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1925–26 National Football League (Ireland)

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Irish football competition

1925–26 National Football League
League details
Dates1925 – 19 September 1926
League champions
WinnersLaois (1st win)
CaptainDick Miller
League runners-up
Runners-upDublin
1927–28 →


The 1925–26 National Football League was the 1st staging of the National Football League, a Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

The inaugural NFL was won by Laois, captained by Dick Miller. They defeated Sligo in the semi-final after a lost game was ordered replayed, and beat Dublin in a low-scoring final despite losing two players, Paddy Lenihan and Bill Keeley, to emigration shortly before the final.

Format

The league was organised on a provincial basis with a separate league for each province: three leagues for Leinster due to the large number of counties. The six league winners played a knockout tournament to decide the National Football League. It is mentioned that the three Leinster Group winners played off (Longford scratching, Laois beating Dublin) for a gold medal, but this does not seem to have formed part of the league proper.

Knockout stage qualifiers

  • Leinster: 3 teams
  • Munster: 1 team
  • Connacht: 1 team
  • Ulster: 1 team

Group stage

Connacht (Connacht Railway Cup)

Results

Roscommon v Leitrim
7 June 1925 Semi-final Roscommon 1-5 — 0-7 Leitrim Palace Grounds, Strokestown
Referee: P. Kilduff Mayo
Sligo v Mayo
21 June 1925 Semi-final Sligo 1-4 — 1-1 Mayo Ballaghaderreen
Referee: C. Flynn Leitrim
Sligo v Roscommon
25 October 1925 Final Sligo 5-2 — 0-2 Roscommon Tubbercurry, Sligo

Leinster I

Results

Kildare v Meath
13 September 1925 Round 1 Kildare 5-1 — 3-1 Meath Navan
Louth v Dublin
11 October 1925 Round 1 Louth 1-5 — 3-3 Dublin Dundalk
Dublin v Meath
18 October 1925 Round 2 Dublin 0-7 — 1-2 Meath Croke Park, Dublin
Kildare v Louth
25 October 1925 Round 2 Kildare 3-3 — 1-2 Louth Newbridge
Dublin v Kildare
8 November 1925 Round 3 Dublin 2-5 — 1-3 Kildare Croke Park, Dublin
Meath v Louth
8 November 1925 Round 3 Meath 1-7 — 3-5 Louth Navan

Table

Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Dublin 3 3 0 0 6 Advance to Knockout stage
Kildare 3 2 0 1 4
Louth 3 1 0 2 2
Meath 3 0 0 3 0

Leinster II

Results

Westmeath v Offaly
12 July 1925 Round 1 Westmeath 1-7 — 1-3 Offaly Mullingar
Referee: Joe Curran, Meath
Wicklow v Longford
11 October 1925 Round 1 Wicklow 0-3 — 2-7 Longford Bray
Referee: Mr. O'Brien, Dublin
Longford v Westmeath
25 October 1925 Round 2 Longford 2-6 — 0-3 Westmeath Longford
Referee: Mr. J. Kelly
Wicklow v Westmeath
15 November 1925 Round 3 Wicklow 5-8 — 1-3 Westmeath Naas
Longford v Offaly
15 November 1925 Round 3 Longford 1-8 — 1-2 Offaly Longford Park
Offaly v Wicklow
22 November 1925 Round 2 Offaly 1-3 — 1-4 Wicklow Tullamore

Table

Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Longford 3 3 0 0 6 Advance to Knockout stage
Wicklow 3 2 0 1 4
Westmeath 3 1 0 2 0
Offaly 3 0 0 3 0

Westmeath forfeited the points from their win v Offaly due to being late on the field

Leinster III

Results

Wexford v Carlow
2 August 1925 Wexford 5-6 — 1-3 Carlow Enniscorthy
Carlow v Laois
20 September 1925 Carlow 1-4 — 2-5 Laois Graiguecullen, Laois
Kilkenny v Wexford
11 October 1925 Kilkenny 1-2 — 3-5 Wexford St James's Park, Kilkenny
Referee: J Delaney

Table

Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Laois 3 3 0 0 6 Advance to Knockout stage
Wexford 3 2 0 1 4
Carlow 2 0 0 2 0
Kilkenny 2 0 0 2 0

Munster (Munster Football League)

Won by Kerry.

