1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

The 1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 65th staging of Ireland's premier Gaelic football knock-out competition.

1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
All-Ireland Champions
Winning teamMayo (3rd win)
CaptainSean Flanagan
All-Ireland Finalists
Losing teamMeath
CaptainSéamus Heery
Provincial Champions
MunsterKerry
LeinsterMeath
UlsterAntrim
ConnachtMayo
Championship statistics
1950
1952

Mayo won their second All-Ireland in a row.[1][2][3]

Limerick rejoined the Munster championship after a 2 year lapse break.

The Curse of '51

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Mayo have not won an All-Ireland football final since 1951. Legend has it that a priest became furious when the Mayo team bus returning home from the 1951 final passed by a funeral without showing respect as they celebrated their All-Ireland win. The priest supposedly put a curse on Mayo, that they would not win another title until all of the team had died.[4] All remaining members of the team had died by 2023.[5][6] Paddy Prendergast, who was the final surviving member and played at full-back, died at the age of 95 on 26 September 2021.[7][8][9] Mick Loftus, who was a sub and did not play on the day, died at the age of 93 on 22 April 2023.[10]

There is no evidence of local belief in such a curse before the early 21st century.

Results

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Mayo3-7 – 1-5Sligo
M Flanagan (0-2), S Mulderrig (2-2, one goal a penalty), M Mulderrig (0-2) & T Langan (1-1).
Attendance: 7,000

Galway2-10 – 1-4Roscommon

Mayo4-13 – 2-3Galway
H Dixon (0-1), E Mongey (0-1), P Carney (0-3), S Mulderrig (0-3); M Mulderrig (0-1), T Langan (1-3) & P Solan (3-1).
Attendance: 27,000
Kildare2-9 – 1-3Wicklow
P.White 1-6, C.Hanlon 1-1 & P.Quinn 0-2.

Offaly1-3 – 1-8Dublin
Referee: W Geraghty (Laois)

Longford2-5 – 1-8Carlow

Longford1-7 – 1-1Carlow

Louth2-9 – 2-6Kildare
C.Burke 1-1, C.Hanlon 1-0, P.White 0-3 & L.O'Brien 0-2.

Wexford2-5 – 2-5Westmeath

Laois1-12 – 2-2Longford

Meath0-11 – 1-5Dublin

Wexford1-10 – 2-5Westmeath

Laois1-9 – 2-4Wexford

Meath0-6 – 0-6Louth

Meath0-7 – 0-6Louth

Meath4-9 – 0-3Laois
Frankie Byrne 1-2 (0-2f), Jim Reilly 1-2, Brian Smyth and Matty McDonnell 1-1 each, Paddy Meegan 0-2f, Peter McDermott 0-1 Tommy Murphy 0-2 (0-1 pen) and Des Connolly 0-1f
Attendance: 32,484
Referee: Paddy Mythen (Wexford)
Clare1-7 – 1-5Tipperary
Referee: J. Brosnan (K)

Cork2-13 – 2-4Limerick
E. Young (0-1), C. McGrath (0-7), D. O'Sullivan (0-3), M. Cahill (0-3) & P. Spillane (2-0).

Cork4-9 – 1-1Clare
N. Duggan (0-1), C. McGrath (0-2), C. O'Sullivan (0-2), M. Cahill (4-1), P. Spillane (0-1) & D. Kellaher (0-1).

Kerry5-6 – 1-1Waterford
J. Brosnan (0-1), P. Godley (0-3), S. O'Connor (2-0), F. O'Keeffe (1-1), E. Kennelly (1-0) & Tom Ashe (1-1).

Kerry1-6 – 0-4Cork
D. Hanafin (Snr) (1-0), T. Ashe (0-3), S. O'Connor (0-1), P. Godley (0-1) & G. O'Sullivan (0-1). C. McGrath (0-1) & M. Cahill (0-1).
Antrim2-7 – 2-7Donegal

Armagh7-13 – 2-3Tyrone

Antrim1-6 – 1-5Donegal

Cavan2-9 – 0-7Down
P Donohoe (0-4), T Tighe (1-4), Cassidy (1-1) Denvir (0-1), Fitzsimmons (0-3), Fitzmaurice (0-3)

Derry1-3 – 0-5Monaghan

Antrim1-8 – 0-5Armagh

Cavan1-6 – 1-4Derry
P Donohoe (0-2), T Tighe (0-2), Mc Enroe (1-1), Ed Carolan (0-1) J E Mullan (0-3), J Murphy (1-0), P Keenan (0-1)
Attendance: 7,000

Antrim1-7 – 2-3Cavan
D Forde (1-1), Pa O Hara (0-1), K Armstrong (0-2), J Mc Callin (0-1), R Beirne (0-2) P Donohoe (1-2), Ed Carolan (1-1)
Attendance: 33,000
Mayo1-5 – 1-5Kerry
P Irwin (0-1), S Mulderrig (0-3, one free), T Langan (1-0) & P Solan (0-1). J. J. Sheehan (0-1), D. Hanafin (Snr) (0-1), P. Godley (1-0), T. Ashe (0-2) & G. O'Sullivan (0-1).
Attendance: 39,971

Meath2-6 – 1-7Antrim
Attendance: 45,888

Mayo2-4 – 1-5Kerry
E Mongey (0-1), P Carney (0-1, free), S Mulderrig (0-1) & M Flanagan (2-1). E. Dowling (1-1), G. O'Sullivan (0-1) & T. Ashe (0-1).
Attendance: 57,345

Mayo2-8 – 0-9Meath
E Mongey (0-1), P Irwin (0-1), P Carney (0-5, four free), T Langan (1-0) & J Gilvarry (1-1). P. Meegan & P. McDermott (0-2), C. Hand, J. Reilly, M. McDonnell, F. Byrne & D. Taafle (0-1).
Attendance: 78,201
Referee: Bill Delaney (Laois)

Championship statistics

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Miscellaneous

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  • Limerick back in the Munster championship after 2 year rest break.
  • In fact the Leinster football championship saw a triple of draws and replays they were in the following games as we know,

- Preliminary Round, Longford vs Carlow. - Quarter-Final, Wexford vs Westmeath. - Semi-Final, Meath vs Louth.

  • The All Ireland semi-final between Meath and Antrim was their first championship meeting.
  • Mayo are All Ireland Champions for 2 in a row and Connacht Champions for 4 in a row.

References

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  1. ^ "Football Results 1941 - 1970". Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  2. ^ "All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Results 1887-2010". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  3. ^ "Leinster Senior Football Champions - Roll of Honours" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  4. ^ Fennessy, Paul (13 September 2013). "Ever heard the story about the priest who put a lifelong curse on the Mayo football team in 1951?". The 42. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  5. ^ Gannon, Colm (14 June 2019). "The Flying Doctor – one of the true greats of Mayo". Mayo Advertiser. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  6. ^ Healy, Martin (26 September 2021). "Paddy Prendergast, the final member of the Mayo 1951 team, dies aged 95". Extra.ie. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  7. ^ Roche, Frank (26 September 2021). "Paddy Prendergast, the last surviving member of Mayo's 1951 All-Ireland winning XV, passes away aged 95". Irish Independent. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  8. ^ Fogarty, John (26 September 2021). "Mayo great Paddy Prendergast passes away". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  9. ^ O'Toole, Fintan (26 September 2021). "Mayo All-Ireland winning hero from 1951 team passes away". The42.ie. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  10. ^ Mannion, Teresa (22 April 2023). "Former GAA President Dr Michael Loftus dies aged 93". RTÉ News. Retrieved 22 April 2023.