All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship


The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament which began in season 1970-71. It is the top tier competition for the senior football clubs of Ireland and London.
The current champions are Corofin GAC of Galway GAA who defeated Kilcoo of Down on 19 January 2020 to win their fifth title. They became the first side to win 3 consecutive titles.
The current trophy is the Andy Merrigan Cup, named after a footballer who played for Castletown and Wexford who died as a result of a farm accident at the height of his playing career. It was first presented in 1974.

Format

County Championships
Ireland's 32 counties play their county championships between their senior Gaelic football clubs. Each county decides the format for determining their county champions. The format can be knockout, double-elimination, league, etc. or a combination. For instance, Kerry organise two separate championships - one for clubs only and one for clubs and divisional sides.
Provincial Championships
Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster each organise a provincial championship for their participating county champions. All matches are knock-out and two ten minute periods of extra time are played if it's a draw at the end of normal time.
All-Ireland
The winners of the London club championship play one of the four provincial champions in a single match in mid-December referred to as a quarter-final. Two semi-finals are then played in mid-February. The All-Ireland final is traditionally played in Croke Park on St. Patrick's Day, the 17th of March.
In an attempt to shorten the season for club players, the semi-finals and final were brought forward for the 2019-20 season. The semi finals were played on the first weekend in January with the final scheduled for 19th January.
Typical Schedule
County championships – April to November

Provincial championships – October to December

All-Ireland quarter-final – mid-December or January

All-Ireland semi-finals – mid-February

All-Ireland final – 17 March in Croke Park, Dublin

History

Ulster and Connacht tournaments were first held in the 1960s and the first unofficial All Ireland Final took place in 1968. The final was contested by Dunmore McHales of Galway and St Josephs of Donegal. It was a two leg affair with St Josephs emerging as the winners after a two legged affair. The motion was then brought to the GAA National Congress in 1969. Despite opposition from many delegations the motion received the necessary two-thirds majority.
The first winners in 1970–71 were an East Kerry divisional team. In the following year, Bellaghy GAC from Derry, became the first individual club to win the All-Ireland Club Championship by defeating 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 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. Clann na nGael won 7 Connacht titles in 8 years, 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.

All-Ireland Finals Listed By Year

Summary of All-Ireland Champions

By club

Nineteen 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. "Most recent 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.
#CountyAll-IrelandsLMUCMost recent winning team
1Cork clubs1127Nemo Rangers, 2002–03
2Dublin clubs820Ballyboden St. Enda's, 2015–16
3Galway clubs717Corofin, 2019–20
4Armagh clubs615Crossmaglen Rangers, 2011–12
5Kerry clubs614Dr Crokes, 2016–17
6Derry clubs315Ballinderry Shamrocks, 2001–02
7Mayo clubs214Ballina Stephenites, 2004–05
8Down clubs27St. Mary's Burren, 1987–88
9Roscommon clubs113St. Brigid's, 2012–13
10Laois clubs17Portlaoise, 1982–83
11Antrim clubs14St. Gall's, 2009–10
12Wicklow clubs12Baltinglass, 1989–90
12Limerick clubs12Thomond College, 1977–78
13Monaghan clubs06Castleblayney Faughs, 1991–92
13Carlow clubs06O'Hanrahans, 2000–01
14Meath clubs04Dunshaughlin, 2002–03
14Offaly clubs04Ferbane, 1986–87
15-0-----
15Kildare clubs03Moorefield, 2017–18
15Sligo clubs03St. Mary's, 1983–84
15Clare clubs03Kilmurry Ibrickane, 2009–10
16Tyrone clubs02Errigal Ciarán, 2002–03
17Donegal clubs01Gaoth Dobhair, 2018–19
17Longford clubs01Mullinalaghta St. Columba's, 2018–19
17Westmeath clubs01Garrycastle, 2011–12
17Tipperary clubs01Clonmel Commercials, 2015–16

No club from Cavan, Fermanagh, Kilkenny, Leitrim, London, Louth, Waterford or Wexford has ever won a national or provincial title.

