The 1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final was the 64th All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, an inter-county Gaelic football tournament for the top teams in Ireland. Mayo and Meath met to decide the destination of the Sam Maguire Cup.
Match Summary Mayo won their second title in a row with goals by Tommy Langan and Joe Gilvarry.High Ball magazine, issue #6, 1998. This was Mayo's third All-Ireland SFC title overall, and their last until 2026. It would also be their last appearance in the All-Ireland final until 1989.
It was said that a legendary curse overshadowed Mayo football after 1951 – see Sports-related curses and Mayo county football team#Curse.
Details
Mayo 1 S. Wynne 2 J. Forde 3 P. Prendergast 4 S. Flanagan (c) 5 J. Staunton 6 H. Dixon 7 P. Quinn 8 É. Mongey 9 J. McAndrew 10 P. Irwin 11 P. Carney 12 S. Mulderrig 13 M. Flanagan 14 T. Langan 15 J. Gilvarry
Sub used 20 L. Hastings for H. Dixon
Subs not used 16 W. Casey 17 J. Curran 18 P. Jordan 19 M. Loftus (awarded retrospectively) 21 M. Mulderrig
Meath 1 K. Smyth 2 M. O'Brien 3 P. O'Brien 4 K. McConnell 5 S. Heery (c) 6 C. Kelly 7 C. Hand 8 D. Taaffe 9 P. Connell 10 F. Byrne 11 M. McDonnell 12 P. Meegan 13 B. Smyth 14 J. Reilly 15 P. McDermott
Subs used 16 P. Dixon for C. Hand 7 C. Hand for S. Heery
Subs not used 17 P. Carolan 18 B. Ruske 19 L. McGuinness 20 A. Foran
Trainer P. Tully
55 years later... Mayo players Willie Casey, Paddy Jordan and former GAA President Dr. Mick Loftus belatedly received their All-Ireland senior football medals 55 years later. Though squad members, they had not appeared as substitutes in the final and had initially been denied their medals.
References