Individual Honours

• 1971: Frank Murray (Legan Sarsfields) | Jimmy Hannify (Fr. Manning Gaels)
• 1972: Seán Donnelly (Longford Slashers) | Jimmy Hannify (Fr. Manning Gaels)
• 1974: Seán Mulvihill (Kenagh)
• 1984: Liam Tierney (Mostrim) | John ‘Speedy’ McCormack (Killoe Young Emmets)
• 1985: John ‘Speedy’ McCormack (Killoe Young Emmets)
• 1986: John ‘Speedy’ McCormack (Killoe Young Emmets)
• 1988: Dessie Barry (Longford Slashers)
• 1989: Dessie Barry (Longford Slashers)
• 1990: Dessie Barry (Longford Slashers)
• 2006: Paul Barden (Clonguish) | Brian Kavanagh (Ardagh St. Patricks)
• 2012: Paul Barden (Clonguish) | Michael Quinn (Killoe Young Emmets)

Player of the Week/Month Award

• In 1966: Brendan Gilmore (Rathcline) – Gaelic Sport Player of the Month for June.
• In 1985: John Murphy (Longford manager) – Irish Life Manager of the Month for October.
• In 1996: Niall Sheridan (Abbeylara) – Daily Star Player of the Week.
• In 1999: Trevor Smullen (Ballymahon) – Daily Star Player of the Week.
• In 2001: Padraic Davis (Fr. Manning Gaels) – Daily Star Player of the Week.
• In 2002: Liam Mulvihill (Kenagh) – Daily Star Special Achievement Award.
• In 2004: Stephen Lynch (Granard) – Irish Independent Sports Star of the Week.
• In 2007: Brian Kavanagh (Ardagh St. Patricks) – GPA/GAA Player of the Month.
• In 2012: Paul Barden (Clonguish) – GPA/GAA Player of the Month.
• In 2014: Paul Barden (Clonguish) – GAA Player of the Week.
• In 2016: Robbie Smyth (Abbeylara) – GAA Player of the Week.

Cú Chulainn Award was the forerunner to the All Star Award, presented from 1963 to 1967 under the auspices of Gaelic Weekly magazine and can be viewed as equivalent to the subsequent All Star awards in terms of significance and merit.

Brian Kavanagh received a call-up to the Vodafone All-Star team for the Tour of Dubai in January 2007. He was on the 2006 All-Star team starting XV, managed by Jack O’Connor from Kerry: A Quirke (Cork), B Owens (Fermanagh), K Lacey (Donegal), S Moynihan (Kerry), G Spillane (Cork), A O’Mahony (Kerry), S Ryan (Dublin), N Murphy (Cork), S O‘Sullivan (Kerry), A Brogan (Dublin), A Dillon (Mayo), C Mortimer (Mayo), J Masters (Cork), R Munnelly (Laois), B Kavanagh (Longford).

Danny Murray formerly of Rathcline club won All-Star awards in 1979 and 1980 as a Roscommon footballer. He played underage for Shannon Gaels (Rathcline) and played County Minor with Longford, reaching the Leinster MFC final in 1974 before he and his family moved across the bridge to Ballyleague and switched to the St. Faithleachs club. Thereafter he played U-21 for Roscommon in 1975 and was on the Roscommon Senior team from 1976, winning the Connacht SFC title in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1989 and captaining the Roscommon team in the All-Ireland Senior Football final in 1980.

Top Longford footballer from 50-year period 1970-2020 was voted via Irish Independent poll held in May 2020.

• 1) Paul Barden (Clonguish)
• 2) Jimmy Hannify (Fr. Manning Gaels)
• 3) Dessie Barry (Longford Slashers)
• 4) Liam Tierney (Mostrim)
• 5) Mick Casey (Cashel)
• 6) John ‘Speedy’ McCormack (Killoe Young Emmets)
• 7) Pádraic Davis (Fr. Manning Gaels)
• 8) Michael Quinn (Killoe Young Emmets)
• 9) Francis McNamee (Fr. Manning Gaels)
• 10) Seán Donnelly (Longford Slashers)
• 11) Mickey O’Hara (Mostrim)
• 12) Niall Sheridan (Abbeylara)
• 13) Brian Kavanagh (Ardagh St. Patricks)
• 14) Dermot Brady (Longford Slashers)
• 15) Declan C Reilly (Colmcille)
• 16) Enda Barden (Clonguish)
• 17) Shane Mulligan (Mullinalaghta St. Columbas)
• 18) Seán McCormack (Killoe Young Emmets)
• 19) Trevor Smullen (Ballymahon)
• 20) Joe McCabe (Ballymahon)

