teams that ranged from middleweight to lightweight. Top three players Dermot Earley, John Doyle, Anthony Rainbow

15. Sligo
Has it ever been so good? Never before have they played in more than two Connacht finals in a decade and this decade they won only their third title too. But there's so much more. The wins against Kildare and Tyrone, the draw with Armagh and the two All Ireland quarter-finals. So significant was this period in their history they even changed their jersey colour to mark the beginning of a new and better era. Top three players Eamonn O'Hara, Dessie Sloyan, Paul Durcan

16. Roscommon
At least the worst appears to be over after a decade of two halves. For the first five years they won the hardest of Connacht titles by beating Galway and Mayo, reached another final, got to two All Ireland quarter-finals and three league semi-finals. Since then there's been no provincial final and Wexford are the only side they've beaten in the qualifiers. Indiscipline played a big part in their demise but Fergal O'Donnell has begun to put that right. Top three players Francie Grehan, Karol Mannion, Frankie Dolan

17. Wexford
As good as it's got since the 1950s thanks to a first Leinster final appearance since 1956 and first last-four appearance since 1945. Had the persistence to go with the attacking quality and, after constantly knocking on the door when losing provincial semi-finals between 2004 and 2007, they were finally got into that final a year later. Never had the defence to take on the really big boys though. Top three players Matty Forde, Redmond Barry, PJ Banville

18. Monaghan
If Ulster and qualifier draws were punishment for an over-the-top aggressiveness on the field, then amazingly Monaghan can still feel unlucky. By the time Banty had crafted a truly formidable force in 2007, the side beat Derry, Down and Donegal only to lose out to Tyrone and Kerry. When they came back a year later with a sense of mission, they again beat Derry and Donegal only to again come up against Kerry. And by the time they entered 2009 out of energy, they put Armagh out of the championship only to come out of the hand against Derry. Some things just aren't meant to be. Top three players Tommy Freeman, Damien Freeman, Paul Finlay

19. Offaly
Started on a high with a win over Meath in 2000 and gradually regressed. Lost to seven other Leinster counties including Louth and Carlow and by the later years of this decade were being humiliated by Kildare, Laois, Westmeath and Down. Even found themselves in Division Four and without a back door place in 2007. Top three players Niall McNamee, Karol Slattery, Ciaran McManus

20. Cavan
Sometimes you're simply not cool enough to hang with the popular kids and there's nothing you can do about it. A side that just wasn't good enough to get past Kildare at a low ebb or Wicklow at a high ebb in the qualifiers was never going to hack it in the finest era ever for northern football. Top three players Anthony Forde, Declan McCabe, Jason Reilly

21. Down
Their first decade since the '40s without an Ulster title, and worse, outperformed by the likes of Monaghan and Fermanagh who had no All Ireland underage finalists to call on. How can a team that draws with Tyrone one week lose by 15 points the next week like in 2003? How can a team that gives Donegal such a scare in Ballybofey kick just four points in losing to Sligo like in 2006? How can a team that beats Tyrone and hits 5-19 against Offaly lose to Wexford like in 2008? And how can a side that brushes Laois aside one week lose to Wicklow the next like in 2009? We never got an answer for the bizarre inconsistency that dogged them for the decade either. Top three players Benny Coulter, Dan Gordon, Mickey McVeigh

22. Limerick
In 2002 they came up a point short against Mayo; in 2004 they took Kerry to a replay; in 2006 they fell to Westmeath by a point; in 2007 they fell to Louth by a point; in 2008 they conceded two goals in injury time to lose to Cork before being pipped by Kildare; in 2009 they lost the Munster final to Cork and their last-12 tie to Meath by a point. In short, there hasn't been an unluckier side this decade. Top three players John Galvin, John Quane, Muirís Gavin

23. Louth
They'll want to be remembered as the side that could have beaten Tyrone in the qualifiers and should have beaten Meath in the qualifiers, but those two big days can't outweigh the four wins from 16 provincial outings. Never reached a Leinster semi-final and never looked likely to do so either. The underlying problem? Twenty-eight years without a Leinster under-21 title and 56 years without a Leinster minor title. You can't grow flowers without planting the seeds. Top player Aaron Hoey

24. Longford
Beat Monaghan and Derry and should have beaten Dublin and Kerry. But while they had the mentality to scare some top teams in Pearse Park, they lacked the extra sliver of quality to overcome the more mundane. Lost their last four Leinster championship games by an average of just two points and that's where one more big name could have made a big difference. Top player Paul Barden

=25. Antrim
Let's talk pre-2009 for a moment because Antrim were never as bad as they were made out to be. In fact they beat Down and Cavan and drew with Derry in Ulster and the only time they were truly outclassed in the qualifiers was by Meath in 2005, and that includes outings against Derry, Armagh and Fermanagh. But in truth the decade was all about 2009 although it could have been so much better had they finished off Kerry when they had them on the ropes. Top player Kevin Brady

=25. Wicklow
Started the 2000s unable to get out of a round-robin qualifier to enter the proper Leinster championship and lost their first-round game for each of the next seven years. Then came Mick O'Dwyer, a first win in Croke Park in 2008, four wins this time around, All Star nominations and a legitimate claim to be a top-12 team for the season. That there's a case to be made for 2009 being Mick O'Dwyer's greatest achievement shows how bad they were and how far they've come. Top player Leighton Glynn

27. Clare
Overshadowed by the hurlers in the '90s, they were still consistently a top-16 team back then. But this decade they fell through the floor in Munster and landed hard in the basement. In fact, after reaching a Munster final by default in 2000, they only ever beat Waterford in Munster and never strung two wins together in a summer. Top player David Russell

