1995–96 National Football League (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


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.

Derry successfully defended its second consecutive season title in the final against Donegal.[1][2][3]

Format

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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

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Division One

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Play-Offs

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

Table

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Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Donegal 7 3 3 1 9 Advance to quarter-finals
Meath 7 4 1 2 9
Derry 7 4 1 2 9
Kerry 7 3 2 2 8
Tyrone 7 3 1 3 7
Kildare 7 2 2 3 6
Laois 7 3 0 4 6 Relegated to Division Two of the 1996–97 NFL
Clare 7 1 0 6 2

Division 2

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Table

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Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Cork 7 6 0 1 12 Promoted to Division One of the 1996–97 NFL and advance to quarter-finals
Cavan 7 5 0 2 10
Armagh 7 4 0 3 8
Leitrim 7 4 0 3 8
Dublin 7 4 0 3 8
Louth 7 3 0 4 6
Westmeath 7 1 0 6 2 Relegated to Division Three of the 1996–97 NFL
Down 7 1 0 6 2

Division 3

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Play-Offs

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

Table

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Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Mayo 7 7 0 0 14 Promoted to Division Two of the 1996–97 NFL and advance to quarter-finals
Monaghan 7 6 0 1 12 Promoted to Division Two of the 1996–97 NFL
Roscommon 7 4 1 2 9
Galway 7 2 1 4 5
Wexford 7 2 1 4 5
Antrim 7 2 0 5 4
Fermanagh 7 2 0 5 4 Relegated to Division Four of the 1996–97 NFL
Sligo 7 1 1 5 3

Division 4

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Table

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Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Wicklow 8 7 1 0 15 Promoted to Division Three of the 1996–97 NFL and advance to quarter-finals
Longford 8 6 1 1 13 Promoted to Division Three of the 1996–97 NFL
Offaly 8 5 1 2 11
Carlow 8 4 1 3 9
Limerick 8 4 0 4 8
Tipperary 8 4 0 4 8
Waterford 8 2 0 6 4
London 8 1 0 7 2
Kilkenny 8 1 0 7 2

Knockout phase

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Quarter-finals

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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

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Donegal0-10 – 0-9Cork

Derry1-12 – 0-7Mayo

Final

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

References

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  1. ^ "GAA Final Teams". Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  2. ^ GAA Archive 1996[permanent dead link]
  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