It’s fitting to look at which teams are the top five gaelic football teams in the country.
We’ve seen some exceptional football matches this season, with Dublin completing a clean sweep so far and expected to lift the Division 1 title on Sunday. The most popular and best supported game in the land has grown in many ways over the last decade and a sense of pride in your county’s team has been firmly re-established in mainstream culture. With the game at it’s peak we’ve put together a list of the best football counties in the country.
1 Dublin:
The Dubs have won three of the last five All Ireland titles and are favourites to retain the trophy again this year. They have once again dominated in the league, having not lost a single game in 21 outings and over the last five have become renowned for their free flowing brand of football but they can defend with 14 players with the best of them too. Perhaps the panel does enjoy a bit of an advantage over some counties due to the facilities and finances available to them but the team still has to go out and produce on the pitch. That’s something they have consistently done.
2 Kerry:
The Kingdom’s footballers endured a disappointing 2015 by their own standards but have come back strongly this year. They finished second in the league to a Dublin team that seem invincible. They also look set to finish the year strongly with Colm Cooper back to something approaching his best form at full forward. The Gooch will be desperate to leave his mark in the league final against Dublin so we could be in for a cracking tie on the 24th.
3 Roscommon:
Putting the Rossies in at number three may be a bit controversial but they have shown over the last couple of years that playing in Division One is not beyond their capabilities. Some thought they could be swallowed up in the division but instead they have flourished. They ran Dublin close earlier this month and we think that next year could see them really push the likes of Dublin and Kerry.
4 Mayo:
Mayo have played some excellent football this season but perhaps haven’t fulfilled their full potential due to a slight weakness at the back. In the league they have conceded a lot of points, even against a poor Down side. A couple of minute defensive tweaks could put this right for next year and the team could really kick on from there.
5 Donegal:
Rory Gallagher has built upon the steadfast defence established in 2014 by Jim McGuinness. This year only Dublin and Kerry have had better defensive records in the league. There’s still more potential to be unlocked by Gallagher but the foundation is there to be built upon.
Tyrone, Cork, Galway, Monaghan & Meath would make up the top ten.
