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Name Your Best 15 Gaa Players Over The Past 40 Years

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Replying To The_DOC:  "Without Seán óg de Paor and/or Deccie Meehan there no way Galway would have won one if not both All Irelands.

Without Lee Keegan, I'm fairly sure Mayo would still have lost all those finals though."
No way Galway win without one of their half backs? Seriously. Class players but a daft post there. Like ridiculous. Any more random scenarios for us?

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8632 - 20/10/2025 16:02:25    2640840

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Team is from 1985 onwards - Kerrys golden years team were washed up by 1986. That rules out all of them really

Stephen Cluxton
Mark O Se
Mick Lyons
Keith Higgins
Lee Keegan
Seamus Moynihan
James McCarthy
Brian Fenton
Anthony Tohill
Trevor Giles
Maurice Fitzgerald
Peter Canavan
Colm Cooper
Michael Murphy
David Clifford.

Subs:
Rory Beggan
Seán Marty Lockhart
Jack McCaffrey
Sean Cavanagh
Larry Tomkins
Conor McManus

Squad Members
Darran Fay
Kieran McGeeney
Kevin Walsh
Ja Fallon
Mickey Lindon"
To have no Galway player in the starting 15 or even the next 6 subs and to have two Mayo players is recency plus proximity bias :D

FullOfPorter (Roscommon) - Posts: 461 - 20/10/2025 16:31:07    2640845

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Replying To TheFlaker:  "No way Galway win without one of their half backs? Seriously. Class players but a daft post there. Like ridiculous. Any more random scenarios for us?"
You have repeated exactly my point! Re read my post.

The_DOC (Galway) - Posts: 826 - 20/10/2025 16:48:13    2640849

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Replying To tomsmith:  "Tomsmith here
An y Poster that would leave Murphy Donegal ,Mc Donald County Mayo and Tohill L, Derry of the best 15 players in the past 40 years knows very little about the skills of the Gaa.
All three of these lovely footballers were tops in Skill and delivery ( and I dident include Sheanie Johnston of Cavan and Kildare fame ) in my lie up as the greatest exponents of theGaa game"
You don't know much either, firstly there is no L in the County Derry and next you don't know much if you put Tohill in front of the great Sean Cavanagh.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2464 - 20/10/2025 16:48:24    2640850

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Replying To The_DOC:  "You have repeated exactly my point! Re read my post."
Eh i can only hope you are joking. Hope.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8632 - 20/10/2025 17:29:19    2640856

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Replying To FullOfPorter:  "To have no Galway player in the starting 15 or even the next 6 subs and to have two Mayo players is recency plus proximity bias :D"
I'm not completely sure about recency bias when it comes to picking out great GAA players, to be honest the way football went regarding defensive tactics and uncontested handpassing I'd say it would be harder for players who played in the more tactical era to get noticed.

GreenMan1987 (Meath) - Posts: 117 - 20/10/2025 20:55:18    2640880

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Replying To GreenMan1987:  "I'm not completely sure about recency bias when it comes to picking out great GAA players, to be honest the way football went regarding defensive tactics and uncontested handpassing I'd say it would be harder for players who played in the more tactical era to get noticed."
That point would tend to affirm recency bias on this specific thread, if 'recent' players are appearing more regularly in selections, despite your theory regarding the perceived difficulties in 'getting noticed' in the modern stew that is possession retention gaelic football.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4466 - 21/10/2025 12:29:04    2640943

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Replying To FullOfPorter:  "To have no Galway player in the starting 15 or even the next 6 subs and to have two Mayo players is recency plus proximity bias :D"
The usual general critisism - name the player(s) that should be dropped for all these great Galway lads.

The Galway team of 1998 - came from no where that year and were done by 2002.

In no estimation of greatness does having 3 or 4 good years make you one of the greatest players of a 40 year period.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1646 - 30/10/2025 11:32:40    2642224

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "The usual general critisism - name the player(s) that should be dropped for all these great Galway lads.

The Galway team of 1998 - came from no where that year and were done by 2002.

In no estimation of greatness does having 3 or 4 good years make you one of the greatest players of a 40 year period."
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1632

Tomsmith here
Yes you are correct one trick wonder players wee not included in my first post and while Mayo have been Bridesmaids may times in Gaa competitions only Mc Donald stood out in my opinion.
Many other footballers in Mayo had excellent periods of playing GAA but only for a short duration and none of these had the killer instinct to drive Mayo on to won an All Ireland ..

tomsmith (Cavan) - Posts: 4121 - 30/10/2025 14:55:10    2642261

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Replying To tomsmith:  "tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1632

Tomsmith here
Yes you are correct one trick wonder players wee not included in my first post and while Mayo have been Bridesmaids may times in Gaa competitions only Mc Donald stood out in my opinion.
Many other footballers in Mayo had excellent periods of playing GAA but only for a short duration and none of these had the killer instinct to drive Mayo on to won an All Ireland .."
Ah now Tom!

