Most "came out of nowhere" All-Ireland champions?

[blanketattack]

Kerry in 1975. They'd lost to Cork by 10 points in the previous year's c'ship. They'd lost a host of players to retirement which meant there was 10 U21 players on the team, 9 of whom were in their first c'ship season and yet still managed to beat excellent Cork and Dublin teams on their way to winning the All-Ireland.

Who other counties came out of nowhere to win an All-Ireland?

[INDIANA]

emm - dublin in 1974 - div 2- hadn't won a championship game since the 60's and won the all-ireland.

[Rossfan]

Roscommon 1943...had been Junior till 1940, first Connacht title since 1915.
Down 1960
Dublin 1974
Does Mayo 1936/1950/1951 count seeing as it's  the middle of nowhere ?

[omagh_gael]

Kildare under micko?

[brokencrossbar1]

Kildare under micko?

What year did the win it?

[GalwayBayBoy]

Galway in 98 probably deserve a mention. We weren't even supposed to win our first game up in Castlebar and were underdogs I think in every game bar maybe the Roscommon ones. Plus it came at the end of a long bad period for Connacht teams in general.

[cornafean]

Down in 1991.

Hadn't won an All Ireland in 28 years. Hadn't won an Ulster in 9/10 years. Hadn't appeared in an Ulster final in the previous 5 years. Had consistently underachieved in previous Ulster championships. Not much different from today's Down team actually 

Galway in 98 probably deserve a mention. We weren't even supposed to win our first game up in Castlebar and were underdogs I think in every game bar maybe the Roscommon ones. Plus it came at the end of a long bad period for Connacht teams in general.

But Galway had played very well in 1997 against a Mayo team in between reaching two All Ireland finals. If I remember correctly, they were well fancied in 1998 to beat Mayo, Derry (who had performed abysmally in winning a very bad Ulster final) and indeed Kildare in the All Ireland final. The paradox of their season was that their tightest opponents were Roscommon, whom they were expected to beat comfortably.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Down in 1991.

Hadn't won an All Ireland in 28 years. Hadn't won an Ulster in 9/10 years. Hadn't appeared in an Ulster final in the previous 5 years. Had consistently underachieved in previous Ulster championships.

Galway in 98 probably deserve a mention. We weren't even supposed to win our first game up in Castlebar and were underdogs I think in every game bar maybe the Roscommon ones. Plus it came at the end of a long bad period for Connacht teams in general.

But Galway had played very well in 1997 against a Mayo team in between reaching two All Ireland finals. If I remember correctly, they were well fancied in 1998 to beat Mayo, Derry (who had performed abysmally in winning a very bad Ulster final) and indeed Kildare in the All Ireland final.

I'm pretty sure the bookies had us as underdogs though in all those games. I only remember because a friend of mine made a bomb by betting on them to win every game. I know Derry won a poor Ulster final but we nearly lost to Roscommon in Connacht.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Galway in 98 probably deserve a mention. We weren't even supposed to win our first game up in Castlebar and were underdogs I think in every game bar maybe the Roscommon ones. Plus it came at the end of a long bad period for Connacht teams in general.

Winning the All Ireland in 98 was a surprise; beating Mayo in Castlebar wasn't IMO.  They were a beaten docket that year after their tribulations of the previous 2 years and we were coming with a team that contained young talented players.      

[passedit]

Kerry in 1975."came out of nowhere" All-Ireland champions? Be serious By their history and facile route Kerry are always contenders.
Down 1960 - 1959 Ulster Champs, coming team.
Dublin 1974 maybe
Down 1991 ten years since a ulster champ even, 23 years since any Ulster team contested* an All Ireland final.

Contested  = key word.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Down in 1991.

Hadn't won an All Ireland in 28 years. Hadn't won an Ulster in 9/10 years. Hadn't appeared in an Ulster final in the previous 5 years. Had consistently underachieved in previous Ulster championships. Not much different from today's Down team actually 

Galway in 98 probably deserve a mention. We weren't even supposed to win our first game up in Castlebar and were underdogs I think in every game bar maybe the Roscommon ones. Plus it came at the end of a long bad period for Connacht teams in general.

But Galway had played very well in 1997 against a Mayo team in between reaching two All Ireland finals. If I remember correctly, they were well fancied in 1998 to beat Mayo, Derry (who had performed abysmally in winning a very bad Ulster final) and indeed Kildare in the All Ireland final. The paradox of their season was that their tightest opponents were Roscommon, whom they were expected to beat comfortably.

We were poxed to get the draw in Tuam against the Rossies and only sealed the with in the Hyde after a bad goalkeeping error allowed Mikey Donnellan a handy goal.

[omagh_gael]

Kildare under micko?

What year did the win it?

Oops jumped the gun there, mind not working the best! Runners up at least 

[Drung]

I disagree with the person who said Down in '91. Your post is wildly inaccurate.

Down in 1991.

Hadn't won an All Ireland in 28 years.

It was 23.

Hadn't appeared in an Ulster final in the previous 5 years.

They were in the 86 final (five years previously) and lost narrowly to a very good Tyrone team which should have won the All Ireland.

Hadn't won an Ulster in 9/10 years.

They won the Ulster title in emphatic style in 1981 (ten years previously)
They also won the National League, which was a bigger achievement than even winning an Ulster title in those days given the paucity of strength in Ulster, in 1983.

You are conveniently leaving out the fact that in the previous few years Down's record included:
1986 - narrowly beaten in Ulster final and won the All Ireland senior club title
1987 - won the All Ireland minor title
1988 - All Ireland club title

There were also the All Ireland winning minor and Under 21 teams of 77 and 79 - the minors of 77 were still only 31/32 by 1991 remember.

My own vote is Galway 1998. Also, Meath 99, while they had pedigree, were massive long shots at the start of the championship.

[passedit]

I disagree with the person who said Down in '91. Your post is wildly inaccurate.

Down in 1991.

Hadn't won an All Ireland in 28 years.

It was 23.

Hadn't appeared in an Ulster final in the previous 5 years.

They were in the 86 final (five years previously) and lost narrowly to a very good Tyrone team which should have won the All Ireland.

Hadn't won an Ulster in 9/10 years.

They won the Ulster title in emphatic style in 1981 (ten years previously)
They also won the National League, which was a bigger achievement than even winning an Ulster title in those days given the paucity of strength in Ulster, in 1983.

You are conveniently leaving out the fact that in the previous few years Down's record included:
1986 - narrowly beaten in Ulster final and won the All Ireland senior club title
1987 - won the All Ireland minor title
1988 - All Ireland club title

There were also the All Ireland winning minor and Under 21 teams of 77 and 79 -the minors of 77 were still only 31/32 by 1991 remember.

My own vote is Galway 1998. Also, Meath 99, while they had pedigree, were massive long shots at the start of the championship.

Drung there are too many letters in your name.

[blanketattack]

Meath '96
Hadn't won Leinster since '91. Besides O'Connell, had a completely new team from their great team of the 80s.