Paul Barden was ranked at No. 1 and is widely regarded as Longford’s greatest footballer. Paul’s inter-county senior football career spanned 16 years from his debut aged 17 on 1st November 1998 (NFL vs Carlow) to he retirement aged 34 in February 2015. He played 52 championship games for Longford (19 wins, 3 draws, 30 defeats) and was twice nominated for an All Star award (2006 & 2012). He won two Railway Cups as a member of the starting XV (2001 & 2002) and one as a panel member (2006), was capped in the International Rules Series in 2006 and won Fr. Manning Cup (1995), O’Byrne Cup (2000), O’Byrne Shield (2006, 2007), NFL Division 4 (2011) and NFL Division 3 (2012) titles for Longford. Paul also won 3 Longford SFC titles and 5 Longford SHC titles with his native club Clonguish.

Jimmy Hannify was ranked at No. 2 and began playing for Longford from age 16 at Minor grade from 1962-64, then U-21 grade from 1964-67 and debuted for the Longford Senior team against Meath in the 1965 Leinster Championship semi-final aged 19. He enjoyed a 12-year inter-county Senior career before retiring at the end of the 1977 season. Jimmy won National League (1966), Leinster SFC (1968), 2 NFL Division 2 (1966, 1972) and O’Byrne Cup (1965) as well as key tournament titles such in Tir Conaill Cup (1965), Gaelic Weekly Cup (1965) and 2 Longford Feis Cups (1965, 1967). He was twice nominated for an All Star award (1971 & 1972), was top scorer in the 1970 Leinster SFC, won 2 All-Ireland & Leinster Colleges SFC (1962, 1963) and 1 Leinster Colleges JFC (1962) with St. Mels College and played in a Railway Cup final for Leinster (1968). At club level Jimmy won Longford Intermediate (1973, 1975) & Junior (1974) Championships and Minor League title with with his native club in Drumlish. His club career switched to Dublin where he won a Dublin SFC title with Civil Service in 1980 and Division 3 title with St. Judes in 1988, but also made appearances for his native Fr. Manning Gaels club in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. Jimmy played with Dublin Masters (Over 40’s) in the early 1990’s, winning the All-Ireland Masters Shield in 1992 and scoring 0-4 in the final. He trained the Drimnagh Castle schools team for many years, which included Niall Quinn as a player prior to his departure to Arsenal. In 2000 Jimmy Hannify was chosen on Longford’s ‘Team of the Millennium’, alongside his father Jim.

Dessie Barry was ranked at No. 3 and was one of the best Longford footballers of the 1980’s and 1990’s. He debuted for Longford in 1982 and enjoyed a 17-year inter-county career, winning NFL Division 4 in 1984 and NFL Division 3N in 1990, and was a key figure in the Leinster team who won the 1988 Railway Cup by defeating Ulster 2-9 to 0-12, with Dessie scoring 2-2. He was part of the 1990 International Rules squad managed by Eugene McGee and played in the warm-up matches. Dessie was nominated for an All Star award 1988, 1989 and 1990 and was chosen as an All Star Replacement for the America tour in 1988. At club level, Dessie won 6 Longford SFC titles with Longford Slashers, including 3-in-row from 1989-1991 (Man of the Match in all three finals). He was selected on the Longford Team of the Millennium in 2000 and inducted into the Leinster GAA ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2015. Dessie also played soccer for Longford Town in League of Ireland and FAI Cup. He was also voted Longford Person of the Year by the Longford-Dublin Association in 2002.

