All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 1998

Infobox Football All-Ireland


year=1998
team=Galway
titles=8th
captain=
manager=
munster=Kerry
leinster=Kildare
ulster=Derry
connacht=Galway
poty=Michael Donnellan
matches=|

The 1998 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was played from May to September, 1998. Galway's victory marked the first time in 32 years the Sam Maguire Cup returned to the county and the province of Connacht. Their classy performance against Kildare who defeated the 1995 champions Dublin, the 1996 champions Meath in Leinster and the 1997 winners Kerry, ensured their 8th All-Ireland triumph.

All-Ireland Championship

emi-Finals

footballbox
date = August 23
Semi-Final
team1 = Derry
score = 1-9 - 0-16
team2 = Galway
goals1 =
goals2 = |size=75%
stadium = Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance= 38,569

footballbox
date = August 30
Semi-Final
team1 = Kildare
score = 0-13 - 1-9
team2 = Kerry
goals1 =
goals2 = |size=75%
stadium = Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance= 65,002=

All-Ireland Football Final

Kildare were marginal favourites to take the title after dethroning reigning champions Kerry. Like in their semi-final aginst Derry, Galway started well and had three unanswered points on the board by the 13th minute. However, by the 20th minute, they trailed by a point after Kildare scored 1-01 without reply. At the interval, the score was 1-05 to 0-05 in favour of Kildare. Ja Fallon sniped a point off the arrears on the restart before Pádraic Joyce struck with a wonderful goal where he rounded goalkeeper Christy Byrne before finishing in front of an empty net. Galway had regained the lead and would never surrender it until the final whistle. By 50th minute, it was 1-11 to 1-06 to Galway. Kildare managed to cut the lead to three before injury time but Galway had the final score, courtesy of Seán Óg De Paor to give them their first title in 32 years.

See also