1995–96 National Football League (Ireland)

The 1995–96 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Church & General National Football League, was the 65th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

1995–96 National Football League
League details
Dates12 November 1995 – 5 May 1996
Teams33
League champions
WinnersDerry (4th win)
CaptainHenry Downey
ManagerBrian Mullins
League runners-up
Runners-upDonegal
CaptainNoel Hegarty
ManagerP. J. McGowan
Other division winners
Division 2Cork
Division 3Mayo
Division 4Wicklow

Derry defeated Donegal in the final for the second year in a row.[1][2][3]

Format

The teams are in four divisions, three of 8 teams and one of 9. Each team plays all the other teams in its division once: either home or away. Teams earn 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw. The top two teams in Divisions 2, 3 and 4 are promoted, while the bottom two teams in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 are relegated.[4]

Eight teams contest the NFL quarter-finals:

  • The top 4 teams in Division 1
  • The top 2 teams in Division 2
  • The first-placed team in Division 3
  • The first-placed team in Division 4

League Phase

Play-Offs
31 March 1996 For 6th Place Kildare 2-12 — 0-11 Laois Croke Park[5]

Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Donegal 73319Advance to quarter-finals
Meath 74129
Derry 74129
Kerry 73228
Tyrone 73137
Kildare 72236
Laois 73046Relegated to Division Two of the 1996–97 NFL
Clare 71062

Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Cork 760112Promoted to Division One of the 1996–97 NFL and advance to quarter-finals
Cavan 750210
Armagh 74038
Leitrim 74038
Dublin 74038
Louth 73046
Westmeath 71062Relegated to Division Three of the 1996–97 NFL
Down 71062

Play-Offs
31 March 1996 For 6th Place Antrim 3-6 — 0-6 Fermanagh St Tiernach's Park, Clones[6]

Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Mayo 770014Promoted to Division Two of the 1996–97 NFL and advance to quarter-finals
Monaghan 760112Promoted to Division Two of the 1996–97 NFL
Roscommon 74129
Galway 72145
Wexford 72145
Antrim 72054
Fermanagh 72054Relegated to Division Four of the 1996–97 NFL
Sligo 71153

Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Wicklow 871015Promoted to Division Three of the 1996–97 NFL and advance to quarter-finals
Longford 861113Promoted to Division Three of the 1996–97 NFL
Offaly 851211
Carlow 84139
Limerick 84048
Tipperary 84048
Waterford 82064
London 81072
Kilkenny 81072

Knockout phase

Quarter-finals
Donegal2-12 – 1-8Wicklow
Attendance: 11,004
Mayo2-10 – 1-10Meath
Cork2-14 – 0-18
AET		Kerry
Attendance: 9,432
Derry0-12 – 0-11Cavan

Semi-finals
Donegal0-10 – 0-9Cork
Derry1-12 – 0-7Mayo

Final
Derry1-16 – 1-9Donegal
Attendance: 24,298[11]
Referee: Michael Curley (Galway)[12]

References
  1. "GAA Final Teams". Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  2. GAA Archive 1996
  3. Photo of final
  4. Gaelic Games website
  5. "Kildare's net profit means Laois go down", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 5
  6. "Antrim avoid the drop", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 5
  7. "Wicklow are punished by Donegal aces", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 5
  8. "Mayo rock Meath", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 4
  9. "Cork's late reminder", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 5
  10. "'Old Guard' see Derry through", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 4
  11. "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
  12. "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
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