With so many contenders it was tough to whittle it down to five, but here goes…
5. Cian Mackey (Cavan v Armagh)
Mackey was the outstanding player in an outstanding year for the Breffni County and he provided the highlight of a significant win over Armagh with a brilliant individual goal to set Cavan on their way to victory.
To finish as calmly as that, after bursting his gut to get there in the first place, deserves some serious kudos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT0JS76uOSE
4. Liam Irwin (Mayo minors v Roscommon minors)
The only effort out of our top five not to come from this year’s Championship but we doubt there will be many complaints at its inclusion here.
Irwin had obviously been watching Owen Mulligan’s famous goal against Dublin before the Connacht minor final against Roscommon such was his use of completely different but equally outrageous solo dummies before finishing emphatically to the back of the net.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTWhPYWTYCE
3. James O’Donoghue (Kerry v Dublin)
O’Donoghue really announced himself on the scene in this season’s championship, not least in the epic All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin with a performance that probably sealed his first All-Star award.
The Gooch may have been the conductor of the orchestra, but O’Donoghue struck for two goals and three points and this was the pick of the bunch; an inch-perfect finish across Stephen Cluxton after a glorious pass from you know who in the build-up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUVnHTl-6Cg
2. Ciaran Lyng (Wexford v Louth)
We toyed with moving O’Donoghue further up the list because of the significance of the game in which he scored his goal, but we simply couldn’t ignore the quality of this effort by Ciaran Lyng against Louth.
An attempt at goal from that distance seemed outrageous, but not as outrageous as the execution of the strike, which we’re sorry to say for Ciaran’s sake, was only the second best example of ball-striking in the Football Championship this year. Still, what a finish; outside of the boot gold.
1. Michael Meehan (Galway v Cork)
‘Jesus Christ’ was the reaction of most people watching Michael Meehan’s spectacular, if ultimately futile, strike against Cork in the final round of the qualifiers in Croke Park; that is, those who didn’t require a slow-motion replay to see the ball actually leaving his foot and hitting the net.
In situations like the one Meehan found himself in, players try this type of effort all the time but very few actually score and even fewer in the manner in which Meehan managed it, with what just might be the most powerful strike ever seen in Gaelic Football.
Wow.
