All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
Under-17 "knockout" competition in Gaelic football
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The Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier under-17 "knockout" competition in Gaelic football played in Ireland. The tournament was for players under the age of 18 until 2017, following a vote at the GAA congress on 26 February 2016.
| All-Ireland Minor Football Championship | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2026 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship | |
| Code | Football |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Region | Ireland (GAA) |
| Trophy | Tom Markham Cup |
| Title holders | Cork (12th title) |
| Most titles | Kerry (16 titles) |
| Sponsors | Electric Ireland |
| TV partner | TG4 |
| Motto | There's No Next Year When It's Minor |
The series of games is organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and is played during the summer months. Historically the All-Ireland Minor Football Final was played in Croke Park, Dublin as the curtain-raiser to the senior final, but in recent years with shifts to scheduling and a desire to market the competition separately the minor final is held at a neutral county ground several weeks prior to the senior final. A unique element of the minor final is that, as a rule, it has always been televised exclusively in the Irish language.
The winners receive the Tom Markham Cup, which is named in honour of former Clare figure Tom Markham.[1][2]
Overview
Players are eligible to play in the All-Ireland Minor Championship if they were under the age of 17 on 1 January of the competition year. The first minor championship was played in 1929 when Clare were crowned the champions. The championship has been held every year since then except for a period during 'The Emergency'.[3]
Kerry are the most successful team in minor football with 16 titles in total, closely followed on the winners list by Cork on 12 and Dublin on 11. Kerry also won an unequalled five-in-a-row from 2014 to 2018. Three teams have achieved three-in-a-rows – Kerry from 1931 to 1933; Cork from 1967 to 1969; and Dublin from 1954 to 1956. The coveted treble of winning 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 two or three years, unlike the senior competition, it is unusual that one county will dominate for periods any longer than this.
Wins listed by county
| Team | Wins | Years won | Runners-up | Years runners-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kerry | 16 | 1931, 1932, 1933, 1946, 1950, 1962, 1963, 1975, 1980, 1988, 1994, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 | 14 | 1936, 1938, 1949, 1954, 1965, 1970, 1979, 1982, 1990, 1996, 2004, 2006, 2020, 2025 |
| 2 | Cork | 12 | 1961, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1974, 1981, 1991, 1993, 2000, 2019, 2026 | 9 | 1960, 1964, 1971, 1976, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2010 |
| 3 | Dublin | 11 | 1930, 1945, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1979, 1982, 1984, 2012 | 7 | 1946, 1948, 1978, 1988, 2001, 2003, 2011 |
