All-Ireland Series Sam Maguire 2026

[seafoid]

In 1933 Cavan won their first Sam
Over the next 20 years they won 5 , Mayo won 3 and Roscommon won 2.Then it stopped.

Didn't Galway win 2 as well?

Seeing as Mayowestros and Tyrone were the 2 most improved teams this Summer will anyone with designs on Sam put much effort into Provincials in future?
Could we end up with 2 "slow bike races" -- NFL D1 and Provincials?

Galway won 2 but they won afterwards.. Until this year Cavan Mayo and Ros didn't.  I think it was a unique period in the game.

[seafoid]

Mol an óige

https://x.com/dric88/status/2084292257331495181/mediaViewer?

[westbound]

In 1933 Cavan won their first Sam
Over the next 20 years they won 5 , Mayo won 3 and Roscommon won 2.Then it stopped.


In 1991 Down broke through. Over the next 20 years they won 2, Derry won their first, Donegal won their first and ended with 2, Armagh won 1 and Throne won 3.

Galway's 3 in a row in the 60's was a significant milestone. I know it was only one county but it was a significant period for Connacht football, ravaged by immigration.

Yes, but unfortunately it was followwd by 32 years without a connacht winner of the all ireland. 
Galway's 2001 win was the last for connacht until this year.

so in the last 60 years it's been 3 connacht wins (2 galway, 1 mayo).
Hopefully this mayo win will lift all boats in connacht, but it's far from a guarantee!

[Rossfan]

Sligo had a few good minor and u20 teams earlier this decade.
I'd have thought they'd be showing improvement at Senior level by now.

[J70]

A week later and some thoughts...


The end of an era....

God I'm Glad that that is over. It took far far too long. We had some great days along the way. But the ultimate AI Final failure at the end of every good season would crush the most positive of Mayo fan. Have to say - It's great not having to suck it up anymore.  Losers have no voice.

Friends and Family

There are so many who were with me on this journey, some now WhatsApp friends, some now living abroad, some who just drifted out of my life along the way and some sadly no longer with us. Getting over the line brought many back into my thoughts over the week. I'm am now a middle aged man. I seriously thought I'd never see the day. In truth winning it became bigger than it really was and had a suffocating effect.

The Perspective

Let's face it Kerry did virtually no tactical homework on Mayo. Their main concern was getting the wounded and injured onto the pitch. This game was seen as a mere formality and this was shown in naming their injured Captain as one of the subs. One of the Kerry Podcasts said they didn't know which game was the Tailteann Cup final on the Saturday the week before. Despite the public talk - there will have been great embarrassment in Kerry to have been the one who lost to Mayo in a final.

Luck

To win an AI - you need luck. And we go lorry loads this year. The side of the draw. Losing to Tyrone to end up on that side of the draw. Losing to Roscommon - giving us 5 weeks off to sort stuff out. No major injuries. Meath going down to 14. Kerry injury crisis. The white jerseys. Winning the toss for what end to play into in the final.

Andy Moran

Must be the strongest all round Manager GAA has seen. Tactician, Motivator, Psychologist, Innovator, Media savvy, Risk taker, Enthusiast - to name a few.
He has torn up the GAA statican handbook - stats that used to be key mean nothing anymore.

The Media

Isn't Tommy Rooney a solid pundit? He only talks of the positives of Gaelic Football. Loves the game and looks for the small stories. His coverage of Football has been top notch and his enthusiasm was not clouded by Meaths relatively poor championship. It great to see the new generation like him replace the Joe Brollys of the world. Joe who went for and Coffee with Andy Moran in Castlebar (cough - Bullsh1t) the week before the final.

The Future

A tough year ahead for Andy. Getting these young lads back to earth won't be easy. There will be obvious retirements and there will be a culling of the herd. I don't expect us to retain the title. This could be the peak. But with the proper guidance we will be there or there about for the next few years.
On the other hand - I remember cheering on Dublin in 2011 and see what happened there. Be careful what you wish for.....

To hell with next year! Kick back and enjoy the win and the winter. There'll be plenty more seasons to come after 2027.

Great post!

[Armamike]

In 1933 Cavan won their first Sam
Over the next 20 years they won 5 , Mayo won 3 and Roscommon won 2.Then it stopped.

Didn't Galway win 2 as well?

Seeing as Mayowestros and Tyrone were the 2 most improved teams this Summer will anyone with designs on Sam put much effort into Provincials in future?
Could we end up with 2 "slow bike races" -- NFL D1 and Provincials?

Only if they want the satisfaction of winning it because of a drought or a series of near misses (like Armagh).  There is very little benefit for the AI series and if anything being dumped out early on allows teams the chance to learn, lie low for a while and refocus.

[AustinPowers]

In 1933 Cavan won their first Sam
Over the next 20 years they won 5 , Mayo won 3 and Roscommon won 2.Then it stopped.

Didn't Galway win 2 as well?

Seeing as Mayowestros and Tyrone were the 2 most improved teams this Summer will anyone with designs on Sam put much effort into Provincials in future?
Could we end up with 2 "slow bike races" -- NFL D1 and Provincials?