Your team of the past 40 years (1985 to 2025) included

Paudie O Se - retired in 1987 (3 years of the 40)
Dermot Early Snr - retired in 1985
John Joe Reilly died in 1952
Mickael Kearns retired in 1978
Matt Connor retired in 1984

While all would be in with a shout of some other time frame - we are talking the last 40 years

Also, this is supposed to be best 15 players - not best 15 players who won the All Ireland or some other makey upey qualification.

Since the footballer of the year was introduced
Only David Clifford, Brian Fenton and Trevor Giles have won it twice
Of the players that have won it
There have been
Goalkeepers: S Cluxton (19)
Full back line Defenders: M O Se (07)
Half back line defenders: S Moynihan (00), D Meehan (01), K McGeeney (02), T O Se (04), K Lacey (12), J McCaffrey (15), L Keegan (16)
Midfielders: MDMA (13), B Fenton (18&20), P Conroy (24)
Half forwards: M Fitzgerald (97), Trevor Giles (96 &99), Ja fallon (98), P Galvin (09), A Brogan (11), KMcGeary (21)
Full forwards: P Canavan (95), S Mc Donnell (03), S O Neill (05), K Donaghy (06),B Brogan (10), J O Donoghue, A Moran (17), D Clifford (22 & 23)

You cant ignore lads who were the best in the country on multiple years, nor can you ignore lads from 1985 to 1995

So in hindsight
S Cluxton
Mark O Se
Mick Lyons
Seamus Moynihan
Lee Keegan
K McGeeney
K Lacey
Brian Fenton
Anthony Tohill
Trevor Giles
Ja Fallon
Peter Canavan
Maurice Fitzgerald
Michael Murphy
David Clifford.

If you insist - I can have K McDonald in for Michael Murphy.
Can't have the 5 retired/dead lads you included though

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1646 - 30/10/2025 16:01:44    2642272

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "The usual general critisism - name the player(s) that should be dropped for all these great Galway lads.

The Galway team of 1998 - came from no where that year and were done by 2002.

In no estimation of greatness does having 3 or 4 good years make you one of the greatest players of a 40 year period."
That's right, I forgot the old GAA saying that, "winning two All Irelands means nothing."

The_DOC (Galway) - Posts: 826 - 31/10/2025 09:18:05    2642324

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Replying To clooney:  "no Mikie Sheedy John Egan Pat Spillane as a sub Jack O Shea has to be there"
Your timeline is off. After 1986, you'd never select any of that era of Kerry player. If the question was last 50 years, you'd probably select 3 of them.

BaldyBadger (Cork) - Posts: 337 - 31/10/2025 14:23:55    2642399

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Ah now Tom!

Your team of the past 40 years (1985 to 2025) included

Paudie O Se - retired in 1987 (3 years of the 40)
Dermot Early Snr - retired in 1985
John Joe Reilly died in 1952
Mickael Kearns retired in 1978
Matt Connor retired in 1984

While all would be in with a shout of some other time frame - we are talking the last 40 years

Also, this is supposed to be best 15 players - not best 15 players who won the All Ireland or some other makey upey qualification.

Since the footballer of the year was introduced
Only David Clifford, Brian Fenton and Trevor Giles have won it twice
Of the players that have won it
There have been
Goalkeepers: S Cluxton (19)
Full back line Defenders: M O Se (07)
Half back line defenders: S Moynihan (00), D Meehan (01), K McGeeney (02), T O Se (04), K Lacey (12), J McCaffrey (15), L Keegan (16)
Midfielders: MDMA (13), B Fenton (18&20), P Conroy (24)
Half forwards: M Fitzgerald (97), Trevor Giles (96 &99), Ja fallon (98), P Galvin (09), A Brogan (11), KMcGeary (21)
Full forwards: P Canavan (95), S Mc Donnell (03), S O Neill (05), K Donaghy (06),B Brogan (10), J O Donoghue, A Moran (17), D Clifford (22 & 23)

You cant ignore lads who were the best in the country on multiple years, nor can you ignore lads from 1985 to 1995

So in hindsight
S Cluxton
Mark O Se
Mick Lyons
Seamus Moynihan
Lee Keegan
K McGeeney
K Lacey
Brian Fenton
Anthony Tohill
Trevor Giles
Ja Fallon
Peter Canavan
Maurice Fitzgerald
Michael Murphy
David Clifford.

If you insist - I can have K McDonald in for Michael Murphy.
Can't have the 5 retired/dead lads you included though"
Very good team but James McCarthy has to be on the team.

gaa.88 (Kerry) - Posts: 21 - 31/10/2025 15:03:17    2642404

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Replying To BaldyBadger:  "Your timeline is off. After 1986, you'd never select any of that era of Kerry player. If the question was last 50 years, you'd probably select 3 of them."
Jacko Shea was still brilliant in 86 and instrumental to Kerry winning the All Ireland and played until 1992 so he would be still in with a shout.

gaa.88 (Kerry) - Posts: 21 - 31/10/2025 15:07:28    2642405

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Replying To gaa.88:  "Very good team but James McCarthy has to be on the team."
James McCarthy for Keegan. I could see tirawley signing up for that!!