| 4 | Tyrone | 9 | 1947, 1948, 1973, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2025 | 6 | 1972, 1975, 1997, 2013, 2021, 2026 |
| 5 | Mayo | 7 | 1935, 1953, 1966, 1971, 1978, 1985, 2013 | 15 | 1930, 1933, 1940, 1947, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1974, 1991, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2022 |
| Derry | 7 | 1965, 1983, 1989, 2002, 2020, 2023, 2024 | 6 | 1969, 1980, 1981, 1995, 2007, 2017 | |
| Galway | 7 | 1952, 1960, 1970, 1976, 1986, 2007, 2022 | 4 | 1994, 2016, 2018, 2019 | |
| 8 | Meath | 4 | 1957, 1990, 1992, 2021 | 4 | 1977, 1993, 2002, 2012 |
| Down | 4 | 1977, 1987, 1999, 2005 | 1 | 1966 | |
| Roscommon | 4 | 1939, 1941, 1951, 2006 | 0 | N/a | |
| 11 | Laois | 3 | 1996, 1997, 2003 | 3 | 1932, 1967, 1998 |
| 12 | Tipperary | 2 | 1934, 2011 | 4 | 1935, 1955, 1984, 2015 |
| Armagh | 2 | 1949, 2009 | 4 | 1951, 1957, 1992, 2024 | |
| Cavan | 2 | 1937, 1938 | 2 | 1952, 1959 | |
| Louth | 2 | 1936, 1940 | 2 | 1931, 1941 | |
| 16 | Offaly | 1 | 1964 | 1 | 1989 |
| Westmeath | 1 | 1995 | 1 | 1963 | |
| Clare | 1 | 1929 | 1 | 1953 | |
| 19 | Wexford | 0 | N/a | 2 | 1937, 1950 |
| Leitrim | 0 | N/a | 2 | 1945, 1956 | |
| Monaghan | 0 | N/a | 2 | 1939, 2023 | |
| Longford | 0 | N/a | 1 | 1929 | |
| Sligo | 0 | N/a | 1 | 1968 | |
| Kildare | 0 | N/a | 1 | 1973 | |
| Donegal | 0 | N/a | 1 | 2014 |
Wins listed by province
| Province | Wins | Last Win | Contributors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Munster | 31 | 2026 (Cork) | Kerry (16), Cork (12), Tipperary (2), Clare (1) |
| 2 | Ulster | 25 | 2025 (Tyrone) | Tyrone (10), Derry (7), Down (4), Armagh (2), Cavan (2) |
| 3 | Leinster | 22 | 2021 (Meath) | Dublin (11), Meath (4), Laois (3), Louth (2), Offaly (1), Westmeath (1) |
| 4 | Connacht | 18 | 2022 (Galway) | Mayo (7), Galway (7), Roscommon (4) |
The following counties have never won an All Ireland minor football title:
Finals listed by year
| Under-17 Competition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Winner | Score | Opponent | Score |
| 2026 | Cork | 2-16 | Tyrone | 1-16 |
| 2025 | Tyrone | 1-16 | Kerry | 1-15 |
| 2024 | Derry | 2-7 | Armagh | 0-10 |
| 2023 | Derry | 1-13 | Monaghan | 0-09 |
| 2022[4] | Galway | 0-15 | Mayo | 0-09 |
| 2021 | Meath | 1-12 | Tyrone | 1-11 |
| 2020 | Derry | 2-12 | Kerry | 1-14 |
| 2019 | Cork | 3–20 | Galway | 3–14 |
| 2018 | Kerry | 0–21 | Galway | 1–14 |
| Under-18 Competition | ||||
| Year | Winner | Score | Opponent | Score |
| 2017 | Kerry | 6–17 | Derry | 1–08 |
| 2016 | Kerry | 3–07 | Galway | 0–09 |
| 2015[5] | Kerry | 4–14 | Tipperary | 0–06 |
| 2014[6] | Kerry | 0–17 | Donegal | 1–10 |
| 2013 | Mayo | 2–13 | Tyrone | 1–13 |
| 2012[7] | Dublin | 0–14 | Meath | 1–05 |
| 2011[8] | Tipperary | 3–09 | Dublin | 1–14 |
| 2010[9] | Tyrone | 1–13 | Cork | 1–12 |
| 2009 | Armagh | 0–10 | Mayo | 0–07 |
| 2008 | Tyrone | 0–14, 1–20 (R) | Mayo | 0–14, 1–15 (R) |
| 2007 | Galway | 1–10 | Derry | 1–09 |
| 2006 | Roscommon | 0–15, 1–10 (R) | Kerry | 0–15, 0–09 (R) |
| 2005 | Down | 1–15 | Mayo | 0–08 |
