The Irish News - your county's top 15 players ever

[thewobbler]

I would suggest Matt Fitzpatrick spent too long dwelling on the distant past with his selections. We've in the region of a dozen dual All Ireland winners from the early nineties that were overlooked in favour of a group of men that nobody with their marbles still intact can honestly remember ever kicking a ball. I'm not being ageist here - I just don't think the achievements of the early 1990s should be downgraded in that way.

Personally I think Shorty, great player as he was, didn't do enough in a county jersey to get a mention, while in my opinion Liam Austin was a good player but certainly not a great one. Bundy Mason or Brendan McGovern were better Down players of their era.

More surprising omissions in my opinion are Greg McCartan, Conor Deegan, Paul Higgins and Gary Mason. Great players, great servants, All-Ireland medal winners, 3 of them All Stars.

[Antrim_Gael]

You can add your own choices when the voting starts on the 20th according to the website http://www.irishnews.com/125.

But you can add comments to the blog for each side at http://www.irishnews.com/125blog, there are comments already. The Down team is on today and Antrim was in on Saturday.

[T O Hare]

Always had a notion that Matt had not a clue about football and this list clarifys it!!!!
This should not have been left to one man to pick !!!! There are too many players pre-1960 for a start!does anyone remember the down team of the millennium??

[boojangles]

Heres my tuppence worth!
Cavan

1-Jim Smith- Captain in 33,13 Ulster medals, says it all.A record that will never be surpassed

2-Hughie O Reilly- Captain in 35,legendary player and trainer who's coaching pronciples are still used to this day.

3-Packie Phair-Starred in 33 and 35,a forward feared by all

4-Peter Donohoe-Babe Ruth of GAA-Probably Ulsters all-time greatest forward

5-Tony Tighe-superb attacker,played in 47,48 and 52

6-Mick Higgins- Captain in 52,one of the games all-time great Centre-Forwards

7-John Joe O Reilly-The Greatest

8-PJ Duke-Fantastic Half-back,won 3 All-Ireland medals before his death at the age of 25.Legend

9-Phil 'The Gunner' Brady-legendary powerful full-back/midfielder.Played in 47,48 and 52.His name lives on.

10-Jim McDonnell-Old Jim Bob-One of the greatest players never to win an All-Ireland.

11-Charlie Gallagher-Captain of Ulster winning team of 69.Another of Ulsters all-time great forwards.

12-Gabriel Kelly-One of Cavans greatest ever defenders,played throughout the 60s.winning 4 Ulster medals

13-Steve Duggan- a very stylish forward,another of the Stars from the 60's.

14-Ray Carolan-another of the 60's Stars.One of the countrys top midfielders at the time.

15-Damien O Reilly-One of the Stars of 97.Could play in defence or attack.But for injuries would be Cavans greatest footballer of the last 25 years.

My own reading and hearing different accounts helped me pick from the Golden Era.My fathers knowledge and ramblings gave me a picture of the 60's while my own eye picked the great Damien O Reilly.

[spiritof91and94]

Always had a notion that Matt had not a clue about football and this list clarifys it!!!!
This should not have been left to one man to pick !!!! There are too many players pre-1960 for a start!does anyone remember the down team of the millennium??

Seems to me he tried to get as many clubs involved as possible - no harm to Matt but Eugene Grant doesnt merit a look in here - Cecil Ward maybe the only Bryansford player of the late 60's era who could get in.

[nrico2006]

Has the Tyrone list been done yet?

[Donagh]

Brian McAlinden
Colm McKinstry	Denis Stevenson	Tidsy McKerr
Aaron Kernan	Kieran McGeeney	Tony McEntee
Neil Smyth	Paul McGrane
Cathal O'Rourke	Diarmaid Marsden	Jimmy Smyth (c)
Ger Houlahan	Ronan Clarke	Stevie Mc

Oisin for Houlie with 25 to go if he hasn't produced
Other subs:

Bill McCorry
Johnny Corvan
John McEntee
Francie
Andy Mallon 
Aidan O'Rourke

neil smyth in front of Mark Grimley or Jarlath Burns ? Ive witnessed them clash at club level and the difference was night and day. That said the bawn man was a good footballer.

No Oisin or John Mac or Big joe?

Sure Big Joe can be manager - there's no one there I'd drop for him. Oisin is there as the impact sub as is John Mac for a few of those long range points if we need lifting, the problem being more often that not, those long rangers go the wrong side of the posts.

[gorm agus bui]

Few notable absentees from the Down effort by Matt Fitzpatrick today:  Ambrose Rogers sr, Liam Austin, Shorty Treanor.

When it comes to football you have to give Matt a bye ball because, well because he's Matt. You only have to read the Down Recorder every week to realise his depth of knowledge is alarming to say the least. having said that we will all have different opinions, but Deegans and Higgins from the 90s would be walk ons in most people's selections

[Bitta-Banter]

Firstly why is the Down selection picked by a Fermanagh man?
Its a disgrace,whenever i see a match report by Matt i dont read it,all his previews and reports are the sameas previous ones.
He puts Downs win over Louth down to the fact that Down were 'the more compact side',what does this mean?
How can he leave out Conor Deegan?and Eamon Burns?Deegans impact on the Down V Derry epic of 94 was never fully recognised,he kept Tohill quiet that day, and that was a major reason why Down won that game, and the All-Ireland.

[Joe Umbrella (hey)]

In my opinion Matts writing has become an insult to Down football over the last few years. Every match preview is entirely negative from a Down perspective whilst his match reports are confusing at times. For someone (from Fermanagh) who reports on Down games - I dont think he has any great love for Down's senior footballers. Some ot the players ommitted from the Irish News is shocking.

[passedit]

I would suggest Matt Fitzpatrick spent too long dwelling on the distant past with his selections. We've in the region of a dozen dual All Ireland winners from the early nineties that were overlooked in favour of a group of men that nobody with their marbles still intact can honestly remember ever kicking a ball. I'm not being ageist here - I just don't think the achievements of the early 1990s should be downgraded in that way.

Personally I think Shorty, great player as he was, didn't do enough in a county jersey to get a mention, while in my opinion Liam Austin was a good player but certainly not a great one. Bundy Mason or Brendan McGovern were better Down players of their era.

More surprising omissions in my opinion are Greg McCartan, Conor Deegan, Paul Higgins and Gary Mason. Great players, great servants, All-Ireland medal winners, 3 of them All Stars.

fair points re Shorty and Austin but to use the logic you used re the current u21's none of the nineties lads you named were going to make the starting 15 so whether they made the shortlist or not is irrelevant. These things are about starting as many arguements as possible so Matt appears to have done his job by giving the old timers plenty to chew on.

[bennydorano]

Forgot about Gregory McCartan, excellent player.

[Antrim_Gael]

Fermanagh in today. Will we have anyone bleating on about them not winning an Ulster Championship? Few juicy comments in over the Down team on the blog.

You can add your own choices when the voting starts on the 20th according to the website http://www.irishnews.com/125.

But you can add comments to the blog for each side at http://www.irishnews.com/125blog, there are comments already.

[Muzz]

Tyrones turn today - what does everyone think of the players named?

[whiskeysteve]

Conor Gormley a bit unlucky maybe.

I see a 'strong and forceful' exponent of the headbutt made the list though