All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
| All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2015–16 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship | |
| Irish | Craobh Shinsear Peile Chlub na hÉireann |
| Founded | 1970–71 |
| Region | Ireland (GAA) |
| Trophy | Andy Merrigan Cup |
| Title holders | Ballyboden St. Enda's (1st title) |
| First winner | East Kerry |
| Most titles | Nemo Rangers (7 titles) |
| Sponsors | AIB |
| TV partner(s) | TG4 |
| Motto | #TheToughest |
The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament first played in season 1970-71. It is the top tier competition for the senior football clubs of Ireland and London.
The current champions are Ballyboden of Dublin who defeated Castlebar Mitchels of Mayo on 17 March 2016 to win their first title.
The trophy is The Andy Merrigan Cup, named after a footballer who played for Castletown and Wexford and who died as a result of a farm accident at the height of his playing career. It was first presented in 1974.
Structure
Each of Ireland's 32 counties play their championship between all the senior Gaelic football clubs. The competition can be knockout, double-elimination, league or a mixture depending on the county. Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster clubs play in four provincial championships. The winners of the London club championship play one of the four provincial championship winners in a match referred to as a "quarter final". Two semi-finals are then played. The All-Ireland Final is traditionally played in Croke Park on St. Patrick's Day, the 17th March.
- Schedule
- County championships: June — November
- Provincial championships: October — December
- All-Ireland quarter-final and semi-finals: February
- All-Ireland Final: March 17
History
Ulster and Connacht tournaments were first held in the 1960s before an All-Ireland tournament was mooted at the GAA National Congress in 1969 - despite opposition from many delegations the motion received the 2/3 majority necessary and the first winners in 1970–71 were an East Kerry divisional team (nowadays amalgamations of clubs are not allowed to enter the All-Ireland). The following year, Bellaghy GAC from County Londonderry, became the first individual club to win the All-Ireland Club Championship when they defeated UCC of Cork in the final at Croke Park. The Andy Merrigan Cup was first awarded in 1974, donated by the Castletown club in memory of the great Wexford footballer who died in a farming accident at the height of his career.
Dublin clubs (UCD x2 and St. Vincent's of Marino) won a three-in-a-row of All-Irelands in 1974–76, before Kerry and Cork clubs began to dominate, winning 9 titles in 13 years, 1977–89, including four for Nemo Rangers of Cork. Clan na nGael (Drum and Clonown) won 7 Connacht titles in 8 years (1983–90), but did not win a single All-Ireland.
St. Mary's Burren of Down ended a 14-year Ulster drought when they were victorious in 1986. Baltinglass caused a major shock in 1990 by winning their and Wicklow's first national honour, while Nemo pulled ahead with their fifth title in 1994. In 1998, Corofin won Galway's and Connacht's first national award, six months before the county team's first All-Ireland for 32 years.
In the late 1990s the club championship rose to national prominence with regular TV coverage and the prestigious St. Patrick's Day fixture in Croke Park for the final. Crossmaglen Rangers claimed 3 All-Irelands in 4 years from 1997–2000. While the Caltra club of Galway won their first Galway title, first Connacht award and first All-Ireland in one year, 2003–04. 2006 saw Salthill-Knocknacarra of Galway complete a Connacht three-in-a-row.
In 2010, St. Gall's of Belfast in Antrim beat Kilmurry Ibrickane of Clare to win their first title.[1]
Past winners
All-Ireland winners are shaded gold, and counties are given in brackets.
List of Finals
By club
| Club | All-Irelands | Province |
|---|---|---|
| Nemo Rangers (Cork), 2002–03 | 7 |  Munster |
| Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh), 2011–12 | 6 |  Ulster |
| St. Vincent's (Dublin), 2013–14 | 3 |  Leinster |
| St. Finbarr's (Cork), 1986–87 | Munster | |
| Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin), 2008–09 | 2 | Leinster |
| UCD (Dublin), 1974–75 | ||
| St. Mary's Burren (Down), 1987–88 | Ulster | |
| Corofin (Galway), 2014–15 |  Connacht |
Twenty unlisted clubs have managed to win a single title.