| 2004 | Tyrone | 0–12 | Kerry | 0–10 |
| 2003 | Laois | 1–11, 2–10 (R) | Dublin | 1–11, 1–09 (R) |
| 2002 | Derry | 1–12 | Meath | 0–08 |
| 2001 | Tyrone | 0–15, 2–11 (R) | Dublin | 1–12, 0–06 (R) |
| 2000 | Cork | 2–12 | Mayo | 0–13 |
| 1999 | Down | 1–14 | Mayo | 0–14 |
| 1998 | Tyrone | 2–11 | Laois | 0–11 |
| 1997 | Laois | 3–11 | Tyrone | 1–14 |
| 1996 | Laois | 2–11 | Kerry | 1–11 |
| 1995 | Westmeath | 1–10 | Derry | 0–11 |
| 1994 | Kerry | 0–16 | Galway | 1–07 |
| 1993 | Cork | 2–07 | Meath | 0–09 |
| 1992 | Meath | 2–05 | Armagh | 0–10 |
| 1991 | Cork | 1–09 | Mayo | 1–07 |
| 1990 | Meath | 2–11 | Kerry | 2–09 |
| 1989 | Derry | 3–09 | Offaly | 1–06 |
| 1988 | Kerry | 2–05 | Dublin | 0–05 |
| 1987 | Down | 1–12 | Cork | 1–05 |
| 1986 | Galway | 3–08 | Cork | 2–07 |
| 1985 | Mayo | 3–03 | Cork | 0–09 |
| 1984 | Dublin | 1–09 | Tipperary | 0–04 |
| 1983 | Derry | 0–08 | Cork | 1–03 |
| 1982 | Dublin | 1–11 | Kerry | 1–05 |
| 1981 | Cork | 4–09 | Derry | 2–07 |
| 1980 | Kerry | 3–12 | Derry | 0–11 |
| 1979 | Dublin | 0–10 | Kerry | 1–06 |
| 1978 | Mayo | 4–09 | Dublin | 3–08 |
| 1977 | Down | 2–06 | Meath | 0–04 |
| 1976 | Galway | 1–10 | Cork | 0–06 |
| 1975 | Kerry | 1–10 | Tyrone | 0–04 |
| 1974 | Cork | 1–10 | Mayo | 1–06 |
| 1973 | Tyrone | 2–11 | Kildare | 1–06 |
| 1972 | Cork | 3–11 | Tyrone | 2–11 |
| 1971 | Mayo | 2–15 | Cork | 2–07 |
| 1970 | Galway | 1–08, 1–11 (R) | Kerry | 2–05, 1–10 (R) |
| 1969 | Cork | 2–07 | Derry | 0–11 |
| 1968 | Cork | 3–05 | Sligo | 1–10 |
| 1967 | Cork | 5–14 | Laois | 2–03 |
| 1966 | Mayo | 1–12 | Down | 1–08 |
| 1965 | Derry | 2–08 | Kerry | 2–04 |
| 1964 | Offaly | 0–15 | Cork | 1–11 |
| 1963 | Kerry | 1–10 | Westmeath | 0–02 |
| 1962 | Kerry | 6–05 | Mayo | 0–07 |
| 1961 | Cork | 3–07 | Mayo | 0–05 |
| 1960 | Galway | 4–09 | Cork | 1–05 |
| 1959 | Dublin | 0–11 | Cavan | 1–04 |
| 1958 | Dublin | 2–10 | Mayo | 0–08 |
| 1957 | Meath | 3–09 | Armagh | 0–04 |
| 1956 | Dublin | 5–14 | Leitrim | 2–02 |
| 1955 | Dublin | 4–04 | Tipperary | 2–07 |
| 1954 | Dublin | 3–03 | Kerry | 1–08 |
| 1953 | Mayo | 2–11 | Clare | 1–06 |
| 1952 | Galway | 2–09 | Cavan | 1–06 |
| 1951 | Roscommon | 2–07 | Armagh | 1–05 |
| 1950 | Kerry | 3–06 | Wexford | 1–04 |
| 1949 | Armagh | 1–07 | Kerry | 1–05 |
| 1948 | Tyrone | 0–11 | Dublin | 1–05 |
| 1947 | Tyrone | 4–04 | Mayo | 4–03 |
| 1946 | Kerry | 3–07 | Dublin | 2–03 |
| 1945 | Dublin | 4–07 | Leitrim | 0–04 |
| 1944 | No Championship | |||
| 1943 | No Championship | |||
| 1942 | No Championship | |||
| 1941 | Roscommon | 3–06 | Louth | 0–07 |
| 1940 | Louth | 5–05 | Mayo | 2–07 |
| 1939 | Roscommon | 1–09 | Monaghan | 1–07 |
| 1938 | Cavan | 3–03 | Kerry | 0–08 |
| 1937 | Cavan | 1–11 | Wexford | 1–05 |
| 1936 | Louth | 5–01 | Kerry | 1–08 |
| 1935 | Mayo | 1–06 | Tipperary | 1–01 |
| 1934 | Tipperary * | |||
| 1933 | Kerry | 4–01 | Mayo | 0–09 |
| 1932 | Kerry | 3–08 | Laois | 1–03 |
| 1931 | Kerry | 3–04 | Louth | 0–04 |
| 1930 | Dublin | 1–03 | Mayo | 0–05 |
| 1929 | Clare | 5–03 | Longford | 3–05 |
- 1934 Semi-finalists Dublin and Tyrone were disqualified – Tipperary were awarded the title