The All-Ireland minor football final has provided some unforgettable individual performances over the years.<\/p>\n
For some players, winning the Man of the Match award in Croke Park was the beginning of a decorated senior intercounty career. Others went on to succeed in the AFL, pursue another code or become leading figures with their clubs.<\/p>\n
Beginning with Cork\u2019s dramatic triumph in 2019, here is what became of the ten players who claimed the award between 2010 and 2019.<\/p>\n
\nWhat Became Of The All-Ireland Minor Final MOTM Winners From 2010 To 2019?\n<\/p>\n
2019 \u2013 Conor Corbett (Cork)<\/p>\n
Conor Corbett captained Cork to a memorable extra-time victory over Galway, scoring 1-7 as the Rebels prevailed by 3-20 to 3-14.<\/p>\n
His most important contribution was the late goal that dragged Cork back into the contest and forced extra-time. Corbett was subsequently named both the final\u2019s Player of the Match and the Electric Ireland Minor Footballer of the Year.<\/p>\n
The Clyda Rovers forward progressed into the Cork senior panel, but his development has been badly disrupted by three cruciate ligament injuries. The third occurred in a recent club appearance in the Cork Senior Football championship.<\/p>\n
Corbett had been involved with Cork throughout the 2026 season. His journey has been considerably more difficult than his explosive minor breakthrough suggested, but he is still attempting to establish himself in the senior attack.<\/p>\n
2018 \u2013 Killian Falvey (Kerry)<\/p>\n
Killian Falvey was instrumental as Kerry defeated Galway by 0-21 to 1-14, completing an extraordinary five-in-a-row of All-Ireland minor titles.<\/p>\n
The Annascaul forward kicked four points and was selected as Man of the Match following an impressive attacking display.<\/p>\n
Falvey subsequently represented Kerry at under-20 level, starting the 2020 Munster final against Cork, but has yet to make the breakthrough with the county\u2019s senior side.<\/p>\n
He has continued to be an influential performer for Annascaul. Falvey played a vital part in their Kerry Junior Championship success in 2020, scoring 0-8 in the final win over Castlegregory.<\/p>\n
2017 \u2013 David Clifford (Kerry)<\/p>\n
This one hardly requires an extensive search.<\/p>\n
David Clifford produced one of the greatest individual performances ever witnessed in an All-Ireland final, scoring 4-4 as Kerry demolished Derry by 6-17 to 1-8.<\/p>\n
Clifford went directly into the Kerry senior setup the following season and rapidly developed into the outstanding footballer of his generation.<\/p>\n
Excluding the 2026 season, the Fossa forward has collected two senior All-Ireland medals, six All-Stars and three Footballer of the Year awards. His third award followed a phenomenal 2025 championship in which he scored 8-62 and registered nine points in the final against Donegal. He became the first player to be named Footballer of the Year on three occasions.<\/p>\n
Clifford remained Kerry\u2019s central figure as they returned to the All-Ireland final in 2026. Of all the players on this list, he most emphatically delivered on the promise of his minor career.<\/p>\n
2016 \u2013 Dara Moynihan (Kerry)<\/p>\n
Dara Moynihan was named Man of the Match after scoring two points in Kerry\u2019s 3-7 to 0-9 victory over Galway.<\/p>\n
The Spa man won consecutive Hogan Cups with St Brendan\u2019s College, captaining the Killarney school to the second of those titles in 2017.<\/p>\n
He made his Kerry senior debut in 2019 and became a regular presence in their half-forward line. Moynihan was part of the panel that lifted Sam Maguire in 2022 and has also won county titles with divisional side East Kerry.<\/p>\n
A persistent hip injury suffered in 2024 in a club game for Spa has prevented him from continuing his career in a Kerry jersey.<\/p>\n
2015 \u2013 Mark O\u2019Connor (Kerry)<\/p>\n
Kerry captain Mark O\u2019Connor dominated midfield as the Kingdom defeated Tipperary by 4-14 to 0-6.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Connor had also been part of Kerry\u2019s victorious 2014 team, but his sporting career subsequently took a very different path.<\/p>\n
The Dingle man joined Geelong as a Category B rookie in 2016 and made his AFL debut the following year. He developed into a dependable defender, midfielder and tagger for the Cats, making more than 140 senior appearances and winning an AFL Premiership in 2022. His current Geelong contract runs until the end of 2026.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Connor also returned home during the AFL off-season in 2025 to help Dingle enjoy an extraordinary run. After winning the club\u2019s first Kerry title in 77 years and its maiden Munster crown, Dingle defeated St Brigid\u2019s after extra-time to become All-Ireland senior club champions in January 2026.<\/p>\n
The former minor captain was then selected on the AIB Club Football Team of the Year.<\/p>\n
2014 \u2013 Miche\u00e1l Burns (Kerry)<\/p>\n
