The 1950 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final was the 63rd All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 1950 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, an inter-county Gaelic football tournament for the top teams in Ireland, between Mayo and Louth. The referee for the 1950 final was Simon Deignan, who played for Cavan in the 1947 and 1948 finals.
This was the first of two consecutive All-Ireland football titles won by Mayo, the second, beating Meath in 1951. They did not win their fourth for 75 years, winning again in 2026.
The attendance of 76,174 was the third highest on record in a final at that time.
Match First half Mayo won the toss and elected to play against the wind in the first half. Nicky Roe put Louth ahead within the first minute. Mayo responded through Éamonn Mongey and took the lead when a well-placed shot by forward Peter Solan beat the Louth goalkeeper Thornton.
Mayo were forced into making a substitution with Billy Kenny being withdrawn following a collision with Louth midfielder Frank Reid. They increased their lead however with successive points from Mick Mulderrig and Joe Gilvarry. Nicky Roe then goaled for Louth who raised another white flag with a fisted point from wing-forward Jimmy McDonnell.
Mayo then replaced their starting goalkeeper Durkin with Seán Wynne. Nicky Roe kicked a free and scored the last point of the half on 32 minutes, to leave Louth a point in front at the interval.
Second Half Roe continued where he had left off by pointing a free early on. Louth corner-forward Mickey Reynolds subsequently had an excellent goal chance but shot over the bar with the Mayo keeper Wynne beaten.
With the wind now more of a factor, Mayo replied with another point from the outstanding Éamonn Mongey. His midfield partner Pádraig Carney spurned two scoreable opportunities before the prolific Nicky Roe restored Louth's two-point lead.
Louth's cause was not helped with Roe having to leave the field due to injury and with five minutes remaining came the key moment of the match. Mayo snatched a freak goal after Seán Flanagan charged down a Seán Boyle clearance.High Ball magazine, issue #6, 1998. Mick Flanagan took up possession and fisted to the Louth net after a twenty-yard run.
Mayo, finishing the stronger of the two sides, added a further point through Mick Mulderrig to lead by two (2-5 to 1–6) as full-time approached and there would be no response from the Wee County men.
Details
GK1 Billy Durkin (Swinford)RCB2John Forde (Ardnaree Sarsfields)FB3 Paddy Prendergast (Ardara, Donegal)LCB4 Seán Flanagan (Ballaghaderreen) (c)RHB5 Peter Quinn (Ardnaree Sarsfields)CHB6 Henry Dixon (Mayo Abbey)LHB7 John McAndrew (Bangor Erris)MF8 Pádraig Carney (Swinford)MF9 Éamonn Mongey (Civil Service, Dublin)RHF10 Mick Flanagan (UCD, Dublin)CHF11 Billy Kenny (UCG, Galway)LHF12 Joe Gilvarry (Killala)RCF13 Mick Mulderrig (Ballina Stephenites)FF14 Tom Langan (Garda, Dublin)LCF15 Peter Solan (UCG, Galway)Substitutes: 16 Seán Wynne (Air Corps, Dublin) for Billy Durkin 17 Mick Caulfield (Aghamore) for Billy Kenny 18 Seán Mulderrig (Ballina Stephenites) for Mick Caulfield 19 Tom Acton (Ballina Stephenites) 20 Tommy Byrne (Castlebar Mitchels) 21 Liam Hastings (Sarsfields, Kildare) 22 Joe Staunton (Louisburgh) 23 Paddy Irwin (Garda, Dublin) GK1 Seán Thornton (Civil Service, Dublin)RCB2Michael Byrne (St Bride's)FB3Tom Conlon (Stabannon Parnells) (c)LCB4Jim Tuft (Dundalk Young Irelands)RHB5Seán Boyle (St Mary's)CHB6Paddy Markey (St Mary's)LHB7Paddy McArdle (St Mary's)MF8 Jack Regan (Dundalk Gaels)MF9Frank Reid (Dundalk Gaels)RHF10Jimmy McDonnell (Darver Volunteers)CHF11 Nicky Roe (St Mary's)LHF12Stephen White (Dundalk Young Irelands)RCF13Roger Lynch (Geraldines)FF14Hubert Reynolds (Dundalk Gaels)LCF15Mickey Reynolds (Stabannon Parnells)Substitutes: 16 Ray Mooney (St Mary's) for Nicky Roe 17 Michael McDonnell (Darver Volunteers) for Paddy McArdle 18 Ronan Lynch (Geraldines) 19 Jack Bell (St Mary's) 20 Patsy Byrne (Stabannon Parnells) 21 Owen Lynch (Stabannon Parnells) 22 Peadar Smith (Oliver Plunketts) 23 John Morgan (Dundalk Young Irelands)
References