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4466 - 31/10/2025 16:57:04    2642415

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "James McCarthy for Keegan. I could see tirawley signing up for that!!"
James McCarthy was a great Gaelic footballer.
He was a multi positional player, deployed where ever Dublin needed him most.

He mostly wore 5 - but as a pure wing back, wasn't better than Keegan, Jack McCaffrey, Tomas O Se, Karly Lacey etc.
As a midfielder, he wasn't in Fentons class at all. And would be behind Tohill, Jack O Shea, Dara O Se in my view.
He didn't play center back (that was O Sullivans gig).

So no, I wouldnt have him in for Keegan - nor a good few more. I'd have him before Meehan though - every day of the week.

On the Keegan topic - in every match he played in the half back line - not only did he stop his marker scoring more than 0-1, he always outscored them. There isn't a halfback that every played, that you could say that about them. So whatever debates there are about missing players - a team of the last 40 years that doesn't have Keegan on it, is basically nonsense.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1646 - 03/11/2025 10:02:23    2642762

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "James McCarthy was a great Gaelic footballer.
He was a multi positional player, deployed where ever Dublin needed him most.

He mostly wore 5 - but as a pure wing back, wasn't better than Keegan, Jack McCaffrey, Tomas O Se, Karly Lacey etc.
As a midfielder, he wasn't in Fentons class at all. And would be behind Tohill, Jack O Shea, Dara O Se in my view.
He didn't play center back (that was O Sullivans gig).

So no, I wouldnt have him in for Keegan - nor a good few more. I'd have him before Meehan though - every day of the week.

On the Keegan topic - in every match he played in the half back line - not only did he stop his marker scoring more than 0-1, he always outscored them. There isn't a halfback that every played, that you could say that about them. So whatever debates there are about missing players - a team of the last 40 years that doesn't have Keegan on it, is basically nonsense."
That bit about Keegan always outscoring his marker isn't true. He was tasked with picking up Shane Walsh for most of the 2020 Connacht Final and had a tough outing. At one point Walsh turned him inside and out on a 50 yard run before landing a brilliant score. Keegan couldn't get a hand on him.
Walsh scored 3 from play (7 in total) on a November pitch when scores from play were tough to come by. Keegan didn't score at all.
Keegan might have relished a more physical battle with Connolly, but he struggled with the movement and balance of Walsh.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2629 - 03/11/2025 10:58:17    2642774

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Replying To WanPintWin:  "That bit about Keegan always outscoring his marker isn't true. He was tasked with picking up Shane Walsh for most of the 2020 Connacht Final and had a tough outing. At one point Walsh turned him inside and out on a 50 yard run before landing a brilliant score. Keegan couldn't get a hand on him.
Walsh scored 3 from play (7 in total) on a November pitch when scores from play were tough to come by. Keegan didn't score at all.
Keegan might have relished a more physical battle with Connolly, but he struggled with the movement and balance of Walsh."
Keegan was not fully fit in 2019 and 2020 but still had a good year both years. He also got absolutely roasted by CON one year but if you counter me with a name of any defender I will pick out games where they were roasted. It happens. But over his career and amount of games he played in, especially big ones, Keegan usually came out on top. I think Kilkenny got 4 touches in total in the 2017 final was held scoreless and Keegan scored a goal and assisted a couple of scores. I don't think anyone in the country could have done that to a prime Kilkenny.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8632 - 03/11/2025 13:36:27    2642811

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "The usual general critisism - name the player(s) that should be dropped for all these great Galway lads.

The Galway team of 1998 - came from no where that year and were done by 2002.

In no estimation of greatness does having 3 or 4 good years make you one of the greatest players of a 40 year period."
It did in its backside come from nowhere, fallon, Walsh, de poar, silke and fahy won a Connacht title in 95.Have I missed anyone else. Lost semi final to Tyrone by 3 points I think. So there's the spine of 98 to 02 teams.
Prime Donnellan was worth the admission alone on his day. Most modern teams ya get 5/6 good years and then mileage catches up. Not like years ago there wasn't the demands on players.

2maroonjerseys (Galway) - Posts: 120 - 03/11/2025 13:55:06    2642816

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Prime Michael Donnellan was the quintessential footballer's footballer. I'd say if ye asked most of that dream team named earlier if they'd have him in that starting 15, you'd get a resounding yes and he'd be one of the first handful named! As dynamic and electrifying a player as you'd ever wish to see, and that was from Ballinlass National school up!

togoutlads (Galway) - Posts: 1105 - 03/11/2025 15:35:46    2642838

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