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

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.[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

Connacht (Connacht Railway Cup)

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]

Leinster I

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

Leinster II

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]

Leinster III

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]

Ulster (Dr McKenna Cup)

North-West Group

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]

North-East Group

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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