When it comes to producing professional footballers on the island of Ireland, there are a few places that have dominated over the last century or so. Dublin, Antrim and Cork are arguably the main three, providing countless players to both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland down through the years.
However, there has also been a good spread of players to come through in order parts of the country. That is especially true in recent times.
With that in mind, here is the best footballer produced in each of the 32 counties across Ireland.
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The footballer produced by each of the 32 counties
Antrim - George Best
Perhaps the most straight forward entry on this list, George Best is arguably the best footballer ever produced on the island of Ireland.
He was a truly elite footballer at his peak, winning two league titles and a European Cup at Manchester United. He also finished in the top three of Ballon d'Or voting in 1971, as well as being included in the FIFA 100 best living players back in 2004.
He finished 20th in FIFA's player of the century voting.
Armagh - Neil Lennon
Neil Lennon had a brilliant career at club level, winning two League Cups at Leicester City as well as a boat load of honours after joining Celtic.
He would also win 40 caps for Northern Ireland, captaining the team on a number of occasions. However, he would opt to cut his international career short after receiving a death threat ahead of a game agains Cyprus in 2002.
Carlow - Padraig Amond
Carlow are one of the few counties never to produce a Republic of Ireland international, although Padraig Amond has certainly had an excellent career.
He impressed for both Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers before having a brief spell in Portugal with Pacos de Ferreira. He would then embark on a lengthy career in the EFL, which included some remarkable goalscoring heroics for Newport County in the FA Cup.
Amond, along with Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus, was the top scorer in the 2018/19 edition of the competition.
Cavan - Cillian Sheridan
Cillian Sheridan has had one of the most interesting careers among professional Irish footballers, taking in stops in the likes of Bulgaria, Cyprus, New Zealand, and Poland at various stages.
He won three caps for Ireland at senior level, all of which came in 2010.
Clare - Willie Boland
Ennis native Willie Boland had a long and successful career in the EFL, making over 300 appearances for the likes of Coventry City, Cardiff City, and Hartlepool. He won the Second Division play-offs with Cardiff and promotion from League Two with Hartlepool during his spells at the club.
The midfielder was capped 12 times by Ireland at U21 level in the 1990s.
Cork - Roy Keane
Cork have produced some excellent footballers down through the years, but Roy Keane is no doubt the best of them.
He was one of the best midfielders in the world during his spell at Manchester United, captaining the team during their incredible run in the late 90s and early 00s.
He is firmly in the conversation for the greatest footballer ever to be produced in Ireland.
Derry - Martin O'Neill
With Martin O'Neill now more commonly remembered for his managerial career, it is easy to forget about the CV he put together during his playing days.
A key cog in the Nottingham Forest team under Brian Clough, he would make 372 appearances for the club in 1970s and 1980s. He would win one league title, two European Cups, and two League Cups along the way.
At international level, he earned 64 caps for Northern Ireland and captained them at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
Donegal - Shay Given
Donegal is a tough one to call, with Packie Bonner, Shay Given, and Seamus Coleman all in the running. We ultimately went with Given, who won the most Ireland caps of the three with 134.
The Lifford man was also one of the best goalkeepers in the world at his peak, being a consistent performer in the Premier League for well over a decade.
Down - Pat Jennings
Newry's Pat Jennings is without doubt one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the game, producing a career that featured over 750 appearances in the English league and 119 caps for Northern Ireland.
He also holds the incredibly rare distinction of being considered a club legend at both Spurs and Arsenal, having spent a combined 21 years at the two clubs. He would win two FA Cups, two League Cups, the FWA Footballer of the Year, and the PFA Footballer of the Year along the way.
Dublin - John Giles
There is a huge amount of debate surrounding the best footballer to come out of Dublin debate, with John Giles, Liam Brady, Robbie Keane, and Paul McGrath all in the running.
We ultimately went with Giles, who probably had the best club career out of the four. He was also incredible for Ireland, although he was unfortunate to find himself in a team that were not quite as strong as the ones that would follow over the next couple of decades.
