Donegal GAA Thread

Kerry had about ten injured players that day v down but for a real iconic upset you need a big crowd.

Clare v Limerick in 2013 would probably be one but very hard for me to even think about that.

In the hurling? That wasnā€™t an upset. Christ I fancied Clare to win beforehand. Limerick beating Tipp in Munster was the upset that year.

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Limerick were heavy favourites

Marginal favourites if even that. Absolutely no way Limerick were heavy heavy favourites to beat Clare in 2013. Based on what? Beating 14 man Cork in the Munster Final?

If memory serves
Me right Limerick weā€™re 11/10 to win the all Ireland, Clare 4/1 before the semi finals.

I think Kerry were only missing Galvin and Tomas Oā€™Se but it was still a really weird game.

Most ambushes happen on an early Saturday afternoon when the crowd arenā€™t even really up for it. You need the red hot favourites to be sleepwalking and a good crowd generally wakes them up.

Limerick v Clare in 2013 wasnā€™t an ambush. You have to be really good and have pedigree to be ambushed.

Galway v Kilkenny in 2012 was a classic hurling ambush as was Limerick v Tipp in 2013 & 2014. Wexford v Tipp in 2007 also.

Wexford v Armagh 2008.

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Armagh/Crossmaglen got ambushed quite a bit due to their own arrogance.

Crossmaglen v Portlaoise 2005, St. Brigidā€™s 2013 and Omagh 2014, Castlebar 2016 being classics of this genre.

Iā€™d very much doubt those were the odds for that game. Maybe some sort of Paddy Power special to entice new backers from Clare but it was pretty much 50-50. Both semi-finals were very open that year. Limerick in 2013 had very little pedigree, were stuck in 1B (Clare had survived in 1A). Clare were just about to win a second U21 title in succession too. Limerick had ambushed Tipp in the Munster semi-final and were level with Cork until Patrick Horganā€™s sending off.

Na thatā€™s wrong.

You canā€™t compare down v Kerry in an empty croker to the incredible occasion of Donegal v Dublin.

The only comparable is Limerick v Clare in hurling.

Limerick were favourites for the all Ireland.

Iā€™d say I posted them on here after the 1/4 finals.

Dublin were 1/10 or shorter v Donegal in 2014.

Limerick were hardly 1/2 v Clare. Its not comparable at all.

Kerry were probably 1/5 or 1/6 v Down in 2010.

Munster v Leinster in 06 and Leinster v Munster in 09 would be comparable.

Remarkable atmospheres.

Massive upset.

There is very few examples in my life time of the Donegal v Dublin game.

Tipp were distinctly average in 2007 under Babs though. It was a bit of an ambush alright but not a classic one.

Cork beating Kerry in 2020 Munster Championship was a great ambush. Swiftly followed by Tipp ambushing Cork in the final. Unfortunately all of those games were played behind closed doors.

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Itā€™s comparable because weā€™d lost the plot in Limerick. Nothing today even compares to the build up to that.

Nobody remembers down v Kerry. It was a nothing game nobody remembers. You have those of results every year in championship.

Galway beating Kilkenny in the 2001 All-Ireland Hurling semi-final was a classic ambush. Eugene Cloonan and Kevin Broderick were immense.

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2005 as well but it happens too regularly to be compared to Donegal v Dublin.

Kilkenny didnā€™t have the same aura in 2005 though after losing to Wexford the previous year and then being dismantled by Cork in the 2nd half of the 04ā€™ final.

Donegal almost beat Dublin in 2011 too. 2002 as well. They generally caused the Dubs problems over the years.

In Association Football, Jose Mourinho was definitely the King of the Ambush.

Manchester United v Porto 2004, Barcelona v Inter Milan 2010 and Liverpool v Chelsea 2014 being classics of this genre.

Diego Simeone would also be up there. Atletico Madrid v Bayern 2016 and Atletico Madrid v Liverpool 2020 another that springs to mind.

@Cheasty needs to make out the final rankings list across all sports and I will bow to his superior knowledge.

The Donegal though in 05 they beat a really great
Team who dominated the next few years.

In the last 20 years probably only the two rugby games
Are on the same level of Donegal v Dublin.

Limerick v Clare the only real example in hurling.

You really need it to happen in semi finals where one team is already looking towards the final.