Only if they want the satisfaction of winning it because of a drought or a series of near misses (like Armagh).  There is very little benefit for the AI series and if anything being dumped out early on allows teams the chance to learn, lie low for a while and refocus.

And stay under the  radar, like Mayo did.

A few of those Mayo  lads I never really  seen much of (or heard of), until the Louth  semi. And   it was hard to judge If Mayo were really good or Louth  were really poor that day , so  we didn't really learn much from it. Nor did Kerry, it seems.

[imtommygunn]

Last year's was almost a nail in the coffin for provincials. Going further meant zero later on and was almost a negative. I am not sure how they rectify that.

[thewobbler]

I don't understand this "under the radar" angle. Do you not watch National League football?

5 of Mayo's defence (along with 6 others who played in both) lined out in the 2025 NFL final.

12 of the 20 players used by Mayo last weekend played in a national league final 3 years ago.

10 of last weekend's matchday squad were in the 26 man panel for the 2021 Ai final

8 of last weekend's matchday squad were in the 26 man panel for the 2020 Ai final.

Stephen Coen too. He would have featured last weekend but for injury and he played in all the above.

They brought through a seam of quality players earlier this decade - Coyne, Hession, Callinan, McBrien, Carney, ROD - when the old guard were done. And they stayed competitive whilst waiting for those lads to mature into men.

Mayo have been hiding in plain sight for the past 5 years I reckon.

[tiempo]

I don't understand this "under the radar" angle. Do you not watch National League football?

5 of Mayo's defence (along with 6 others who played in both) lined out in the 2025 NFL final.

12 of the 20 players used by Mayo last weekend played in a national league final 3 years ago.

10 of last weekend's matchday squad were in the 26 man panel for the 2021 Ai final

8 of last weekend's matchday squad were in the 26 man panel for the 2020 Ai final.

Stephen Coen too. He would have featured last weekend but for injury and he played in all the above.

They brought through a seam of quality players earlier this decade - Coyne, Hession, Callinan, McBrien, Carney, ROD - when the old guard were done. And they stayed competitive whilst waiting for those lads to mature into men.

Mayo have been hiding in plain sight for the past 5 years I reckon.

Tyrone 2021 springs to mind, one and done

[imtommygunn]

Armagh very possibly the same.

[Rossfan]

Last year's was almost a nail in the coffin for provincials. Going further meant zero later on and was almost a negative. I am not sure how they rectify that.

Only 1 Provincial Champion made the last 8.

Perhaps let Provincial Champions straight to Round 2?
Have the 8 non Finalists play a prelim Round so 4 of them will be on their last life?

[imtommygunn]

They have to do something like that or else the provincials are a dead duck.

[Captain Obvious]

I don't understand this "under the radar" angle. Do you not watch National League football?

5 of Mayo's defence (along with 6 others who played in both) lined out in the 2025 NFL final.

12 of the 20 players used by Mayo last weekend played in a national league final 3 years ago.

10 of last weekend's matchday squad were in the 26 man panel for the 2021 Ai final

8 of last weekend's matchday squad were in the 26 man panel for the 2020 Ai final.

Stephen Coen too. He would have featured last weekend but for injury and he played in all the above.

They brought through a seam of quality players earlier this decade - Coyne, Hession, Callinan, McBrien, Carney, ROD - when the old guard were done. And they stayed competitive whilst waiting for those lads to mature into men.

Mayo have been hiding in plain sight for the past 5 years I reckon.

League stuff and knockout championship football aren't comparable, the only thing that could be compared looking back was Kerry's defending against Tyrone,Dublin and Mayo was as poor as it was against Donegal in the league final.  One Kerry poster on here thought Jason Foley whould mark Ryan O'Donoghue out of the game, instead O'Donoghue was Man of the match. The same Kerry poster hasn't posted since I wonder why?

Those stats are inflated by saying matchday squad instead of starting 15 which was much changed from the 2021 All-Ireland final

Mayo in their previous 4 championships was last 16,last 12 exits and hammered by Kerry,Dublin in All-Ireland Quarter-finals.  Mayo and their supporters can correct me if wrong,  7 or 8 of their starting 15 played in their first ever Croke Park championship match against Cork in this summers All-Ireland Quarter-final,  if that isn't the definition of coming in under the radar I don't know what is


After winning All-Ireland semi-final by 17 points the under radar stuff should have been over however Andy Moran played the media like a fiddle after that match asking a room of journalists did any of them really think Mayo would win the All Ireland final and he was greeted with silence.

Even though we have a more offensive based game All-Ireland finals are still won by the team that defends the best and the defensive work out of possession by Mayo forwards and midfielders was the stand out feature in them ending their 75 year famine.  Food for thought for teams with potential in what is sure to be another open championship in 2027.

[bennydorano]

When Tommy Conroy came on ROD moved out the field and Foley stopped marking him Captain Obvious. 24 mins I believe and ROD did his damage after that.