1 Dublin (last year 1)
THE most straightforward and routine of six the All-irelands they’ve now won since 2011.
Leinster was the usual cakewalk, Donegal and then Tyrone in Omagh made a decent fist of sticking with them even if the outcome was never in doubt, while Galway were swept aside and Tyrone comfortably held at arm’s reach for what was their biggest win in a final since 1977.
They’re not quite as easy on the eye as they were and they and lack the individual class of teams from the earlier years of Jim Gavin’s reign, but never have they been so efficient. Unlikely to be stopped in 2019.
4 Galway (7)
A POSITIVE season, though it’s hard to get away from the fact that it ended in something of a whimper after heavy losses to Monaghan and Dublin. Oddly, despite being well beaten, Galway might have shown just how Dublin will be beaten when that day eventually comes.
They created three goal chances in the first quarter and took just one.
Doesn’t appear to be the same room for improvement in 2019, unless they can avoid Dublin before the final.
7 Mayo (2)
EASILY their worst
Championship showing since
2010 and after a third round qualifier exit, such a lofty placing may be questionable. But how many of the teams below them would you back to beat them on a given day?
James Horan’s reappointment as manager is an interesting one and he appears to be taking a longer view rather than rousing his veterans for one last hurrah.
2 Monaghan (5)
BEST of the rest. Let a huge opportunity slip in the All-ireland semi-final against Tyrone having already beaten them in Ulster, albeit some highly questionable refereeing probably influenced the outcome.
Monaghan reaching the final would have freshened up a jaded narrative.
Despite their decline being anticipated year after year, they’re arguably getting stronger under Malachy O’rourke’s (right) astute management. They may go one better in 2019, but no more than that.
5 Kerry (3)
KERRY looked poised to be
Dublin’s most likely challengers after a couple of scintillating performances in Munster, though the value of those games was laid bare come the ‘Super 8s’, after which Eamonn Fitzmaurice (left) departed. With another All-ireland minor title added this year, there can be little doubt that Kerry will be winning senior crowns again in the not too distant future. 2019 is probably a year or two too soon, though.
8 Kildare (8)
BIZARRELY, Kildare’s eight
SFC games brought as many defeats than victories and they are to be applauded for the ‘Newbridge or nowhere’ campaign, a boardroom victory then followed by one on the pitch against Mayo. With plenty of underage success of late and an under-20 All-ireland title this year, Kildare should be much closer to Dublin in Leinster. But losing Daniel Flynn (left) is hardly encouraging.
3 Tyrone (4)
A VERY fine season for Tyrone and two much-improved showings in the Championship against Dublin after their meltdown in last year’s All-ireland semi-final.
Yet, strangely, you don’t really get the sense that they’re any closer to winning an All-ireland, while it’s difficult to see where they can mine the improvement from to advance that cause next year.
They’ll be prominent in the chasing pack but lack the firepower to overtake the champions.
6 Donegal (9)
HOW different might their year have panned out but for Paddy Mcbrearty’s cruciate injury in the
Ulster final?
Up to then, the Kilcar man was probably the most in-form forward in the country, arguably good enough to be the difference between a Super 8s exit and an All-ireland final appearance.
All in all, despite League relegation, Declan Bonner has got Donegal moving in the right direction and they look poised to kick on again in 2019.
9 Roscommon (6)
REACHING the last eight in consecutive seasons is no mean one for a county of Roscommon’s size, but it appears as though they’ve hit the glass ceiling having been badly exposed come the Super 8s.
Anthony Cunningham has replaced Kevin Mcstay as manager and immediately faces into a gruelling Division One campaign.
They may have to get worse before they get better.
10 Cavan (14)
HARDLY a stellar season but were only beaten in Ulster by eventual winners Donegal and in the qualifiers by
Tyrone, who went all the way to the All-ireland final.
Won promotion back to Division One but it wasn’t enough to keep Mattie Mcgleenan in the job. Given his Mullinalaghta heroics, they appear to have one of the game’s emerging managers in Mickey Graham (inset).