Clare v Kerry
11 October 1925 1 Clare 1-4 — 3-6 Kerry Milltown Malbay
Cork v Kerry
15 November 1925 2 Cork 0-0 — 2-8 Kerry Macroom
Waterford v Limerick
15 November 1925 2 Waterford 2-1 — 1-2 Limerick Tipperary
Waterford v Kerry
22 November 1925 3 Waterford 1-0 — 0-12 Kerry Waterford
Kerry v Limerick
29 November 1925 4 Kerry 3-4 — 2-0 Limerick Listowel
Waterford v Cork
29 November 1925 4 Waterford 1-2 — 2-3 Cork Dungarvan
Cork v Limerick
28 February 1926 5 Cork 0-4 — 1-0 Limerick Fermoy
Tipperary v Clare
7 March 1926 5 Tipperary 2-5 — 1-4 Clare Clonmel
Kerry v Tipperary
13 June 1926 5 Kerry 0-5 — 0-2 Tipperary Austin Stack Park, Tralee

Ulster (Dr McKenna Cup)

North-West Group

Regulation games
Cavan v Fermanagh
8 November 1925 Cavan 4-3 — 2-3 Fermanagh Belturbet,
Referee: J. Murphy Monaghan
Tyrone v Fermanagh
29 November 1925 Tyrone 1-1 — 0-2 Fermanagh Enniskillen,
Referee: G. McGovern Cavan
Donegal v Cavan
29 November 1925 Donegal 6-5 — 3-5 Cavan Ballyshannon,
Donegal v Fermanagh
20 December 1925 Donegal 1-5 — 2-1 Fermanagh Stranorlar,
Cavan v Tyrone
20 December 1925 Cavan 4-2 — 2-0 Tyrone Dungannon,
Tyrone v Donegal
17 January 1926 Tyrone 3-6 — 2-2 Donegal Donaghmore,
Referee: Mr. Cleary Antrim
Play-Offs
Donegal v Tyrone
28 February 1926 Play-Off (2nd Place) Donegal 4-3 — 3-6 Tyrone Omagh,
Attendance: 2,000
Donegal v Tyrone
14 March 1926 Play-Off (2nd Place) Replay Donegal 4-4 — 2-3 Tyrone Omagh,
Attendance: 6,000
Cavan v Donegal
28 March 1926 Play-Off (1st Place) Cavan 4-8 — 2-4 Donegal Ballyconnell,

North-East Group

Regulation games
Antrim v Monaghan
1 November 1925 Antrim 0-7 — 0-5 Monaghan Clones
Armagh v Monaghan
6 December 1925 Armagh 2-6 — 3-1 Monaghan Castleblaney,
Antrim v Down
13 December 1925 Antrim 1-6 — 2-2 Down Castlewellan,
Referee: P. Murray Armagh
Armagh v Down
24 January 1926 Armagh 3-0 — 2-0 Down Hilltown
Play-Offs
Antrim v Armagh
7 March 1926 For 1st place (replay) Antrim 1-4 — 0-3 Armagh Newry
Referee: P McGivern Down

Final

Antrim v Cavan
11 April 1926 Final Antrim 2-5 — 0-5 Cavan Belfast,
Referee: J. Cooney Armagh

Final standings

North-West Group
Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Cavan 3 2 0 1 4
Donegal 3 2 0 1 4
Tyrone 3 2 0 1 4
Fermanagh 3 0 0 3 0
North-East Group
Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Antrim 3 2 1 0 5 Advance to Knockout stage
Armagh 3 2 1 0 5
Monaghan 2 0 0 2 0
Down 2 0 0 2 0

Knockout stage

Quarter-finals

Sligo3-1 – 0-5Longford
Longford
Laois1-6 – 1-5Kerry
Croke Park, Dublin

Semi-finals

Dublin0-8 – 0-5Antrim
DundalkReferee: T. Burke, Drogheda
Sligo3-5 – 2-6Laois
Croke Park, Dublin

An objection was successfully made and a replay ordered.

Laois4-6 – 1-4Sligo
Roscommon

Final

Laois2-1 – 1-0Dublin
Jack Brown 2-0, Tom Costello 0-1 Peter Stynes 1-0
Barrett's Park, New RossReferee: P McCullagh (Wexford)

Leinster League inter-group ties

Longford v Dublin
29 November 1925 Game 1 Longford 2-2 — 2-2 Dublin Longford
  • The game was initially awarded to Longford as Dublin failed to finish owing to a disputed decision. Later, the Leinster Council declared the result void and ordered a replay.
Dublin v Longford
31 January 1926 Game 1 replay Dublin 3-5 — 0-4 Longford Mullingar
  • Match was abandoned with seven minutes remaining. The game was awarded to Dublin
Laois v Dublin
20 December 1925 Game 2 Laois 1-3 — 1-2 Dublin Croke Park, Dublin
Laois v Longford
31 January 1926 Game 3 Laois w/o — scr. Longford Portlaoise
  • Longford did not play in protest at the fact that Game 1 replay versus Dublin was awarded to Dublin

Table

Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Laois 2 2 0 0 4 Leinster League winners
Dublin 2 1 0 1 2
Longford 2 0 0 2 0

Laois won the Leinster Football League. This would appear to have been a separate competition, and this ties did not form part of the National Football League proper.

