1925–26 National Football League (Ireland)

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.

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

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.[1][2][3]

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.[4]

Knockout stage qualifiers
  • Leinster: 3 teams
  • Munster: 1 team
  • Connacht: 1 team[5]
  • Ulster: 1 team

Group stage

Results
7 June 1925 Semi-final Roscommon 1-5 — 0-7 Leitrim Palace Grounds, Strokestown[6]
Referee: P. Kilduff Mayo
21 June 1925 Semi-final Sligo 1-4 — 1-1 Mayo Ballaghaderreen[7]
Referee: C. Flynn Leitrim
25 October 1925 Final Sligo 5-2 — 0-2 Roscommon Tubbercurry, Sligo[8]

Results
13 September 1925 Round 1 Kildare 5-1 — 3-1 Meath Navan[9]
11 October 1925 Round 1 Louth 1-5 — 3-3 Dublin Dundalk[10]
18 October 1925 Round 2 Dublin 0-7 — 1-2 Meath Croke Park, Dublin[11]
25 October 1925 Round 2 Kildare 3-3 — 1-2 Louth Newbridge[12]
8 November 1925 Round 3 Dublin 2-5 — 1-3 Kildare Croke Park, Dublin[13]
8 November 1925 Round 3 Meath 1-7 — 3-5 Louth Navan[14]

Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Dublin 33006Advance to Knockout stage
Kildare 32014
Louth 31022
Meath 30030

Results
12 July 1925 Round 1 Westmeath 1-7 — 1-3 Offaly Mullingar[15]
Referee: Joe Curran, Meath
11 October 1925 Round 1 Wicklow 0-3 — 2-7 Longford Bray[16]
Referee: Mr. O'Brien, Dublin
25 October 1925 Round 2 Longford 2-6 — 0-3 Westmeath Longford[17]
Referee: Mr. J. Kelly
15 November 1925 Round 3 Wicklow 5-8 — 1-3 Westmeath Naas[18]
15 November 1925 Round 3 Longford 1-8 — 1-2 Offaly Longford Park
22 November 1925 Round 2 Offaly 1-3 — 1-4 Wicklow Tullamore[19]

Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Longford 33006Advance to Knockout stage
Wicklow 32014
Westmeath 31020
Offaly 30030

Westmeath forfeited the points from their win v Offaly due to being late on the field[20]

Results
2 August 1925 Wexford 5-6 — 1-3 Carlow Enniscorthy[21]
20 September 1925 Carlow 1-4 — 2-5 Laois Graiguecullen, Laois[22]
11 October 1925 Kilkenny 1-2 — 3-5 Wexford St James's Park, Kilkenny[23]
Referee: J Delaney

Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Laois 33006Advance to Knockout stage
Wexford 32014
Carlow 20020
Kilkenny 20020

Munster (Munster Football League)

Won by Kerry.

11 October 1925 1 Clare 1-4 — 3-6 Kerry Milltown Malbay[24]
15 November 1925 2 Cork 0-0 — 2-8 Kerry Macroom[25]
15 November 1925 2 Waterford 2-1 — 1-2 Limerick Tipperary
22 November 1925 3 Waterford 1-0 — 0-12 Kerry Waterford[26]
29 November 1925 4 Kerry 3-4 — 2-0 Limerick Listowel[27]
29 November 1925 4 Waterford 1-2 — 2-3 Cork Dungarvan[28]
28 February 1926 5 Cork 0-4 — 1-0 Limerick Fermoy[29]
7 March 1926 5 Tipperary 2-5 — 1-4 Clare Clonmel[30]
13 June 1926 5 Kerry 0-5 — 0-2 Tipperary Austin Stack Park, Tralee[31]
Regulation games
8 November 1925 Cavan 4-3 — 2-3 Fermanagh Belturbet,[32]
Referee: J. Murphy Monaghan
29 November 1925 Tyrone 1-1 — 0-2 Fermanagh Enniskillen,[33]
Referee: G. McGovern Cavan
29 November 1925 Donegal 6-5 — 3-5 Cavan Ballyshannon,[34]
20 December 1925 Donegal 1-5 — 2-1 Fermanagh Stranorlar,[35]
20 December 1925 Cavan 4-2 — 2-0 Tyrone Dungannon,[36]
17 January 1926 Tyrone 3-6 — 2-2 Donegal Donaghmore,[37]
Referee: Mr. Cleary Antrim
Play-Offs
28 February 1926 Play-Off (2nd Place) Donegal 4-3 — 3-6 Tyrone Omagh,[38]
Attendance: 2,000
14 March 1926 Play-Off (2nd Place) Replay Donegal 4-4 — 2-3 Tyrone Omagh,[39]
Attendance: 6,000
28 March 1926 Play-Off (1st Place) Cavan 4-8 — 2-4 Donegal Ballyconnell,[40]
Regulation games
1 November 1925 Antrim 0-7 — 0-5 Monaghan Clones[41]
6 December 1925 Armagh 2-6 — 3-1 Monaghan Castleblaney,[42]
13 December 1925 Antrim 1-6 — 2-2 Down Castlewellan,[43]
Referee: P. Murray Armagh
24 January 1926 Armagh 3-0 — 2-0 Down Hilltown
Play-Offs
7 March 1926 For 1st place (replay) Antrim 1-4 — 0-3 Armagh Newry[44]
Referee: P McGivern Down

Final
11 April 1926 Final Antrim 2-5 — 0-5 Cavan Belfast,[45]
Referee: J. Cooney Armagh

Final standings

Knockout stage

Quarter-finals
Sligo3-1 – 0-5Longford
Laois1-6 – 1-5Kerry

Semi-finals
Dublin0-8 – 0-5Antrim
Referee: T. Burke, Drogheda
Sligo3-5 – 2-6Laois

An objection was successfully made and a replay ordered.

Laois4-6 – 1-4Sligo

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

Leinster League inter-group ties
29 November 1925 Game 1 Longford 2-2 — 2-2 Dublin Longford[48]
  • 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.[49]
31 January 1926 Game 1 replay Dublin 3-5 — 0-4 Longford Mullingar[50]
  • Match was abandoned with seven minutes remaining. The game was awarded to Dublin
20 December 1925 Game 2 Laois 1-3 — 1-2 Dublin Croke Park, Dublin[51]
31 January 1926 Game 3 Laois w/o — scr. Longford Portlaoise[52]
  • 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 22004Leinster League winners
Dublin 21012
Longford 20020

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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