Fermanagh - Roy Carroll
Roy Carroll displayed remarkable longevity over the course of his career, spending 28 years as a professional before finally retiring in 2023 as a 45-year old.
He took in stops at the likes of Manchester United, West Ham, and Wigan Athletic along the way. At international level, he won 45 caps for Northern Ireland and was part of their Euro 2016 squad.
Galway - Aaron Connolly
Considering the football tradition in the county, Galway have produced surprisingly few top players down through the years. Aaron Connolly is probably the best of them, despite still being only 23-years old.
He has played 45 times in the Premier League and scored five goals along the way. He is currently impressing at Hull City after a couple of down years in his career.
The forward has earned nine caps for Ireland at senior level.
Kerry - Brendan Moloney
Kerry are another county that do not have a long track record of producing professional players, with Brendan Moloney having the longest career of the bunch.
He spent over a decade in English football, playing for the likes of Nottingham Forest, Bristol City, and Northampton before eventually retiring in 2018.
He earned six caps for Ireland at U21 level.
Kildare - Nathan Collins
Kildare have produced some excellent players in recent years, with Nathan Collins, Andrew Omobamidele, and Mark Travers all hailing from the county.
Nathan Collins is the most talented of the bunch, already twice breaking the Irish transfer record and racking up total fees in excess of £50million.
The 22-year old has been brilliant at Brentford this season and looks set to have a long career at the top level. He has earned 18 caps for Ireland.
Kilkenny - Sean Maguire
While Sean Maguire's Ireland career did not quite take off in the manner many would have hoped for, he is no doubt the best player that has come out of Kilkenny.
He was brilliant in the League of Ireland for both Waterford and Cork City, earning a move to Preston North End after his form at the latter. He would go on to spend six years at the club, making over 150 appearances in the Championship.
The striker has won 11 caps for Ireland, scoring one goal.
Laois - Tony Byrne
Tony Byrne is the last Laois man to represent Ireland, earning 14 caps in the 1960s and 1970s.
Emigrating to London with his parents at the age of 12, he would first join Milwall before having a long career in English football with the likes of Southampton, Hereford United, and Newport County.
Leitrim - Niall Morahan
Leitrim do not have a strong history of producing footballers, with current Sligo Rovers star Niall Morahan arguably the most talented of them.
He has established himself as a key player at the club since first joining in 2018, making 40 appearances during the 2023 season.
Limerick - Don Givens
Steve Finnan may be a Champions League winner, but he did not quite have the individual success of Don Gives during his career.
The Limerick native was Ireland top ever goalscorer by the end of his career, hitting the back of the net 19 times during his 56 caps. At club level, Givens had a brilliant goalscoring record at Luton Town and QPR, scoring around 150 goals over the course of his career.
He even has a few Ballon d'Or votes under his belt, finishing 27th in the race for the award in 1975.
Longford - Willie Browne
Willie Browne is the last Longford man to feature for Ireland, earning three caps for the side in the early 1960s. In fact, he was the last amateur player to be capped for the country until Joe Lapira's bizarre appearance back in 2007.
He would first play for Longford Town at club level, although it was at Bohemians that he really made his name, making over 100 appearances for the club and playing his way into the Ireland squad.
Louth - Steve Staunton
One of the best Irish footballers of all-time, Steve Staunton was the first player to win over 100 caps for the nation at international level. He is also the only Irishman to play in three World Cups.
At club level, the Dundalk man had successful spells at the likes of Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Coventry City before eventually retiring in 2005.
Mayo - Ollie Conmy
Ollie Conmy emigrated from Mayo with his family at the age of eight, eventually signing for Huddersfield Town. He would spend the vast majority of his career at Peterborough, making 263 league appearances for the club.
The midfielder remains the last Mayo man to play for Ireland, making five appearances in the 1960s.
