I realise there has probably been a dozen threads similar to this but the boredom is killing me lads.

Name a county or particular team (not your own) you have or had a soft spot for and explain why.

Relatively recent teams I always had a soft spot were

The Tyrone team of the noughties.
Maybe they reminded me of the successful Meath teams of the past. They were tough men who never new when they were beaten. No major history behind them but came along and done whatever it took to win.
They were also full of class. McAnallen(RIP), Gormley, Philip Jordan, Sean Cavanagh, Brian McGuigan, Dooher, Stevie O'Neill, Mugsy and of course Canavan were all brilliant. Loved to watch them and had a lot of respect for them.

Oddly enough the Kerry team of the noughties were another team I loved watching and have a soft spot for.
They came up short against Tyrone but my god they had some talent.
The O'Ses, O'Mahony, Galvin, Dec O'Sullivan, Star and The Gooch were all quality players. They played lovely football and when they were in full flight they were magical.

Other counties I have a soft spot for
LAOIS - they bring great colour and passion when they're going well, had a great team in the noughties too.
DOWN - Had some brilliant teams down through the years, usually play lovely football too and have had some great forwards. They bring savage colour with them too. Meath seem to have a good relationship with them as well.
MONAGHAN- I have a lot of time for the Monaghan team of the last 7-8 years. Tiny population but squeezed every ounce out of themselves. Very passionate football people.
MAYO- The mayo team of the last decade, jesus they gave us some entertainment. Obviously theres no love lost between Meath and Mayo but this that team of the last 10 years I enjoyed. They had class footballers and were unlucky to come up against this Dublin team. They played with their heart on their sleeves. Lee Keegan is one of the best players ive ever seen.


In Hurling I always enjoyed Clare. Great colour and a lovely county.
Recently I like - Stone mad most of them and unreal passion for hurling. Great to see a county alive again,

Meathmaverick (Meath) - Posts: 106 - 09/04/2020 12:09:09    2275603

waterford and offaly in hurling.
meath and mayo in football.
but the best thing in the world is to be hated as a county as that means you are a success.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 09/04/2020 18:40:15    2275635

Galway hurlers in the 00s were a fine team to watch as Galway usually are.

Whatever it is Carlow are doing to grow in both codes at the same time definitely has my respect.

Also always kept an eye on the fortunes of London even before I moved there

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 09/04/2020 19:36:49    2275644

Has to be Donegal. Holidays every year S Donegal from when I was knee-high to a gnat. Too many McMansions these days; but still a lovely spot and the friendliest people in Ireland.

essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 09/04/2020 20:43:11    2275651

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 09/04/2020 20:55:23    2275654

Waterford hurlers 2002-2007, played in a unreal amount of thrilling games, players like mullane, Ken mcgrath and Tony Browne who are rightly celebrated as much as those with multiple Celtic crosses.

Mayo of the last decade, without them the decade would have been alot less interesting and there resilience to come back after so many setbacks is incredibly admirable.

Not a mikey harte fan but have huge respect for the Tyrone team of the noughties and there big game temperament, the kilkenny team of 2006-2012 was extraordinary not matter what way look at it.

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 09/04/2020 21:09:40    2275657

Leitrim. Used to live in Carrick for a few years but I always hoped they'd do well before that. Now all of that goes out the window whenever they play Mayo but outside of them playing Mayo I'd always want them to do well. I suppose it's the underdog thing. It was a great occasion this time last year when they were in the Division 4 final. The whole of Leitrim must have been there! I live in Dublin so I was there cheering them on. Pity they couldn't have gotten the result.

the_walls (Mayo) - Posts: 495 - 09/04/2020 21:19:03    2275660

Offaly hurlers of the 1990's....a county that punched above its weight and had a glorious successful spell due to the emergence at the same time of some incredibly gifted hurlers. Also admired their notorious laid back approach.

Mayo footballers in the last decade. Really talented group who were unfortunate to come up against a great Dublin team. They were deservedly beaten by Donegal in an All Ireland final but that final was their best chance of winning one in the last decade. They are always having to endure the "bottlers" jibe due to losing those finals but in any other decade they would have won at least 1 All Ireland and maybe two.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1904 - 09/04/2020 21:53:55    2275663

Meathmaverick (Meath) - Posts: 106 - 10/04/2020 09:30:33    2275673

Mayo football - great team, so unlucky not to win an All Ireland in the past decade or so.

