By Shaun Casey

James McCartan
(Down) – 1991

DOWN were a bolt from the blue in 1991 but Pete McGrath’s men showed what a bit of confidence and momentum can do. James McCartan had already burst onto the scene by the time the Mourne men got their hands on Sam, winning an All-Star in 1990, but he put in a brilliant display in the ’91 final and earned the player of the match award.

Manus Boyle
(Donegal) – 1992

MANUS Boyle shot the lights out in the 1992 All-Ireland final as Brian McEniff led Donegal to the Promised Land for the first time in their history. Boyle kicked 0-9 on the day, half of Donegal’s total tally, as the Tir Chonaill men battled their way past Dublin to win the All-Ireland by four points, 0-18 to 0-14.

Johnny McGurk
(Derry) – 1993

HIS iconic winning point in the All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin is still fondly remembered in the Oak leaf County and McGurk put in another solid shift in the final. The roaming wing half-back kicked 0-2 in the decider against Cork and was one of seven Derry players that finished the year as All-Stars

Mickey Linden
(Down) – 1994

DOWN completed the unprecedented four in-a-row of All-Ireland titles won by Ulster teams and county legend Mickey Linden was awarded the player of the match gong. He unselfishly set up James McCartan for the only goal of the game and that three-pointer proved to be the crucial score as the Mourne men saw out a two-point win.

Oisín McConville
(Armagh) – 2002

AT half time of the 2002 All-Ireland final, there wouldn’t have been too many people picking Oisín McConville as the player of the match. But the Crossmaglen legend gave a second period to remember and it was ultimately his goal that paved the way for Joe Kernan’s side to climb the steps of the Hogan Stand and win the All-Ireland for the very first time.

Kevin Hughes
(Tyrone) – 2003

THE Red Hands got their hands on Sam Maguire for the first time ever in 2003, snatching it away from their biggest rivals Armagh in the decider. Kevin Hughes gave a memorable performance at midfield in the showpiece and his work rate and hunger reflected Mickey Harte’s Tyrone team of that time.

Owen Mulligan
(Tyrone) – 2005

THE famous goal against Dublin in the quarter-final helped turn Mulligan’s season around and he played like a man full of confidence in the All-Ireland final. He was the main man up front that day for the Red Hand County and kicked 0-5 himself, although perhaps his most important action was setting up Peter Canavan’s for Tyrone’s first-half goal.

Sean Cavanagh
(Tyrone) – 2008

PLAYER of the Match and Player of the Year in 2008, his switch from midfield to full-forward was the stuff of genius from Mickey Harte. Kerry’s Tom O’Sullivan could do nothing with the Moy man on the edge of the square in the final as Cavanagh shot 0-5, all from play, and Tyrone captured their third All-Ireland crown in six seasons.

Michael Murphy
(Donegal) – 2012

HIS goal has long since gone down in history as one of the great All-Ireland final majors and Murphy was unmarkable in the 2012 All-Ireland final. Mayo could do very little to curtail his influence on proceedings and was Murphy not only the joint top scorer with Colm McFadden, but he also captained Jim McGuinness’ men to their second-ever All-Ireland title.

Darren McCurry
(Tyrone) – 2021

IT’S probably not fair to say this Tyrone team came from nowhere to win the All-Ireland, but they certainly weren’t at the top of the favourites’ list at the start of the year. McCurry was sensational that season and topped it off with an incredible performance against Mayo in the decider, kicking 1-4 to rightfully earn the player of the match award.

Oisin Conaty
(Armagh) – 2024

WHAT a lot of people don’t remember is that Conaty was replaced at half time of Armagh’s All-Ireland semi-final win over Kerry. The Tír na nÓg clubman was in flying form the next day out and delivered the performance of a lifetime when it mattered most, in the All-Ireland final, as the Orchard County defeated Galway by the minimum of margins to win Sam Maguire.