2020 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final

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2020 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final
Event2020 Leinster Senior Championship
Dublin Meath
Dublin colours.PNG Donegal colours.jpg
3–21 0–9
Date21 November 2020
VenueCroke Park, Dublin
RefereeDerek O'Mahoney (Tipperary)
Attendance0[note 1]
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The 2020 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final was played at Croke Park in Dublin on 21 November 2020. It was contested by Dublin and Meath. Dublin won a tenth consecutive title.[1]

Background[]

The game was held on a date originally intended for the second test of the 2020 International Rules Series. That event was cancelled in April 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland, which also led to the delayed championship.[2][3] The GAA had proposed to hold a memorial ahead of the second test in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday massacre, which saw fourteen civilians killed at a football match at Croke Park during the Irish War of Independence.[4] This was instead held ahead of the 2020 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final.

As originally announced, the GAA intended the game to occur after a ceremonial "finishing of the match" featuring Dublin and Tipperary teams consisting of "available county or club players".[5] However, Dublin were playing in this game and Tipperary qualified for the 2020 Munster Senior Football Championship Final which was held the following day, limiting player availability.

Match details[]

Dublin3–21 – 0–9Meath
Report
Referee: Derek O'Mahoney (Tipperary)
Dublin
Meath
1 Stephen Cluxton (c)
2 M. Fitzsimons
3 Jonny Cooper
4 Eoin Murchan
5 J. McCarthy
6 J. Small
7 R. McDaid
8 Brian Fenton
9 D. Byrne
10 N. Scully
11 C. Kilkenny
12 S. Bugler
13 P. Small
14 C. O'Callaghan
15 Dean Rock
Substitutes:
? B. Howard for Cooper
? P. Mannion for P. Small
? E. Lowndes for J. Small
? C. Costello for O'Callaghan
? K. McManamon for Kilkenny

Manager:
Dessie Farrell
1 M. Brennan
2 S. Lavin
3 C. McGill
4 D. Toner
5 Donal Keogan
6 Shane McEntee
7 M. Costello
8 B. Menton
9 R. Jones
10 C. O'Sullivan
11 B. McMahon
12 R. Ryan
13 J. Morris
14 S. Walsh
15 T. O'Reilly
Substitutes:
? C. Hickey for Toner
? E. Harkin for McGill
? E. Devine for Costello
? J. Scully for McMahon
? J. Wallace for O'Reilly


Manager:
Andy McEntee

Man of the Match:

Post-match[]

Dublin captain Stephen Cluxton laid a wreath for the centenary.[6]

Former Dublin player Ciarán Whelan said the result was "worrying" for the sport and that his former team "have their opponents psychologically smashed".[7]

The result, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, meant Dublin directly qualified for an All-Ireland semi-final against Cavan. Dublin won, easily, to qualify for the 2020 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, the eighth time in ten years that Dublin reached the decider.[8]

Notes[]

  1. ^ The game was played behind closed doors due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games.

References[]

  1. ^ "Dublin secure perfect 10 on emotional night at Croke Park". irishexaminer.com. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Future of International Rules series up in the air as 2020 games cancelled due to coronavirus crisis". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 5 April 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  3. ^ McFarlane, Glenn (5 April 2020). "AFL calls off International Rules series this year, with doubts on its future viability". Herald Sun. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  4. ^ "Rules return to feature Bloody Sunday memorial". Independent.ie. 19 November 2019.
  5. ^ "GAA launch series of tributes to the Croke Park Bloody Sunday victims". Hogan Stand. 2 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Ten-in-a-row Dublin have mastered the art of evolution". irishexaminer.com. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Whelan: Rest of Leinster is 'psychologically smashed'". rte.ie. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Dublin beat Cavan at a canter to reach another final". RTÉ. 5 December 2012.
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