1964 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final


The 1964 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final was the 77th All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 1964 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, an inter-county Gaelic football tournament for the top teams in Ireland.

Match

This year's final was played on 27 September.

Summary

Galway took a four-point lead in the first ten minutes, and won with the help of Cyril Dunne's nine points. It was the first of three All-Ireland SFC titles won by Galway in the 1960s, which made them joint "team of the decade" with Down, who also won three.
Galway's three 1960s titles came consecutively.
To say that Kerry were favourites for this final would be an understatement, and given the contrast of both counties' semi-final victories, few people saw past Kerry for the All-Ireland SFC title. Galway's hard-fought two-point victory over Meath could hardly compare to Kerry's 12-point demolition of Cavan, or could it. If there was a prepared script, Galway didn't read it, as they proceeded to run the favourites ragged with a wonderful display of constructive, intelligent football. Their opening salvo yielded 4 points as Kerry sought to impose their own pattern on the game. They did manage to save face and at half-time, the four-point gap remained, 0-7 to 0-3 in favour of Galway. Early second-half uncertainty on Galway's part almost allowed Kerry back into the decider, and if they had taken one of two early goal chances, they might just have done that. It was the wake-up call Galway needed as the flow of the game steered irresistibly into Galway's hands. Cyril punished every Kerry indiscretion with the signal of a white flag. Mick O'Connell responded with equal aplomb but when Galway's lead extended to six points, it was all over. Galway had won a first title since 1956 and a fifth overall. It was to be the first part of a memorable "Three In A Row".
Michael Donnellan died at this game, shortly before his son John lifted the Sam Maguire Cup.

Details

Galway
Maroon & White Shirts/White Shorts/Maroon Socks		0–15 – 0–10
Kerry
Green & Gold Shirts/White shorts/Green Socks
Manager:John "Tull" Dunne
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Team:

1 Johnny Geraghty

2 Enda Colleran

3 Noel Tierney

4 Bosco McDermott

5 John Donnellan

6 Seán Meade

7 Martin L. Newell

8 Mick Garrett

9 Mick Reynolds

10 Cyril Dunne

11 Mattie McDonagh

12 Séamus Leydon

13 Christy Tyrrell

14 Seán Cleary

15 John Keenan
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Substitutes:

16 Michael Moore

17 Kieran O'Connor

18 Tom Sands

19 Pat Donnellan

20 Brian Geraghty

21 Michael Coen

22 Tommy Keenan
Half-time:
0–7 – 0–3
Competition:
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Date:
15.30 BST
Sunday, September 27, 1964
Venue:
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance:
76,498
Referee:
Jimmy Hatton
Match rules:
60 minutes.
Replay if scores still level.
Maximum of 3 substitutions.		Manager: ???
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Team:

1 Johnny Culloty

2 Mick Morris

3 Niall Sheehy

4 Paud O'Donoghue

5 Denis O'Sullivan

6 Séamus Murphy

7 Jerdie O'Connor

8 Mick Fleming

9 Donie O'Sullivan

10 Pat Griffin

11 Mick O'Dwyer

12 Mick O'Connell

13 Frank O'Leary

14 Tom Long

15 J. J. Barrett
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Substitutes used:

18 John McCarthy for J. D. O'Connor

24 Bernie O'Callaghan for F. O'Leary

16 Kevin Coffey for F. Leary

Substitutes not used:

17 Dom O'Donnell

19 Derry O'Shea

20 J. Burke

21 Brian Sheehy

22 Peter Hanley

23 Timmy O'Sullivan