Mayo's All-Ireland LGFA senior championship winning captains to be honoured at 2023 finals

Winning captains from the 49 previous All-Ireland Ladies Gaelic Football Association senior championship finals will be honoured at Croke Park on Sunday (August 13) – TG4 All-Ireland finals day.

The 2023 senior showpiece is the 50th in the history of the LGFA and at half-time in the clash between Dublin and Kerry, previous winning captains will be introduced to Croke Park spectators in front of the Hogan Stand.

In the 49 finals played to date, there have been 42 different winning captains – including four from Mayo.

Mayo's four All-Ireland titles arrived in a five-year period (1999-2003), with a different captain on each occasion: Diane O’Hora in 1999, Maria Staunton in 2000, Christina Heffernan in 2002 and Helena Lohan in 2003.

Mayo also reached the 2001 final, in which they were defeated by Laois. The Laois captain that day was Angela Casey.

The players who have lifted the Brendan Martin Cup on more than one occasion are Dublin’s Sinéad Aherne (2017-2020 inclusive), Cork’s Juliet Murphy (2005-2007 inclusive), Cork’s Ciara O’Sullivan (2015 and 2016) and Meath’s Shauna Ennis (2021 and 2022).

Prior to 2006, when Juliet Murphy captained Cork to what was a second successive title at the time, there had been a different winning captain in every year since 1974.

The first All-Ireland winning captain in 1974 was Tipperary’s Kitty Ryan-Savage. The Premier County defeated Offaly in the first final, played in Durrow, Co. Laois.

Looking ahead to Sunday, when the former winning captains will also enjoy lunch together at Croke Park, LGFA president Mícheál Naughton commented: “The captains who will join us on Sunday are true trailblazers for our association and have experienced that magical moment when they hoisted the Brendan Martin Cup aloft.

“They have provided their counties, clubs, families and fans with memories that will echo in eternity. The ‘cup lift’ image is an image that resonates nationally and internationally. It’s an image that symbolises glory and the ultimate reward for months and perhaps even years of selfless dedication and effort.

“From Offaly v Tipperary in 1974 to Meath v Kerry in 2022, our 49 All-Ireland finals to date have provided thrills, spills, no shortage of drama and some brilliant football.

“We’ve had breakthrough moments and periods of dominance. We’ve had some big winning margins but we’ve also had narrow victories, draws and replays.

“As things stand, Cork and Kerry are sitting together at the top of the All-Ireland senior championship roll of honour, with 11 titles each. Kerry, if they defeat Dublin on Sunday, will move one clear on the all-time list.

“It was back in 1976 when Kerry won their first title, captained by Mary Geaney, while Cork emerged from the pack in 2005, captained by Juliet Murphy.

“Throughout the years, we’ve had 13 different counties who have won the All-Ireland senior title and the hope is that more will break through in the years to come.”

Next Sunday at Croke Park, it’ll be Dublin’s Carla Rowe or Kerry’s Síofra O’Shea who will have the honour of lifting the Brendan Martin Cup.

The lucky captain will become the 43rd different player to lift the coveted silverware following a game that will rack up half a century of showpiece deciders.