1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Explained
| Year: | 1951 |
| Team: | Mayo |
| Titles: | 3rd |
| Team2: | Meath |
| Leinster: | Meath |
| Munster: | Kerry |
| Ulster: | Antrim |
| Connacht: | Mayo |
| Next: | 1952 |
The 1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 65th staging of Ireland's premier Gaelic football knock-out competition.
Mayo won their second All-Ireland in a row.[1] [2] [3]
Limerick rejoined the Munster championship after a 2 year lapse break.
The Curse of '51
Mayo have not won an All-Ireland football final since 1951. Legend has it that a priest became furious when the Mayo team bus returning home from the 1951 final passed by a funeral without showing respect as they celebrated their All-Ireland win. The priest supposedly put a curse on Mayo, that they would not win another title until all of the team had died.[4] All remaining members of the team had died by 2023.[5] [6] Paddy Prendergast, who was the final surviving member and played at full-back, died at the age of 95 on 26 September 2021.[7] [8] [9] Mick Loftus, who was a sub and did not play on the day, died at the age of 93 on 22 April 2023.[10]
There is no evidence of local belief in such a curse before the early 21st century.
Results
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See main article: 1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.
Championship statistics
Miscellaneous
- Limerick back in the Munster championship after 2 year rest break.
- In fact the Leinster football championship saw a triple of draws and replays they were in the following games as we know,
- Preliminary Round, Longford vs Carlow.- Quarter-Final, Wexford vs Westmeath.- Semi-Final, Meath vs Louth.
- The All Ireland semi-final between Meath and Antrim was their first championship meeting.
- Mayo are All Ireland Champions for 2 in a row and Connacht Champions for 4 in a row.
Notes and References
- Web site: Football Results 1941 - 1970 . 2011-07-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120321030727/http://gaaweb.sitesuite.cn/page/football_results_1941_1970.html . 2012-03-21 . dead .
- Web site: All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Results 1887-2010 . 2011-07-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110716104405/http://hoganstand.com/general/champs/honoursf.aspx . 2011-07-16 . dead .
- Web site: Leinster Senior Football Champions - Roll of Honours . 2011-09-28 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928061017/http://leinster.gaa.ie/archive/pdf/P130_134_Senior_FootChamp.pdf . 2011-09-28 .
- News: Fennessy. Paul. Ever heard the story about the priest who put a lifelong curse on the Mayo football team in 1951?. 21 September 2017. The 42. 13 September 2013.
- News: The Flying Doctor – one of the true greats of Mayo. Mayo Advertiser. Colm. Gannon. 14 June 2019. 26 September 2021.
- News: Paddy Prendergast, the final member of the Mayo 1951 team, dies aged 95. Extra.ie. Martin. Healy. 26 September 2021. 26 September 2021.
- News: Paddy Prendergast, the last surviving member of Mayo's 1951 All-Ireland winning XV, passes away aged 95. Irish Independent. Frank. Roche. 26 September 2021. 26 September 2021.
- News: Mayo great Paddy Prendergast passes away. Irish Examiner. John. Fogarty. 26 September 2021. 26 September 2021.
- News: Mayo All-Ireland winning hero from 1951 team passes away. The42.ie. Fintan. O'Toole. 26 September 2021. 26 September 2021.
- News: Former GAA President Dr Michael Loftus dies aged 93. RTÉ News. Teresa. Mannion. 22 April 2023. 22 April 2023.