• 1945: Jim Hannify (Drumlish)
• 1952: Colm Smith (Colmcille) *
• 1953: Vincent Tierney (St. Marys Granard) | Jimmy O’Brien (Rathcline) *
• 1954: Vincent Tierney (St. Marys Granard) *
• 1955: Eamon Meagher (Young Irelands Drumlish) * | Jim Harold (Army) *
• 1962: Padraig Gearty (Longford Slashers) | Brendan Barden (Clonguish)
• 1985: Mick Casey (Cashel) * | Liam Tierney (Mostrim) *
• 1986: Mick Casey (Cashel) *
• 1988: Dessie Barry (Longford Slashers) | John ‘Speedy’ McCormack (Killoe Young Emmets) *
• 1997: Enda Barden (Clonguish) *
• 2001: Paul Barden (Clonguish) | Padraic Davis (Fr. Manning Gaels) *
• 2002: Paul Barden (Clonguish) | Padraic Davis (Fr. Manning Gaels) *
• 2006: Brian Kavanagh (Ardagh St. Patricks) | Paul Barden (Clonguish) * | Declan C Reilly (Colmcille) * | Damien Sheridan (Dromard) * | Bernard McElvaney (Ballymore) *

* This denotes panel member who didn’t play in the Railway Cup final.

Brendan Barden and Padraic Gearty played in 1962 Railway Cup final which was the first Gaelic Football match ever televised.

Padraic Gearty has the distinction of being the first person to score in a Gaelic Football match on live TV in 1962 Railway Cup final. He played Sigerson Cup for UCD for four years and was selected on the Combined Universities team vs Ireland. He won five SFC medals with Longford Slashers (1954, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961) and played for Longford Wanderers prior to the formation of the Longford Slashers club in 1954. He also played soccer for Longford Town and won a National Junior Medal in the Polikoff Cup with Longford Athletic. Padraic was voted Longford Person of the Year by the Longford-Dublin Association in 2000 and was inducted into the Longford GAA ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2008.

Seamus Flynn is the only Longford player to have captained a Leinster Railway Cup team (1969 vs Munster). He won JFC/JFL double with Clonguish in 1959 and made his Longford senior debut vs Mayo in NFL in October 1959. Won 1965 O’Byrne Cup, 1965 Gaelic Weekly Cup, 1965/66 National League, 1965/66 NFL Division 2 and 1968 Leinster SFC with Longford during the golden era of the 1960’s. Captained Leinster in Railway Cup in 1969 (only Longford player to ever do so) in a team that included four Longford players (Seamus Flynn, Brendan Barden, Jimmy Hannify & Seán Donnelly) and 2 subs (John Heneghan & Jackie Devine). He played in 11 SFC finals from 1961 to 1976 (10 in Longford, 1 in UK), winning 8 Longford SFC titles with Clonguish in 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1972 & 1973, including as Captain in 1968 & 1972, and winning one Lancashire SFC title with Harps & Shamrocks in 1961. Off the field of play, Seamus was a selector with Longford from 1976-78 when Jackie Devine was Manager and from 1978-79 when Michael Kelly was Manager and from 1990-1992 when Dessie Dolan (Snr) was Manager. His last title win as a player was the Junior Championship of 1984 with Rathcline (aged 44), 25 years after winning the JFC with Clonguish in 1959. He was selected by the public at Right Full Back in Longfords ‘Team of the Millennium’ in 2000 and was inducted into the Longford GAA ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2018.

Vincent Tierney won two Railway Cup medals in 1953 (as a player) & 1954 (as a sub). He was an integral part of the Longford setup of the late 1940’s and 1950’s playing Minor for Longford in 1945 & 1946 and played Senior and Junior for Longford from 1947 until 1958 when he retired from inter-county action (1949-1954 with Longford Senior team). Vincent played club football with St. Marys Granard, United Gaels, Abbeylara, Colmcille and Mullinalaghta and briefly played Minor for Killoe. He won a Longford JFC title with Abbeylara in 1946 and played in three SFC finals in 1947 (United Gaels), 1949 (Colmcille) and 1952 (Mullinalaghta), winning the Longford SFC title once with Colmcille in 1949. In 1950 and 1951 he played his club football with Letterkenny and Seán McDermotts (Dublin). Vincent also won two Leinster Colleges titles with St. Mels College in 1946 & 1947. [Note: Credit to John Fay as source for some of above]

Railway Cup Runners-Up: The following Longford footballers played on losing Railway Cup final teams: Bobby Burns & Seán Murray (1964), Larry Gillen, John Donlon, Seán Donnelly & Jimmy Hannify (1968), Mick Casey (1983), Paul Barden, Trevor Smullen & Padraic Davis (2004), Michael Quinn & Seán McCormack (2013).

