All-Ireland Series Sam Maguire 2026

[gallsman]

The Tyrone ones had Harte as their minor and then U21 manager too.

[Wildweasel74]

2/3rds Kerry team minor medals.

[Armagh18]

From John McIntyre Sports Editor in the Connacht Tribute

Provincial and All Ireland winning under age teams are over-rated for providing a cluster of top senior players.

If your point is underage is about development of players than just winning titles then I'd agree.

Mayo from their starting 15 in All-Ireland final/winning team had McDonald,O'Donoghue,Beirne,Flynn, D O'Connor, McGreal etc who won at least a provincial title. Others development path to senior was done without county underage success.

Of the All-Ireland winners I've seen over the years only Armagh 2024 didn't have a handful of players that first won Underage  titles, from what I recall I think they had just two or three and that was underage success and that back in 2009.


County that filtered their Underage success best has been Dublin with the majority of their 6 in a row team first having won titles at underage level.

Closest thing to success at underage was Rian O'Neill/Callum O'Neill/Ross McQullians age that were beat by Tyrone in an Ulster u20 final, we've done little or nothing since 2009 at underage bar was it 2024 minors getting to an Ulster and All Ireland final but losing to Derry both times.

Our successful noughties team was backboned by a strong u21's team with Paul McGrane and our strong team of recent years was largely made up theg strong u20 team and boosted by that 09 minor team with Grugan, Murnin etc,

[whitey]

Maybe the world has changed and some players who don't  get a chance to represent their county at underage can get a chance later on

I know a lad who got dropped from an underage development squad, but was told to be ready for a callback at any time. As a result he essentially does all the same S&C (on his own) as the lads who are on the development squad

[Armagh18]

Maybe the world has changed and some players who don't  get a chance to represent their county at underage can get a chance later on

I know a lad who got dropped from an underage development squad, but was told to be ready for a callback at any time. As a result he essentially does all the same S&C (on his own) as the lads who are on the development squad

That's true, know of a few in Armagh with similar stories, Soupy was dropped from that 09 minor panel, Jemar Hall and Aidan Nugent were both sent away to do a pile of work on their own before breaking into the county squad. All 3 turned out very good players.

Was it Fenton that didn't make the Dublin minor team?

[Rossfan]

Breheny filling his paper again

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaa/fifty-50-part-1-ranking-the-50-best-all-ireland-final-displays-of-the-last-50-years/a/160291313.html