GAA Top 20: Munster Football - Kerry's Princes of the Pigskin are in a class of their own

Cork supporters won’t be happy, but we’re dealing in facts and they point to an overwhelming superiority for Kerry over their neighbours.

That's not forgetting the other four counties, all of whom produced excellent players too. They can’t be ignored which is why we include Declan Browne and John Galvin, a duo who have thrived in Kerry, Dublin, Tyrone or any other strong county.

Cork had many brilliant players since 1970, but when lined up against the numbers of their outstanding opposition from Kerry, the 14-4 split in the Kingdom’s favour stands any up to scrutiny.

One of Cork’s four – actually their top ranked – is an adopted son in the form of Larry Tompkins, who also features high on Kildare’s ranking order.

He had special talents, not just technically, but also in the flint-hard mentality he generated for himself long before players were spoon-fed psychology by professionals who have turned it into a lucrative business.

Our top three, Jack O’Shea, Pat Spillane and Mikey Sheehy, didn’t need much external help either to make them outstanding performers. This trio played such an important part in the Kingdom’s glory era under Mick O’Dwyer.

O’Shea was the generator who kept producing extraordinary power; Spillane broke all the rules of positional play as they operated at the time; Sheehy’s instinctive finishing skills were possibly the best in Gaelic football history.

‘Gooch’ Cooper supporters will claim that he should be ahead of Sheehy. They have an arguable case and we’re certainly not questioning Cooper’s talents, but in a direct call with Sheehy he’s edged out.

Other than Tompkins, Billy Morgan is the only ‘outsider’ to break Kerry’s dominance of the top ten. Managing Cork to an All-Ireland double in 1989-90 was a major achievement, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that he was one of the best goalkeepers of all time prior to that.

So many impressive performers have missed out on the top 20: among them are Seánie Walsh, Declan O’Sullivan, Paudie Lynch, Kieran Donaghy, Tommy Doyle, Tom Spillane, Steven O’Brien, Kevin Kehily, Shea Fahy, Graham Canty, Dinny Allen and Noel Roche.

What can we say: there were only 20 places.

MUNSTER TOP 20

1. Jack O’Shea (Kerry), 2. Pat Spillane (Kerry), 3. Mikey Sheehy (Kerry), 4. Larry Tompkins (Cork), 5. Colm Cooper (Kerry), 6. John O’Keeffe (Kerry), 7. Maurice Fitzgerald (Kerry), 8. Séamus Moynihan (Kerry), 9. Tomás Ó Sé (Kerry), 10. Billy Morgan (Cork), 11. Eoin ‘Bomber’ Liston, (Kerry), 12. John Egan (Kerry), 13. Páidí Ó Sé (Kerry), 14. Darragh Ó Sé (Kerry), 15. Jimmy Barry-Murphy (Cork), 16. Niall Cahalane (Cork), 17. Marc Ó Sé (Kerry), 18. Ger Power (Kerry), 19. Declan Browne (Tipperary), 20. John Galvin (Limerick)

Click on your county below:

Clare hurling, Clare football, Cork hurling, Cork football, Kerry hurling, Kerry football, Limerick hurling, Limerick football, Tipperary hurling, Tipperary football, Waterford hurling, Waterford football