Pearse Park in Longford was the venue for three Railway Cup semi-finals down the years: 1942 (MU v LE), 1993 (LE v CO) & 2013 (UL v MU). 

• All-Ireland (U14) 1989: Oliver Barry (Longford Slashers)
• All-Ireland 2010: Damien Sheridan (Dromard)
• All-Ireland 2012: Damien Sheridan (Dromard)
• All-Ireland 2013: Damien Sheridan (Dromard)
• All-Ireland 2014: Damien Sheridan (Dromard)

• 1940: Con McGovern (Galway – Panelist)
• 1941: Jim Hannify (Galway – Wing Forward)
• 1942: Tommy Banks (Dublin – Corner Forward) 🏆
• 1943: Harry Rogers (Cavan – Corner Forward)
• 1945: Paddy Smith (Cavan – Wing Back)
• 1947: Paddy Smith (Cavan – Corner Back) 🏆
• 1948: Paddy Smith (Cavan – Corner Back) 🏆
• 1949: Paddy Smith (Cavan – Full Back)
• 1969: Seán Kilroy (Offaly – Corner Forward)
• 1972: Seán Kilroy (Offaly – Panelist) 🏆
• 1980: Danny Murray (Roscommon – Captain)

Longford Links: All-Ireland Club SFC Finals

• 1933: Leinster Senior Football Final ➜ J.V. Kelly (Longford)
• 1934: National Football League Final (R) ➜ J.V. Kelly (Longford)
• 1938: National Football League Final ➜ J.V. Kelly (Longford)
• 1939: National Football League Final ➜ J.V. Kelly (Longford)
• 1939: Connacht Senior Football Final ➜ J.V. Kelly (Longford)
• 1940: All-Ireland Junior Football Final ➜ Patrick McKenna (Ballinamuck*)
• 1941: Munster Junior Football Final ➜ Patrick McKenna (Ballinamuck*)
• 1941: Munster Senior Football Final ➜ Patrick McKenna (Ballinamuck*)
• 1941: All-Ireland Senior Football Final ➜ Patrick McKenna (Ballinamuck*)
• 1942: Munster Senior Football Final ➜ Patrick McKenna (Ballinamuck*)
• 1943: All-Ireland Senior Football Final (Game 1) ➜ Patrick McKenna (Ballinamuck*)
• 1944: Munster Senior Football Final ➜ Patrick McKenna (Ballinamuck*)
• 1945: Munster Senior Football Final ➜ Patrick McKenna (Ballinamuck*)
• 1946: Connacht Senior Football Final ➜ Patrick McKenna (Ballinamuck*)
• 1948: Connacht Senior Football Final (R) ➜ P.J. Sheehy (Ballymahon)
• 1950: Connacht Senior Football Final ➜ P.J. Sheehy (Ballymahon)
• 1950: All-Ireland Senior Football Semi-Final ➜ P.J. Sheehy (Ballymahon)
• 1968: Leinster Minor Football Final ➜ Leo McCormack (Ballymahon)
• 1968: All-Ireland Junior Football Final (Home) ➜ Leo McCormack (Ballymahon)
• 1978: Leinster Minor Football Final ➜ J.P. Reilly (Carrickedmond)
• 1991: Leinster Club Senior Football Final ➜ Pat O’Toole (St. Munis Forgney)
• 1994: Railway Cup Football Final ➜ Pat O’Toole (St. Munis Forgney)
• 1994: Leinster U-21 Football Final ➜ Pat O’Toole (St. Munis Forgney)
• 1995: All-Ireland Vocational Schools Final ➜ Pat O’Toole (St. Munis Forgney)
• 1997: All-Ireland Minor Football Final ➜ John Bannon (Legan Sarsfields)
• 1997: Leinster U-21 Football Final ➜ Pat O’Toole (St. Munis Forgney)
• 1997: All-Ireland Colleges Football ‘A’ Final ➜ Pat O’Toole (St. Munis Forgney)
• 1998: Leinster Senior Football Final ➜ John Bannon (Legan Sarsfields)
• 1998: All-Ireland Senior Football Final ➜ John Bannon (Legan Sarsfields)
• 1998: All-Ireland Colleges Football ‘B’ Final ➜ Peter O’Reilly (Abbeylara)
• 1999: Sigerson Cup Final ➜ John Bannon (Legan Sarsfields)
