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

[ONeill]

I'll take Saffron Sam's 15 from a while back on the Antrim thread.

Surely the 1911/1912 team will dominate the Saffron selection. Wasn't there an oul fella Sheehan (Harry?) in goal? Then Kevin Armstrong and Joe McCallin from the 40s. Mickey McCallin, McGrogan and Aidan Hamill? The B championship side of '99? Maybe Sean Kelly of recent vintage.

Mickey McCallan - Ardoyne's finest is worth a shout alright.

Members of the recent over 40s teams must be looked at too. One of which (and him over 50) narrowly lost a handball match this evening but he was in a rush to get to his Irish class so can be forgiven. Luckily, myself and a geography teacher's brother pulled the overall win out of the bag.

Sorry, Andy....slip of the hand.....

[passedit]

I see Armagh are first up......


Will anyone be able to get to 15?

Of the modern generation:

McGeeney
McConville
McDonnell
J McEntee

I'm sure Moriarty and Kernan will be included and yer man who missed the penalty.

Marsden, Clarke and Mc Grane ahead of all but the first named.
Add Brian Mc Alinden, Paddy Mo, Colm Mc Kinstrey, Jimmy Smith, Joe Kernan, Martin Mc Quillan, John Corvan, Mc Nally? (st pauls).

Thats fifteen i tink

Really? I'd have thought McConville over Clarke and McDonnell over Marsden on the big stage. John McEntee was a fabulous county footballer.

Personal preference really, Mc Geeney, Mc Grane and Marsden real leaders and over a decade outstanding service. Clarke has it all.

[5 Sams]

15 Aristocrats...I could have named 30....

Seo mo rogha...

1. Sean O'Neill
2. Colm McAlarney
3. Greg Blaney
4. Paddy Doherty
5. Mickey Linden
6  Wee James
7. Ross Carr
8. Benny Coulter
9. Oul James
10. Tom O'Hare
11. Joe Lennon
12 Ambrose Rogers RIP
13. Tommy McGovern
14. Paul Higgins
15. Mark Turley

[5 Sams]

Yup...Glenn...majestic full back

[tyrone86]

10. Tom O'Hare

Senior or Junior 

[inisceithleann]

I can't argue too much about Caid's Fermanagh fifteen, but what about Cormac McAdam and Paddy McGuinness?

[RedandGreenSniper]

I know its limited to Ulster but I'll throw out a few Connacht suggestions (and I'm selecting players from before my time on reputation)

Mayo (in no particular order)
James Nallen
Ciaran McDonald
Kevin O'Neill
Liam McHale
Willie Joe Padden
Joe Corcoran
Ted Webb (RIP)
Sean Flanagan (RIP)
Padraig Carney
Paddy Prendergast
Tom Langan (RIP)
Henry Kenny (RIP)
John Morley (RIP)
Seamus O'Malley (RIP)
Josie Munnelly (RIP)

Galway
Sean Purcell
Mattie McDonagh
Frank Stockwell
John Donnellan
Enda Colleran
Billy Joyce
Michael Donnellan
Padraig Joyce
Kevin Walsh
Ja Fallon
Noel Tierney
Johnny Geraghty
Liam Sammon
Sean Og de Paor
Declan Meehan

Roscommon
Dermot Earley
Tony McManus
Jimmy Murray
Phelim Murray
Bill Carlos
Pat Lindsay
Gerry O'Malley
Donal Keenan
Harry Keegan
Brendan Lynch
I'd be pushing it after that

Sligo and Leitrim I'd be weak enough on but from Sligo you'd have Mickey Kerins, Barnes Murphy, Eamonn O'Hara and Paul Taylor and from Leitrim Pakie McGarty, Mickey Quinn, Seamus Quinn and Declan Darcy.

[screenexile]

I'll have a stab. Is it just the 15 best footballers or do we need to do positions? 15 best footballers from what I've heard and seen...

Jim McKeever
Sean O'Connell
Paddy Bradley
Anthony Tohill
Tony Scullion
Dermot McNicholl
Kieran McKeever
Gerry McElhinney
Fergal Doherty
Sean Marty Lockhart
Joe Brolly
Henry Downey
Brian McGilligan
Joe Irwin
Frank Niblock

For a poll like this I am still fairly young to be judging our greatest ever but I have been reliably informed about O'Connell, Irwin, Niblock, McElhinney and McKeever that they deserve inclusion. Maybe younger players like Doherty/Lockhart could be swapped for some of the Gribbin's or maybe someone else I've missed out on but in my mind Doherty is the best Midfielder around at the minute (Bar none!) and Lockhart has been outstanding for well over 10 years at this stage.


Maybe some of the elder statesmen of Derry could put up a better list as I'm sure I haven't enough Ballinderry/Bellaghy/Lavey men on the team.

[moysider]

I ll restrict this to Mayo. Most I would nt have seen but I thrust my sources and their achievements.

Gerald Courell.
Paddy Moclair.
Sean Flanagan.
John Forde.
Paddy Prendergast.
Eamonn Mongey.
Padraic Carney.
Willie Casey.
Tom Langan.
John Morley.
Joe Corcoran.
Ted Webb.
Willie Joe Padden.
James Nallen.
Ciarán MacDonald.

[screenexile]

15 Aristocrats...I could have named 30....

Seo mo rogha...

1. Sean O'Neill
2. Colm McAlarney
3. Greg Blaney
4. Paddy Doherty
5. Mickey Linden
6  Wee James
7. Ross Carr
8. Benny Coulter
9. Oul James
10. Tom O'Hare
11. Joe Lennon
12 Ambrose Rogers RIP
13. Tommy McGovern
14. Paul Higgins
15. Mark Turley

As usual 'Shorty' gets a raw deal!!!

[BallyhaiseMan]

this will be a hard one,

John Joe O Reily
Mick Higgins
Charlie Gallagher
Jim Reily
Ray Carolan
Big Tom O Reily
Peter Donohue
PJ Duke
Tony Tighe
Hughie Newman
Steve Duggan
Enda McGowan
Stephen King
Ronan Carolan
Damien Reily

[T O Hare]

10. Tom O'Hare

Senior or Junior 

Give me a few years, i have nt reached my peak yet

[screenexile]

this will be a hard one,

John Joe O Reily
Mick Higgins
Charlie Gallagher
Jim Reily
Ray Carolan
Big Tom O Reily
Peter Donohue
PJ Duke
Tony Tighe
Hughie Newman
Steve Duggan
Enda McGowan
Stephen King
Ronan Carolan
Damien Reily

Dear god a great down team without Shorty and a great Cavan team without Larry... do ye lads watch football at all?

[Lecale2]

A great Cavan team with only 4 O'Reillys/Reillys?

I was expecting 15.

[Leo]

5Sams, your Down 15 is well judges but I'd have to say Breen Morgan and Dan McCartan before Ross Carr and Paul Higgins, great lads as they are.
There has to be a place for the likes of Joker Carr & Paddy O'Hagan from the 40's.

Screenexile, anyone who picks a Derry best without McGilligan is a lost cause so your infantile remark about "Shorty" in the Down selection will be given a bye....