28. Tipperary
Even if they somehow managed to draw a Munster final in 2002, it's easy to see just why John Evans gets so excited when talking about a footballing revolution led by a senior team heading for Division Two. Their win against Louth in the 2009 qualifiers was the county's first summer victory in five years and only their fourth of the decade. After being so bad for so long, things have finally started to come good. The decade also saw them produce their first ever footballing All Star and superstar, a vital step in a county dominated by the small-ball game. Top player Declan Browne

29. Carlow
Yet again too much talk off the field and not enough action on it meant they could never make the most of what little they had. Liam Hayes got a spark out of the side with their 2005 win over Offaly but it wasn't enough to light a fire. Haven't won a championship game since May 2006 and losing a player to Wicklow sums up their predicament. Top player Mark Carpenter

30. Leitrim
1994 was touted as being once in a lifetime, the 2000s were always going to be tough times. Roscommon in 2000 and Sligo in 2005 were the only Irish sides they managed to beat, New York took them to extra-time in 2003 and they have the unenviable record of entering the qualifiers eight times and losing their first game each time. Were competitive in most championship games but won too few of them, and indeed too few league games. Top player John McKeon

31. Waterford
One win from 18 championship games only tells a small part of the tale. Were Kilkenny to enter and win a game in the next decade, it wouldn't be a dissimilar sort of achievement. That alone should tell you just what John Kiely achieved in Dungarvan in May of 2007. Top player Eddie Rockett

32. London
Nought from 14 in the championship and just four league wins across the decade but then again it's no coincidence their struggles coincided with the best decade for the Irish economy. With record numbers signing up for clubs in the English capital at present, expect better over the next decade.

33. Kilkenny
If people on Noreside think football is so easy, why is it they can't field a decent team? We thought their return to the league was a positive but someone needs to tell them if you're going to do something, then do it right.

[armaghniac]

They also have a "hound" type ranking

Overall Rankings

1. Kerry 6,791
2. Tyrone 4,415
3. Armagh 3,635
4. Dublin 3,570
5. Galway 3,285
6. Cork 2,771
7. Mayo 2,290
8. Meath 1,922
9. Derry 1,852
10. Donegal 1,642
11. Laois 1,353
12. Fermanagh 1,346
13. Westmeath 1,227
14. Kildare 1,223
15. Sligo 919
16. Roscommon 793
17. Wexford 761
18. Monaghan 760
19. Offaly 496
20. Cavan 447
21. Down 444
22. Limerick 371
23. Louth 365
24. Longford 338
25. Antrim 214
25. Wicklow 214
27. Clare 204
28. Tipperary 158
29. Carlow 136
30. Leitrim 128
31. Waterford 39
32. London 10
33. Kilkenny 1

1 point for a league win in Division Four; 3 points for a league win in Division Three or the old Division Two; 10 points for a win in the old Division One or new Divisions One and Two; 15 points for a championship win against a county that didn't reach an All Ireland quarter-final this decade; 35 points for a championship win over a county that reached an All Ireland quarter-final this decade; 45 points for a championship win over a county that reached an All Ireland semi-final this decade; 5 points for the Tommy Murphy Cup; 20 points for an All Star; 70 points for winning Division One of the league; 45 points for league runners-up; 25 points for reaching Division One semi-finals or top four; 10 points for winning old Division Two or new Division Three or Four titles; 80 extra points for winning provincial championship; 100 points for beaten All Ireland quarter-finalists; 175 points for beaten All Ireland semi-finalists; 250 for All Ireland runners-up; 400 points for All Ireland champions

This is slightly different than the above. But whatever way you look at in this millennium, Down are in the bottom dozen in the country. But most likely some of the usual suspects will be on here talking about the "old days" and how good it was in the last Century.

[longrunsthefox]

Has got very tedious this one. Why don't they pick THE team of the decade... like ONE team... ie: Kerry 2009, Tyrone 2005, Armagh 2002, Galway 2001 etc Which was the best team? it ain't the same teams win All Irelands six or seven years apart... just the same county! 

[Zapatista]

Has got very tedious this one. Why don't they pick THE team of the decade... like ONE team... ie: Kerry 2009, Tyrone 2005, Armagh 2002, Galway 2001 etc Which was the best team? it ain't the same teams win All Irelands six or seven years apart... just the same county!

Just change the question to = County of the decade?

[longrunsthefox]

That's done to death Zapata   

[Cúig huaire]

These are the only statistics that matter, there is no prize for team of the decade. In fact until this decade some teams had never won an All Ireland. To listen to the supporters of these teams you would think they invented the game.

Kerry 36
Dublin 22
Galway 9
Meath 7
Cork 6
Down 5
Cavan 5
Wexford 5
Kildare 4
Tipperary 4
Tyrone 3
Mayo 3
Offaly 3
Louth 3
Limerick 2
Roscommon 2
Derry 1
Donegal 1
Armagh 1

[Farrandeelin]

With the way things are going, Mayo will soon be bottom of that list.

[Zapatista]

These are the only statistics that matter, there is no prize for team of the decade. In fact until this decade some teams had never won an All Ireland. To listen to the supporters of these teams you would think they invented the game.

Kerry 36
Dublin 22
Galway 9
Meath 7
Cork 6
Down 5
Cavan 5
Wexford 5
Kildare 4
Tipperary 4
Tyrone 3
Mayo 3
Offaly 3
Louth 3
Limerick 2
Roscommon 2
Derry 1
Donegal 1
Armagh 1

They hardly matter either. Ye can keep them al irelands from 50 years ago.

[mylestheslasher]

Whos this Declan McCabe boy in the top 3 Cavan players of the Decade?

[blanketattack]

I thought this was best team performance of the decade.
I'd say top 3 are:
- Tyrone v Kerry 2005
- Kerry v Galway 2002
- Kerry v Dublin 2009