By county
L, M, U, C refer to Leinster/Munster/Ulster/Connacht championships won by clubs from the county. "Last winning team" gives the name of the club from the county which last won the All-Ireland; if no club has, the name of the last provincial champion is given in italic type.
| # | County | All-Irelands | L | M | U | C | Last winning team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cork clubs | 11 | 25 | Nemo Rangers, 2002–03 | |||
| 2 | Dublin clubs | 8 | 20 | Ballyboden St. Enda's, 2015–16 | |||
| 3 | Armagh clubs | 6 | 12 | Crossmaglen Rangers, 2011–12 | |||
| 4 | Kerry clubs | 5 | 14 | Laune Rangers, 1995–96 | |||
| 5 | Galway clubs | 4 | 15 | Corofin, 2014-15 | |||
| 6 | Derry clubs | 3 | 12 | Ballinderry Shamrocks, 2001–02 | |||
| 7 | Mayo clubs | 2 | 14 | Ballina Stephenites, 2004–05 | |||
| 8 | Down clubs | 2 | 6 | St. Mary's Burren, 1987–88 | |||
| 9 | Roscommon clubs | 1 | 13 | St. Brigid's, 2012–13 | |||
| 10 | Laois clubs | 1 | 7 | Portlaoise, 1982–83 | |||
| 11 | Antrim clubs | 1 | 4 | St. Gall's, 2009–10 | |||
| 12= | Wicklow clubs | 1 | 2 | Baltinglass, 1989–90 | |||
| Limerick clubs | 2 | Thomond College, 1977–78 | |||||
| 14= | Monaghan clubs | 0 | 6 | Castleblayney Faughs, 1991–92 | |||
| Carlow clubs | 6 | O'Hanrahans, 2000–01 | |||||
| 16= | Meath clubs | 0 | 4 | Dunshaughlin, 2002–03 | |||
| Offaly clubs | 4 | Ferbane, 1986–87 | |||||
| 18= | Sligo clubs | 0 | 3 | St. Mary's, 1983–84 | |||
| Clare clubs | 3 | Kilmurry Ibrickane, 2009–10 | |||||
| 20= | Tyrone clubs | 0 | 2 | Errigal Ciarán, 2002–03 | |||
| Kildare clubs | 2 | Moorefield, 2006–07 | |||||
| 22= | Donegal clubs | 0 | 1 | St. Joseph's, 1975–76 | |||
| Westmeath clubs | 1 | Garrycastle, 2011–12 | |||||
| Tipperary clubs | 1 | Clonmel Commercials, 2015–16 |
No club from Cavan, Fermanagh, Kilkenny, Leitrim, London, Longford, Louth, Waterford or Wexford has ever won a national or provincial title.
By province
| Province | All-Irelands | Most recent winning team |
|---|---|---|
| Munster clubs |
17 | Nemo Rangers (Cork), 2002–03 |
| Ulster clubs |
12 | Crossmaglen Rangers (Armagh), 2011–12 |
| Leinster clubs |
10 | Ballyboden St. Enda's (Dublin), 2015–16 |
| Connacht clubs |
7 | Corofin (Galway), 2014–15 |
See also
References
- ↑ "St Gall's celebrate centenary in real style". Irish Times. 2010-03-18. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ↑ "Ballyboden stroll to a first All-Ireland football club success". RTÉ Sport. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ↑ "Ballyboden dominate Castlebar to win first ever All Ireland title". Irish Independent. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ↑ "Corofin claim title at HQ". RTÉ Sport. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ↑ "St. Vincent’s crowned champions courtesy of Connolly masterclass". Irish Independent. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
- ↑ "Dolan puts Brigid’s in dreamland". Irish Examiner. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ↑ "Ballina best in dogged decider". Hogan Stand. 17 March 2005. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
External links
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