The cream of the crop and the storylines that defined a season 

The ultimate prize is on its way to the Kingdom but there were many other winners and storylines of note throughout the year. Here, our writers reflect on the good - and the not so good - of the 2022 Football Championship season

JOY AND DESPAIR: David Clifford, left, and Seán O'Shea of Kerry celebrate alongside a dejected Liam Silke of Galway at the final whistle of the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Kerry and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Game of the Year 

The quality, skill and intensity of the Dublin-Kerry All-Ireland semi-final was unlike anything seen up to that point of the championship but the Armagh-Galway All-Ireland quarter-final two weeks earlier provided a rich fusion of entertainment, enthrallment, controversy and drama unlike anything ever seen before in such a big championship match in Croke Park. The ugly brawl which ignited in a blaze at the end of normal time did detract from the overall feel-good atmosphere around the contest. There were stages in the game when the quality was poor, but all the pieces still came together in the end to create an incredible mosaic of emotion and excitement that had everyone in the ground – and at home – on the edge of their seats.