Plus - they gave us not only Hillgate but Trackergate. Two of the great talking points of the 21st century.

lionofludesch (Down) - Posts: 475 - 10/04/2020 10:33:14    2275678

Hurling: Unquestionably Waterford. The amount of classic games they produced in the 00s is phenemonal, and Derek McGrath's team were great to watch too despite the criticism from the traditionalists. Love to see them win the big one again.

Football: loved McGuinness' Donegal team. Always maintain that is probably harder to drill a team to be successful in that style of play than with a more orthodox or attacking set-up. Tyrone's noughties team were a joy to behold, particularly given the personal tragedies the players would have endured and the fact there was a brilliant Kerry team operating at the same time. Can't really say I have a soft spot for any of the underdog teams, particularly in Leinster as it was often at Wexford's expense.

beano (Wexford) - Posts: 1421 - 10/04/2020 11:08:46    2275680

Galway and limerick hurlers who broke their long Famines in recent years. Also Have always had a soft spot for Clare where I have cousins.

In football I like Kildare and Leitrim. Also rooted for Tyrone when they became successful and endured heartbreak off the field and despite jibes thrown at them had class footballers all over the field. It was a privilege to be at the 2008 All Ireland final when they took down Kerry again.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11234 - 10/04/2020 11:25:40    2275682

2 counties one in both codes . the great down teams with paddy o rourke d j kane greg blaney and mickey linden and the offaly team in hurling in the 90s brian whelehan kevin martin johnny joe and billy dooley johnny pilkington and the great

john troy a joy to watch

mickcunningham (Westmeath) - Posts: 1806 - 10/04/2020 11:36:51    2275684

Íl be shot for this but iv a big grá for Cork football, and I'd be a massive fan of Galway football as well.

I really enjoyed watching Waterford in the 00s.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 10/04/2020 12:42:01    2275692

Always had a soft spot for Meath football. Terrific fans who we had the pleasure of getting to know a lot lately. The great thing about the gaa is meeting fans from other counties and the banter that goes with it. Oh how I wish for days like that again. Also have great time for the dubs. Brilliant fans who really bring great atmosphere wherever they go.

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2410 - 10/04/2020 12:58:41    2275694

The Clare hurlers ever since Ger's time in charge in those crazy summers of the mid-1990s

Also followed the trails and trivializations of the Waterford hurlers throughout the 2000s

In football Galway and Down because, like ourselves, they usually tried to play the game in the right way - with skill and heart

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 10/04/2020 13:09:24    2275696

Loads of them in the recent past and present!

Philip Jordan (Tyrone)
Sean Cavanagh(Tyrone)
Tomas O'Se (Kerry)
Cillian O'Connor (Mayo)
Lee Keegan (Mayo)
Donal Vaughan (Mayo)
Colm Cooper (Kerry)
Sean O'Shea (Kerry)
Cathal McShane (Tyrone)
Emlyn Mulligan (Leitrim)
Conor McManus (Monaghan)
Rory Beggan (Monaghan)
Ryan McHugh (Donegal)
Odhran MacNiallis (Donegal)
Shane Walsh (Galway)
Francie Bellew (Armagh)
Aaron Kernan (Armagh)
Michael Shields (Cork)
Graham Canty (Cork)
Daniel Goulding (Cork)
John Heslin (Westmeath)
Ross Munnelly (Laois)
Mattie Forde (Wexford)

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 10/04/2020 13:32:01    2275698

catch22 (USA) - Posts: 2148 - 10/04/2020 15:42:26    2275706

Always liked Down and their style of football . Even forgave them for '91 . Enjoyed the Armagh 2000 - 2005 team .Felt they left another All- Ireland behind as they were a real tough team who could play football -reminded me of the Meath team of the late 80s . The Wicklow team of the late 80s and early 90s was a real good hard footballing side who probably should of achieved more . Fergus Daly and Pat o Byrne in the middle of the field were a serious outfit

royalpad (Meath) - Posts: 46 - 10/04/2020 17:00:40    2275716

Sligo,
Used to spend many a summer there for my holidays and with that would like to see them do well in anything, when I started out playing football I hadn't a huge interest in watching games as I was u8 or u10 but I remember them coming close to beating Kerry in 2009, funnily enough I can't remember the cereal brand but back around then you could get for example a kellogs bowl in your counties colors and the counties name on it so I got Monaghan and Sligo.

Watched Éamonn O'Hara's Laochra Gael the other day, what a footballer he was and that was a great Sligo team, was delighted to see they found some success and had some great days out. David Kelly was one of my favorite footballers growing up.

MonaghanGlory (Monaghan) - Posts: 738 - 11/04/2020 05:21:05    2275749