Miche\u00e1l Burns kicked two points and collected the Man of the Match award as Kerry defeated Donegal by 0-17 to 1-10.<\/p>\n
The victory ended Kerry\u2019s 20-year wait for an All-Ireland minor title and began the county\u2019s unprecedented five-in-a-row.<\/p>\n
Burns progressed into the Kerry senior panel and developed a reputation as an effective impact substitute. He came off the bench during the 2022 All-Ireland final victory over Galway, securing his first senior Celtic Cross.<\/p>\n
After stepping away from the panel in 2024 due to limited playing opportunities, Burns spent the summer in America before returning to inspire Dr Crokes to the Kerry title.<\/p>\n
He was recalled by Jack O\u2019Connor in 2025 and played an important role as Kerry regained Sam Maguire. Burns remained involved in 2026, coming off the bench in the late stages of their All-Ireland Final defeat to Mayo.<\/p>\n
2013 \u2013 David Kenny (Mayo)<\/p>\n
David Kenny was outstanding at corner-back as Mayo defeated Tyrone by 2-13 to 1-13, securing the county\u2019s first All-Ireland minor title since 1985.<\/p>\n
The Aghamore and Tooreen player won another national football title when Mayo defeated Cork in the 2016 All-Ireland under-21 final. However, much of his senior intercounty career has been spent with Mayo\u2019s hurlers.<\/p>\n
Kenny became a central figure in that team, winning the Nicky Rackard Cup in 2016. He led Mayo into consecutive Nicky Rackard finals in 2024 and 2025 while continuing to enjoy considerable club success with Tooreen.<\/p>\n
The minor football Man of the Match ultimately became one of Mayo hurling\u2019s most important players.<\/p>\n
2012 \u2013 Cormac Costello (Dublin)<\/p>\n
Cormac Costello scored four first-half points as Dublin defeated Meath by 0-14 to 1-5, earning the Man of the Match award.<\/p>\n
After also representing Dublin in minor hurling, Costello made his senior football debut in 2013 while still only 18.<\/p>\n
The Whitehall Colmcille forward went on to become part of Dublin\u2019s most successful-ever generation. He has collected eight senior All-Ireland medals, including six consecutive titles between 2015 and 2020.<\/p>\n
His most telling contribution came in the 2016 final replay against Mayo. Introduced from the bench, Costello kicked three points from play to help Dublin edge an incredibly tight contest.<\/p>\n
He remained a prominent member of the Dublin attack during the 2026 championship, more than 13 years after making his senior debut.<\/p>\n
2011 \u2013 Michael Quinlivan (Tipperary)<\/p>\n
Michael Quinlivan scored 1-1, including a first-half penalty, as Tipperary stunned Dublin by 3-9 to 1-14.<\/p>\n
The Clonmel Commercials forward was named Man of the Match following the historic victory, which delivered Tipperary\u2019s first All-Ireland minor football title since 1934.<\/p>\n
Quinlivan became one of the county\u2019s greatest modern footballers. He received an All-Star after helping Tipperary reach the 2016 All-Ireland semi-final and played a leading role when they won their first Munster senior title in 85 years in 2020.<\/p>\n
His club career has been equally decorated. Quinlivan won an eighth Tipperary senior medal with Clonmel Commercials in 2025, scoring a goal and being named Player of the Match in the final.<\/p>\n
Having relocated to Louth, he transferred to Dundalk Gaels ahead of the 2026 season.<\/p>\n
2010 \u2013 John McCullagh (Tyrone)<\/p>\n
John McCullagh was the standout performer as Tyrone edged Cork by 1-13 to 1-12 in a gripping final.<\/p>\n
The Greencastle forward produced an excellent scoring display and collected the Man of the Match award as Tyrone survived a late Cork fightback.<\/p>\n
McCullagh went on to represent the county at under-21 level but, unlike several of his teammates, did not establish himself with the Tyrone seniors. That victorious team also featured future senior stars such as Niall Sludden, Darren McCurry and Richard Donnelly.<\/p>\n
His recently scored 2-5 for Greencastle against Clogher in a Division 2 league game.<\/p>\n
SEE ALSO: Kobe McDonald Unveiled By St Kilda As AFL Club Reveal Plan For Mayo Star<\/a>
\nSEE ALSO: GAA On TV: All-Ireland Finals At Croke Park And The Cliffords Back In Club Action<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The All-Ireland minor football final has provided some unforgettable individual performances over the years. For some players, winning…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":586288,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[247449,61,60,112],"class_list":["post-586287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-all-ireland-minor-final","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=586287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586287\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/586288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=586287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=586287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=586287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}