When Sam last visited the final eight

The race for the All-Ireland title is approaching the finishing line, and Shaun Casey recounts the last time the quarter-finalists crossed it

Tyrone (2021)

Tyrone’s most recent All-Ireland win arrived out of the blue in the knockout championship of 2021. With Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher newly in through the door, replacing Mickey Harte as joint managers of Tyrone, it was fair to assume they would take their time to find their feet. Instead, the pair led the Red Hands on an unforgettable journey, first claiming Ulster in Croke Park with a one-point win over Monaghan before overturning Kerry and Mayo to finish the season on the steps of the Hogan Stand.

Meath (1999)

Of Meath’s seven All-Ireland titles, the last one came in 1999 which capped a real golden period for the Royal County. Sean Boylan’s side captured Sam Maguire four times during a 14-year spell and also lost back-to-back finals against Cork in 1990 and 1991, while Galway defeated them in the 2001 decider as well. In 1999, Meath got revenge against the Rebels and a first-half major from Ollie Murphy proved the vital score in the end as they ran out 1-11 to 1-8 victors.

Monaghan (NA)

Unfortunately for the Farney County, they have never got their hands on the Sam Maguire trophy and have never contested the biggest day in the GAA calendar. They’ve made a few semi-final appearances in recent years but failed to take that one extra step. Tyrone ended their hopes in 2018 when they won by the minimum of margins at the semi-final stage, with Niall Sludden’s three-pointer guiding them to a 1-13 to 0-15 win. Monaghan came extremely close in 2023 as well, but this time it was Dublin who sent them tumbling out of the championship with a seven-point victory.

Armagh (2024)

Armagh are, of course, the reigning All-Ireland champions and Kieran McGeeney’s side are hoping to achieve the double and become the first Ulster team to do so since Down in the ‘60s. The Orchard County endured plenty of hard luck stories in recent years but finally got over the line in 2024 to land the big prize. In a nip and tuck encounter with Galway, it was Aaron McKay’s palmed goal, along with Joe McElroy’s last-minute block, that nudged Armagh ahead at the final whistle, 1-11 to 0-13.

Kerry (2022)

Since 2009, Kerry have suffered a bit of a famine by their own incredibly high stands. Sam has only visited the Kingdom twice since then, in 2014 and 2022, with Dublin’s dominance causing plenty of heartache for the men in green and gold down through the years. Generational talents like David Clifford and Seánie O’Shea have only got their hands on one Celtic Cross and that was down to their four-point triumph over Galway in 2022. They failed to back it up however and lost out to Dublin the following year.

Dublin (2023)

The 2023 season felt like Dublin’s last dance moment. They got the band back together for one last rodeo and finished the campaign by achieving the ultimate goal by getting their hands on Sam Maguire again. It was an All-Ireland final that went right down to the wire against their old rivals Kerry but Dessie Farrell’s men surged to victory with a late flurry of scores to win 1-15 to 1-13. That crowned legendary status for Stephen Cluxton, James McCarthy and Michael Fitzsimmons as the first players in history to collect nine All-Ireland medals.

Galway (2001)

Despite two recent appearances in the All-Ireland final, Galway are still hunting for a tenth title and their first since 2001. Now manager Pádraic Joyce finished the season as the top scorer in the All-Ireland championship and nailed 0-10 on the big day as they breezed by Meath, 0-17 to 0-8. The Tribesmen claimed Sam Maguire twice during a four-year period, with the 2001 success only adding to their 1998 triumph over Kildare, while they also lost out to Kerry in the 2000 decider by four points.

Donegal (2012)

Michael Murphy and Patrick McBrearty are the only two players in the Donegal dressing room that have All-Ireland medals from 2012, while Neil McGee and Colm McFadden are both part of Jim McGuinness’ management setup this time around. Murphy and McFadden fired home first-half goals against Mayo in the 2012 showpiece and saw them overcome the Westerners 2-11 to 0-13 on the day. Donegal did get back to the decider in 2014, but lost out to Kerry, and they’re still searching for the county’s third All-Ireland crown.