• 1999: All-Ireland Club Senior Football Final ➜ John Bannon (Legan Sarsfields)
• 1999: Railway Cup Football Final ➜ Pat O’Toole (St. Munis Forgney)
• 2000: All-Ireland Junior Football Final ➜ Eugene Murtagh (Seán Connollys)
• 2001: All-Ireland Club Senior Football Final ➜ John Bannon (Legan Sarsfields)
• 2002: All-Ireland Senior Football Final ➜ John Bannon (Legan Sarsfields)
• 2002: All-Ireland Junior Football Final ➜ Peter O’Reilly (Abbeylara)
• 2003: Leinster Minor Football Final ➜ Peter O’Reilly (Abbeylara)
• 2003: Vodafone GAA All-Star Referee Award ➜ John Bannon (Legan Sarsfields)
• 2004: All-Ireland Masters Football Final ➜ Peter O’Reilly (Abbeylara)
• 2006: National Football League Final ➜ Eugene Murtagh (Seán Connollys)
• 2007: National Football League Final ➜ John Bannon (Legan Sarsfields)
• 2007: Ulster Senior Football Final ➜ Derek Fahy (Ballymahon)
• 2007: All-Ireland Minor Football Final ➜ Derek Fahy (Ballymahon)
• 2007: All-Ireland Masters Football Final ➜ Eugene Murtagh (Seán Connollys)
• 2007: All-Ireland Club Senior Football Final (R) ➜ Eugene Murtagh (Seán Connollys)
• 2007: All-Ireland Club Junior Football Final ➜ Derek Fahy (Ballymahon)
• 2008: Munster Senior Football Final ➜ Derek Fahy (Ballymahon)
• 2009: Railway Cup Football Final ➜ Derek Fahy (Ballymahon)
• 2009: Leinster Club Senior Football Final ➜ Derek Fahy (Ballymahon)
• 2010: All-Ireland Club Senior Football Final ➜ Derek Fahy (Ballymahon)
• 2012: National Football League Division 4 Final ➜ Fergal Kelly (Ballymahon)
• 2013: Leinster Club Intermediate Football Final ➜ Patrick Maguire (St. Marys Granard)
• 2013: Leinster Club Senior Football Final ➜ Fergal Kelly (Ballymahon)
• 2014: All-Ireland Minor Football Final ➜ Fergal Kelly (Ballymahon)
• 2015: All-Ireland U-21 Football Final ➜ Fergal Kelly (Ballymahon)
• 2016: Leinster Senior Football Final ➜ Fergal Kelly (Ballymahon)
• 2013: Leinster Club Senior Football Final ➜ Fergal Kelly (Ballymahon)
• 2017: Leinster Minor Football Final ➜ Patrick Maguire (St. Marys Granard)
• 2019: National Football League Final ➜ Fergal Kelly (Ballymahon)
• 2022: Leinster Club Senior Football Final ➜ Patrick Maguire (St. Marys Granard)
• 2024: Munster Senior Football Final ➜ Fergal Kelly (Ballymahon)

R denotes replay

* Sergeant Patrick McKenna was originally from Ballinamuck. As a founder member of An Garda Síochána he was initially deployed to Galway City in 1922. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1925 and transferred to Co. Kerry. He was later transferred to Bruff in Co. Limerick where he spent a number of years, and became a prominent GAA referee. A transfer to Ennis followed and finally a move to Thurles in 1947 where he remained until his retirement in 1966. As a referee he officiated at multiple Munster finals and two All-Ireland SFC finals. In 1940 he returned to his native Longford to referee the All-Ireland JFC final between Roscommon and Westmeath at Pearse Park. He was the first Longford native to referee an All-Ireland SFC final (1941 & 1943), though not the first Longford referee to do so – that accolade belongs to John Bannon in 1998. (📷 Image) (📷 Image)