Meath - Evan Ferguson
Meath do not have a long history of producing Ireland players, with Darragh Lenihan becoming the county's first international back in 2018. Despite being only 19-years old, Even Ferguson is their most talented footballer.
He is widely regarded as one of the best young forward in world football, scoring 12 goals in 39 Premier League appearances so far in his career.
At international level, Ferguson has scored three times during his ten caps to dates. That is no doubt a number that will grow significantly over the coming years.
Monaghan - Jonathan Douglas
Monaghan United product Jonathan Douglas won eight caps for Ireland in the 2000s, making his debut in 2004 before becoming a regular in the squad under Steve Staunton. His last cap came in 2007.
The midfielder made the move to Blackburn Rovers as a teenager, going on to make over 500 EFL appearances and spending time at Leeds United, Swindon Town, and Brentford.
Offaly - Iarfhlaith Davoren
Tullamore's Iarfhlaith Davoren had a long and successful career in the League of Ireland, most notably at Sligo Rovers. Having started his career at Athlone Town, he would go on to win one league title, three FAI Cups, and a League of Ireland Cup over four seasons at The Showgrounds after joining in 2010.
He would hang up his boots in 2019 after a spell with Galway United.
Roscommon - Dinny Hannon
Dinny Hannon, who hailed from the Roscommon side of Athlone, is the last player from the county to feature for Ireland at international level.
He captained the Irish Free State at the 1924 Olympics, having won the FAI Cup with Athlone Town earlier that year.
Sligo - Sean Fallon
While Sligo's Sean Fallon would only win eight Ireland caps in the 1950s, he had a long and successful career at Celtic. He would make over 250 appearances for the club across eight years, winning one league title and three Scottish Cups, as well as succeeding Jock Stein at the club captain.
Prior to his move to Scotland, he also starred for Sligo in Gaelic football.
Tipperary - Shane Long
Shane Long earned 88 caps for Ireland, scoring 17 goals and appearing in two major tournaments along the way.
At club level, he had a long and successful career in the Premier League with Reading, West Brom, Hull City, and Southampton. He would spend eight years at the latter, making over 200 appearances for the club.
Tyrone - Aaron Hughes
Aaron Hughes third on the all-time appearance list for Northern Ireland, earning 112 caps across two decades after first making his debut in 1998.
The Cookstown native spent the vast majority of his career in the Premier League with the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Fulham (where he reached a Europa League final in 2010).
He would retire in 2019 after a two year spell at Hearts, ending his career at the age of 39.
Waterford - John O'Shea
John O'Shea is one of the most decorated Irish players of all-time, winning five Premier League titles, a Champions League, an FA Cup, and two League Cups during his time at Manchester United.
At international level, he featured 118 times for Ireland at senior level and captained the team in the latter stages of his career.
Westmeath - Turlough O'Connor
Turlough O'Connor is the last Westmeath man to feature for Ireland, scoring two goals in nine appearances in the 1960s and 1970s.
An Athlone native, he spent much of his career at Bohemians and Dundalk, winning two league titles and an FAI Cup with the Dublin club. He would finish his career with local side Athlone Town.
He would then go on to manage all three of those clubs after retiring, winning four league titles split evenly across Athlone Town and Dundalk, as well as five League of Ireland Cups and an FAI Cup.
Wexford - Kevin Doyle
Kevin Doyle earned 62 caps for Ireland, playing in a successful partnership up front with Robbie Keane for quite a few years. He scored 14 goals along the way.
The Adamstown man was a consistent performer in English footballer, consistently scoring goals for the likes of Reading and Wolves at the highest level.
Wicklow - Alan Kelly Sr.
Darren Randolph is unfortunate to miss out here, although his fellow Bray man Alan Kelly is widely regarded as one of Ireland's finest ever goalkeepers. He earned 47 caps for his country across a 17-year international career.
After starring at Bray Wanderers and Drumcondra during his younger days, Kelly made the move to English football to join Preston North End. He would go on to make 447 league appearances at the club.
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