1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final

1951 All-Ireland
Senior Football Championship final

Event	1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
Mayo Meath 2–8 (14) 0–9 (9)
Date	23 September 1951
Venue	Croke Park, Dublin
Referee	Bill Delaney (Laois)
Attendance	78,201
← 1950 1952 →

The 1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final was the 64th All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, an inter-county Gaelic football tournament for the top teams in Ireland. Mayo and Meath met to decide the destination of the Sam Maguire Cup.

Match

Summary

Mayo won their second title in a row with goals by Tommy Langan and Joe Gilvarry. ^[1]

This was Mayo's second consecutive All-Ireland SFC title. ^[2] They have not won an All-Ireland SFC title since. It is said that a legendary curse overshadows Mayo football since 1951 – see Sports-related curses and Mayo county football team#Curse. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

Details

Mayo v Meath

23 September 1951 Final

Mayo	2–8 – 0–9	Meath
Gls: T Langan & J Gilvarry (1–0) Pts: E Mongey, & J Gilvarry & P Irwin (0–1) & P Carney (0–5, four frees)		Pts: P Meegan & P McDermott (0–2), C Hand, J Reilly, M McDonnell, F Byrne & D Taafle (0–1)

Croke Park , Dublin Referee: Bill Delaney (Laois) Attendance: 78,201

Mayo

Meath

Mayo

• 1 S. Wynne
• 2 J. Forde
• 3 P. Prendergast
• 4 S. Flanagan (c)
• 5 J. Staunton
• 6 H. Dixon
• 7 P. Quinn
• 8 É. Mongey
• 9 J. McAndrew
• 10 P. Irwin
• 11 P. Carney
• 12 S. Mulderrig
• 13 M. Flanagan
• 14 T. Langan
• 15 J. Gilvarry

Sub used

20 L. Hastings for H. Dixon

Subs not used

16 W. Casey

17 J. Curran

18 P. Jordan

19 M. Loftus (awarded retrospectively ^[7] )

21 M. Mulderrig

Meath

• 1 K. Smyth
• 2 M. O'Brien
• 3 P. O'Brien
• 4 K. McConnell
• 5 S. Heery (c)
• 6 C. Kelly
• 7 C. Hand
• 8 D. Taaffe
• 9 P. Connell
• 10 F. Byrne
• 11 M. McDonnell
• 12 P. Meegan
• 13 B. Smyth
• 14 J. Reilly
• 15 P. McDermott

Subs used

16 P. Dixon for C. Hand

7 C. Hand for S. Heery

Subs not used

17 P. Carolan

18 B. Ruske

19 L. McGuinness

20 A. Foran

Trainer

P. Tully

55 years later...

Mayo players Willie Casey, Paddy Jordan and former GAA President Dr. Mick Loftus belatedly received their All-Ireland senior football medals 55 years later. Though squad members, they had not appeared as substitutes in the final and had initially been denied their medals. ^[8]

References

1. High Ball magazine, issue #6, 1998.
2. McGee, Eugene (6 February 2006). "First signs that Mayo might be set to turn back the clock". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 6 February 2006.
3. Lord, Miriam (22 September 2012). "Mayo God help us, says Enda, in plea to pope for big match digout". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 September 2012. Maybe the pope can help out with the legendary 'curse' that has bugged Mayo football over the years.
4. Daly, Michael (22 September 2012). "The excitment builds, the green and gold flys all the way to Dublin". Donegal Democrat. Retrieved 22 September 2012. Mind you, Mayo have sent the Taoiseach to Rome and word is he asked to Pope to sort out the other famous curse that has seen Mayo sides fail to win an All Ireland for more than 60 years.
5. Foley, Alan (21 September 2012). "Donegal sons – and their Mayo fathers". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 21 September 2012. Having spent their whole lives hoping Mayo would bury the curse and the legacy of the 1951 team, the trio will be content to wait another year.
6. Carroll, Rory (4 September 2021). "The curse of Mayo: can Ireland's unluckiest side end a 70-year run?". The Guardian .
7. Clifford, Mick (1 March 2025). "Kerry footballer to get All-Ireland winner's medal... 55 years later". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
8. "Mayo trio to get All-Ireland medals". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 28 November 2006. Retrieved 28 November 2006.