Toughest all Ireland win

fasttalkerchat

Who do you think had the toughest route to lifting Sam?

My (biased) view is Armagh 2002 because they had to beat the 2 best Ulster teams and Dublin and Kerry to lift Sam.

Henno30

Clare in 1997 beat Cork, Tipp, Kilkenny, and Tipp again. That's the hard way to win the All Ireland hurling championship.

K-9

Tyrone in 2005 was pretty epic, 5 in Ulster including the replay defeat to Armagh, then getting revenge in the Semi Final, 2 games against Dublin as well. 10 games in all.

fasttalkerchat

K-9 wrote: »

Tyrone in 2005 was pretty epic, 5 in Ulster including the replay defeat to Armagh, then getting revenge in the Semi Final, 2 games against Dublin as well. 10 games in all.

Armagh 2002 had games:
Tyrone draw
Tyrone win
Fermanagh win
Donegal ulster final win
Sligo draw
Sligo win
Dublin win
Kerry win

They beat the 3 best teams and didn't lose a game.
Also Donegal were great that year. They were tipped to win Ulster and managed a draw with Dublin.

K-9

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Armagh 2002 had games:
Tyrone draw
Tyrone win
Fermanagh win
Donegal ulster final win
Sligo draw
Sligo win
Dublin win
Kerry win

They beat the 3 best teams and didn't lose a game.
Also Donegal were great that year. They were tipped to win Ulster and managed a draw with Dublin.

Forgotten about the Tyrone draw, to do it without a loss is quite an achievement but I don't really see Tyrone losing to Armagh as a minus, there was little or nothing between the 2 teams for 5/6 years and the record shows that in matches between them. Dublin were the fourth best team in 05 and I'd rate the Kerry team in 05 higher than the 02 team.

To me Tyrone and Armagh were at their peaks in 05, Kerry not far of it and that was a decent Dublin team.

fasttalkerchat

K-9 wrote: »

Forgotten about the Tyrone draw, to do it without a loss is quite an achievement but I don't really see Tyrone losing to Armagh as a minus, there was little or nothing between the 2 teams for 5/6 years and the record shows that in matches between them. Dublin were the fourth best team in 05 and I'd rate the Kerry team in 05 higher than the 02 team.

To me Tyrone and Armagh were at their peaks in 05, Kerry not far of it and that was a decent Dublin team.

You're right about it being a better Kerry team in '05. Back then in Armagh the back door was looked at as not having earned your place. It can often be a tougher route.

aidan24326

Another one was Galway 2001

CSFC London (won)
CSFC Roscommon (lost)
Q2 Wicklow (won)
Q3 Armagh (won)
Q4 Cork (won)
QF Roscommon (won)
SF Derry (won)
F Meath (won)

Probably Tyrone 2005 was the toughest though. And Clare 97 is a good call too.

fasttalkerchat

aidan24326 wrote: »

Another one was Galway 2001

CSFC London (won)
CSFC Roscommon (lost)
Q2 Wicklow (won)
Q3 Armagh (won)
Q4 Cork (won)
QF Roscommon (won)
SF Derry (won)
F Meath (won)

Probably Tyrone 2005 was the toughest though. And Clare 97 is a good call too.

Meath were done by that point. Armagh weren't organised that year. Derry did well but weren't in the top 2 in Ulster never mind Ireland!

J Cheever Loophole

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Who do you think had the toughest route to lifting Sam?

My (biased) view is Armagh 2002 because they had to beat the 2 best Ulster teams and Dublin and Kerry to lift Sam.

I'd love to say us in 2002, but hand on heart I cannot. It has to be Tyrone 2005 and I say that as someone who feels we left it behind big time that year. The gut wrenching feeling after the end of that game will live long in the memory - on a par with our Minor loss in 1992.

We really threw that semi-final away, leaving it open for Tyrone to claim the gong. Ironically, it was the fact that Tyrone had played so many games that year already (three draws - in fact we had already two draws ourselves) that I am convinced that I saw a very rare occurence in that match, of a GAA ref playing to avoid the draw.

He gave a nothing free kick at the end (in the context of what had gone on before) and allowed Wee Peter and Muggsy to phaff around at the free kick, thus wasting the bulk of the two minutes injury time, and blowing the final whistle on the kick out.

The emotion was raw as I offered my advice to Paddy Russell as he made his way off the pitch in the Cusack / Canal corner!! :mad:

DEFTLEFTHAND

Offaly in 1998 took a tough route in the hurling.

Leinster

QF. Meath (W)
SF. Wexford (W)
F. KK (L)

All Ireland.

QF. Antrim (W)
SF. Beat 97 champs Clare in a replay after the controversial first match at Croke Park where the ref blew up before time.
F. KK (W)

aidan24326

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Meath were done by that point. Armagh weren't organised that year. Derry did well but weren't in the top 2 in Ulster never mind Ireland!

I wasn't saying it was the best, just that it was a tough enough one to win having that many games against pretty good teams.

And saying Derry weren't much good and Meath were spent is bollox really. Derry actually led Galway by 5 pts in the semi that year, and should have won. And this was the same Meath team that gave Kerry an unprecedented walloping. Granted Meath probably shot their load somewhat in the Kerry game but this was still a very good Meath team.