The GAA Football Under-20 All-Ireland Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Dalata Hotel Group GAA Football Under-20 All-Ireland Championship) is an annual inter-county Gaelic football competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county Gaelic football competition for male players between the ages of 17 and 20 in Ireland. The championship was contested as the All-Ireland Under-21 Championship between 1964 and 2017 before changing to an under-20 age category from 2018.

The final, usually held in May, serves as the culmination of a series of games played during the summer months, and the results determine which team receives the Clarke Cup. The All-Ireland Championship has always been played on a straight knockout basis whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the championship.

Four teams currently participate in the All-Ireland Championship, with the most successful teams coming from the province of Munster. Teams representing this province have won a total of 22 All-Ireland titles.

The title has been won by 16 different teams, 10 of whom have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are Cork, who have won the championship on 12 occasions. Kerry are the current holders. The current Dalata Hotel Group Difference Maker of the Year, as selected by the Gaelic Writers Association, is Gearóid White from Kerry.

Overview The All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship was created in 1964 in response to a Congress motion put forward by the Kerry County Board. Since then the competition has grown in importance and profile. The championship is run on an inter-county provincial basis with the winners from Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht playing off against each other in two semi-finals. Cork are the most successful team in the history of the Under-21 Championship. Two teams have achieved three-in-a-rows; Kerry from 1975 to 1977 and Cork from 1984 to 1986. The coveted treble of winning the senior, under-21, and minor titles in the same year has been achieved on just one occasion, by Kerry in 1975. Because teams will only play together for at most, about two or three years, unlike the senior competition, it is unusual that one county will dominate for periods any longer than this.

It is usually considered the mark of a player to play for both a county's Under-21 and Senior team at the same time. Many players have achieved this, although one particular example would be Frank McGuigan, who, in 1973, represented Tyrone in the Ulster Finals of the Minors, Seniors and Under-21s.

Roll of Honour CountyTitlesRunners-upYears wonYears runner-up Cork 12 5 1970, 1971, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2007, 2009, 2019 1965, 1979, 2006, 2013, 2016 Kerry 11 8 1964, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2008, 2026 1967, 1972, 1978, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2024 Tyrone 8 3 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2015, 2022, 2024, 2025 1990, 2003, 2026 Galway 6 4 1972, 2002, 2005, 2011, 2013, 2020 1981, 1989, 1992, 2017 Mayo 5 7 1967, 1974, 1983, 2006, 2016 1973, 1984, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2004, 2018 Dublin 5 5 2003, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017 1975, 1980, 2002, 2019, 2020 Kildare 3 4 1965, 2018, 2023 1966, 1976, 2008, 2022 Roscommon 2 5 1966, 1978 1969, 1982, 2012, 2014, 2021 Derry 2 2 1968, 1997 1983, 1985 Offaly 2 2 1988, 2021 1968, 1986 Donegal 2 1 1982, 1987 2010 Down 1 3 1979 1977, 2005, 2009 Antrim 1 1 1969 1974 Meath 1 1 1993 1997 Westmeath 1 0 1999— Armagh 1 0 2004— Laois 0 3— 1964, 1998, 2007 Cavan 0 3— 1988, 1996, 2011 Fermanagh 0 2— 1970, 1971 Limerick 0 1— 2000 Tipperary 0 1— 2015 Sligo01—2023 Louth01—2025

Appearances in final

County Appearances Wins Runners-up Cork 17 12 5 Kerry 19 11 8 Mayo 12 5 7 Galway 10 6 4 Dublin 10 5 5 Tyrone 11 8 3 Roscommon 7 2 5 Kildare 7 3 4 Derry 4 2 2 Offaly 4 2 2 Down 4 1 3 Donegal 3 2 1 Cavan 3 0 3 Laois 3 0 3 Antrim 2 1 1 Meath 2 1 1 Fermanagh 2 0 2 Armagh 1 1 0 Westmeath 1 1 0 Limerick 1 0 1 Tipperary 1 0 1 Sligo101Louth101

Finals listed by year

Under-20 Competition Year Winner Score Runner Up Score2026Kerry0-21Tyrone1-102025Tyrone5-16Louth0-172024Tyrone1-20Kerry1-142023Kildare1-17Sligo0-122022Tyrone1–20Kildare1–14 2021 Offaly 1–14 Roscommon 1–11 2020 Galway 1–11 Dublin 0–13 2019 Cork 3–16 Dublin 1–14 2018 Kildare 1–18 Mayo 1–16Under-21 Competition Year Winner Score Runner Up Score 2017 Dublin 2–13 Galway 2–07 2016 Mayo 5–07 Cork 1–14 2015 Tyrone 1–11 Tipperary 0–13 2014 Dublin 1–21 Roscommon 3–06 2013 Galway 1–14 Cork 1–11 2012 Dublin 2–12 Roscommon 0–11 2011 Galway 2–16 Cavan 1–09 2010 Dublin 1–10 Donegal 1–08 2009 Cork 1–13 Down 2–09 2008 Kerry 2–12 Kildare 0–11 2007 Cork 2–10 Laois 0–15 2006 Mayo 1–13 Cork 1–11 2005 Galway 6–05 Down 4–06 2004 Armagh 2–08 Mayo 1–09 2003 Dublin 0–12 Tyrone 0–07 2002 Galway 0–15 Dublin 0–07 2001 Tyrone 0–13 Mayo 0–10 2000 Tyrone 3–12 Limerick 0–13 1999 Westmeath 0–12 Kerry 0–09 1998 Kerry 2–08 Laois 0–11 1997 Derry 1–12 Meath 0–05 1996 Kerry 1–17 Cavan 2–10 1995 Kerry 2–12, 3–10 (R) Mayo 3–09, 1–12 (R) 1994 Cork 1–12 Mayo 1–05 1993 Meath 1–08 Kerry 0–10 1992 Tyrone 1–10 Galway 1–07 1991 Tyrone 4–16 Kerry 1–05 1990 Kerry 5–12 Tyrone 2–11 1989 Cork 2–08 Galway 1–10 1988 Offaly 0–11 Cavan 0–09 1987 Donegal 1–07, 1–12 (R) Kerry 0–10, 2-04 (R) 1986 Cork 3–16 Offaly 0–12 1985 Cork 0–14 Derry 1–08 1984 Cork 0–09 Mayo 0–06 1983 Mayo 2–05, 1-08 (R) Derry 1–08, 1-05 (R) 1982 Donegal 0–08 Roscommon 0–05 1981 Cork 0–14, 2-09 (R) Galway 2–08, 1-06 (R) 1980 Cork 2–08 Dublin 1–05 1979 Down 1–09 Cork 0–07 1978 Roscommon 1–09 Kerry 1–08 1977 Kerry 1–11 Down 1–05 1976 Kerry 0–14 Kildare 1–03 1975 Kerry 1–15 Dublin 0–10 1974 Mayo 0–09, 2–10 (R) Antrim 0–09, 2-08 (R) 1973 Kerry 2–13 Mayo 0–13 1972 Galway 2–06 Kerry 0–07 1971 Cork 3–10 Fermanagh 0–03 1970 Cork 2–11 Fermanagh 0–09 1969 Antrim 1–08 Roscommon 0–10 1968 Derry 3–09 Offaly 1–09 1967 Mayo 2–10, 4-09 (R) Kerry 2–10, 1-07 (R) 1966 Roscommon 2–10 Kildare 1–12 1965 Kildare 2–11 Cork 1–07 1964 Kerry 1–10 Laois 1–03

References

External links Official Website