References

  1. "Leinster's National Football League Winning Teams" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  2. "NFL Facts and Figures". Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  3. "National League facts | Ireland's Own". Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  4. Laois GAA History, 1920-29
  5. "National League", Irish Independent, 07/05/1926, p. 10
  6. "Leitrim and Roscommon meet in Senior Football contest",Leitrim Observer, 12 June 1925, p. 1
  7. "Railway Cup Semi-final",Irish Independent, 22 June 1925, p. 9
  8. Irish Independent, 29 October 1925, p. 9
  9. "Kildare v Meath",Kildare Observer, 19 September 1925, p. 5
  10. "Dublin's success",Irish Independent, 12 October 1925, p. 11
  11. "Dublin defeat Meath",Cork Examiner, 19 October 1925, p. 5
  12. "National Football League",Irish Independent, 27 October 1925, p. 9
  13. "Leinster Football League",Cork Examiner, 9 November 1925, p. 6
  14. "Leinster Football League",Meath Chronicle, 14 November 1925, p. 7
  15. "National Football League", Westmeath Examiner, 18 July 1925, p. 8
  16. Irish Independent, 12 October 1925, p. 11
  17. "Belated victory", Irish Independent, 26 October 1925, p. 9
  18. "Goalkeeper's busy", Irish Independent, 16 November 1925, p. 11
  19. "A point victory", Irish Independent, 23 November 1925, p. 11
  20. "League Figures" Irish Independent, Friday 20 November 1925
  21. Irish Independent, 4 August 1925, p. 9
  22. Irish Independent, 20 September 1925, p. 10
  23. Irish Independent, 12 October 1925, p. 11
  24. Irish Independent, 12 October 1925, p. 11
  25. "Kerry's easy victory", The Kerryman, 21 November 1925, p. 2
  26. "Kerry defeat Waterford", The Kerryman, 28 November 1925, p. 2
  27. "Munster football league", The Kerryman, 5 December 1925, p. 2
  28. "Match at Dungarvan", Cork Examiner, 30 November 1925, p. 8
  29. "GAA leagues", Irish Independent, 1 March 1926, p. 9
  30. "McGrath Cup league", Cork Examiner, 10 March 1926, p. 5
  31. "Kerry wins McGrath Cup", The Kerryman, 19 June 1926, p. 5
  32. "GAA News", Fermanagh Herald, 14 November 1925, p. 5,
  33. "Ulster League Tie", Ulster Herald, 5 December 1925, p. 12,
  34. "Ulster Football Surprise", Irish Independent, 30 November 1925, p. 10,
  35. "Gaelic Games", Irish Independent, 22 December 1925, p. 10,
  36. "Gaelic Games", Irish Independent, 22 December 1925, p. 10,
  37. "Irish Independent", Ulster Herald, 19 January 1926, p. 10,
  38. "Ulster Tie Drawn", Irish Independent, 01 March 1926, p. 9,
  39. "Ulster Football League", Ulster Herald, 20 March 1926, p. 3,
  40. "Gaelic Pastimes", Meath Chronicle, 3 April 1926, p. 7,
  41. "Ulster Football League", Irish Independent, 3 November 1925, p. 10,
  42. "Ulster League Surprise", Irish Independent, 7 December 1925, p. 10,
  43. "Ulster League", Irish Independent, 15 December 1925, p. 10,
  44. "Ulster Senior League", Irish Independent, 8 March 1926, p. 10,
  45. "Champions beaten", Irish Independent, 12/04/1926, p. 9,
  46. "Narrow defeat for Antrim", Irish Independent, 26/04/1926, p. 9
  47. "Leix defeat Sligo in Semi-final", Irish Independent, 28/06/1926, p. 9
  48. "Level scoring", Irish Independent, 30/11/1925, p. 10
  49. "Unpleasant incident". Sunday Independent, 13/12/1923, p. 7
  50. "Leinster Football League", Irish Independent, 01/02/1926, p. 9
  51. "Leix win Group honours", Irish Independent, 21/12/1925, p. 9
  52. "Longford not to play", Irish Independent, 26/02/1926, p. 9
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