JOE trawled through the archives to bring you what we think are the five best GAA football jerseys of all time. Did your county make the list? Read on to find out.

By Frank McCann

With the Allianz Football League well under way, its time you started looking for that jersey to wear to your county games. With all the new kits being displayed over the last few weeks, many of them have been bought by fans who think that this year could be the year when Sam Maguire will visit their neck of the woods.

However, in recent years GAA retro jerseys have become essential to many, and more importantly, these kits have history behind them.

So with that in mind, JOE went ahead and picked out five of the best vintage jerseys on the market.

1. Cork – 1989

The last All-Ireland final of the 80s was possibly the best of the decade. Cork went into the 1989 All-Ireland final having lost at that stage the previous two years.

It was to be third time lucky for Cork, as they defeated a spirited Mayo side 0-17 to 1-11, sparking mass celebrations down on Leeside.

This shirt is a classic design, with not a whole lot going on. It means business, just in the way the Cork footballers did that September in ’89.

 

2. Donegal – 1992

Donegal went into their first All-Ireland final in 1992 as serious underdogs. Facing a strong Dublin side, the northerners were slow to start, and many feared the worst for them.

However, following an incredible penalty miss by Dublin’s Charlie Redmond, Donegal found new life and went on to claim their first All-Ireland title, winning the game 0-18 to 0-14.

A true underdog story, this jersey commemorates one of the greatest moments in modern GAA history.

 

3. Meath – 1988

Meath and Cork were the two most dominant teams of the late 80s, and following their All-Ireland victory over the Rebels in 1987, the Royal county repeated their success in 1988, albeit after a replay.

In a tight game, Cork had the better of the first half and led 0-6 to 0-5 at the break. However, Meath came out with far more purpose in the second half and ran out as winners for the second year in a row. The final score was 0-13 to 0-09 in favour of the Royal County.

This jersey is a reminder of what Meath once were, one of the most feared football sides in GAA history.

 

4. Dublin – 1983

Dublin went into the ’83 final as overwhelming favourites following their epic semi-final victory over Cork.

Then, in one of the worst tempered finals in the game’s history against Galway, Dublin had three men dismissed, while the Tribesmen had one player ejected.

Defending a 1-5 to 0-2 lead at half time, Dublin put on a tremendous defensive display in the second half, and their twelve men came out with the victory on a scoreline of 1-10 to 1-08.

The Dubs have 22 All-Ireland titles to their name, and the win in ’83 is amongst the best of them. This retro top is a must for any fan from Ireland’s capital.

 

5. Kerry – 1979

Kerry’s rivalry with Dublin in the late seventies was one of the biggest in the history of Gaelic Football.

Having won the Sam Maguire cup the previous year, the Kingdom retained their title in dominant style.

Leading 1-7 to 0-3 at the break, Kerry eased through the second half to claim what would be the second of four All-Ireland titles in a row. A final score of 3-13 to 1-08 was in no way flattering to the champions.

This jersey commemorates one of the greatest and most successful football teams of all time, and is essential to Kingdom fans.

All these classic jerseys, along with many other county strips, are available from www.retrogaa.com