By province

Provincial champions listed by year

All-Ireland winners are shaded gold, and counties are given in brackets.
YearLeinster championsMunster championsUlster championsConnacht champions
1970–71Gracefield East Kerry Bryansford Fr. Griffins
1971–72Portlaoise UCC Bellaghy Claremorris
1972–73St. Vincent's Nemo Rangers Clan na nGael Fr. Griffins
1973–74UCD UCC Clan na nGael Knockmore
1974–75UCD Nemo Rangers Clan na nGael Roscommon Gaels
1975–76St. Vincent's Nemo Rangers St Joseph's Roscommon Gaels
1976–77Portlaoise Austin Stacks Ballerin Killererin
1977–78Summerhill Thomond College St. John's St. Mary's
1978–79Walsh Island Nemo Rangers Scotstown Killererin
1979–80Walsh Island St. Finbarr's Scotstown St. Grellan's
1980–81Walterstown St. Finbarr's Scotstown St. Mary's
1981–82Raheens Nemo Rangers Ballinderry Shamrocks Garrymore
1982–83Portlaoise St. Finbarr's St. Gall's Clann na nGael
1983–84Walterstown Nemo Rangers St. Mary's Burren St. Mary's
1984–85St. Vincent's Castleisland Desmonds St. Mary's Burren Clann na nGael
1985–86Portlaoise Castleisland Desmonds St. Mary's Burren Clann na nGael
1986–87Ferbane St. Finbarr's Castleblayney Faughs Clann na nGael
1987–88Portlaoise Nemo Rangers St. Mary's Burren Clann na nGael
1988–89Parnells Nemo Rangers St. Mary's Burren Clann na nGael
1989–90Baltinglass Castlehaven Scotstown Clann na nGael
1990–91Thomas Davis Dr. Crokes Lavey Salthill-Knocknacarra
1991–92Thomas Davis Dr. Crokes Castleblayney Faughs Corofin
1992–93Éire Óg O'Donovan Rossa Lavey Knockmore
1993–94Éire Óg Nemo Rangers Errigal Ciarán Castlebar Mitchels
1994–95Kilmacud Crokes Castlehaven Bellaghy Tuam Stars
1995–96Éire Óg Laune Rangers Mullaghbawn Corofin
1996–97Éire Óg Laune Rangers Crossmaglen Rangers Knockmore
1997–98Erin's Isle Castlehaven Dungiven Corofin
1998–99Éire Óg Doonbeg Crossmaglen Rangers Ballina Stephenites
1999–2000Na Fianna UCC Crossmaglen Rangers Crossmolina Deel Rovers
2000–01O'Hanrahans Nemo Rangers Bellaghy Crossmolina Deel Rovers
2001–02Rathnew Nemo Rangers Ballinderry Shamrocks Charlestown Sarsfields
2002–03Dunshaughlin Nemo Rangers Errigal Ciaran Crossmolina Deel Rovers
2003–04St. Brigid's An Ghaeltacht An Lúb Caltra
2004–05Portlaoise Kilmurry Ibrickane Crossmaglen Rangers Ballina Stephenites
2005–06Kilmacud Crokes Nemo Rangers St. Gall's Salthill-Knocknacarra
2006–07Moorefield Dr. Crokes Crossmaglen Rangers St. Brigid's
2007–08St. Vincent's Nemo Rangers Crossmaglen Rangers Ballina Stephenites
2008–09Kilmacud Crokes Dromcollogher-Broadford Crossmaglen Rangers Corofin
2009–10Portlaoise Kilmurry Ibrickane St. Gall's Corofin
2010–11Kilmacud Crokes Nemo Rangers Crossmaglen Rangers St. Brigid's
2011–12Garrycastle Dr. Crokes Crossmaglen Rangers St. Brigid's
2012–13Ballymun Kickhams Dr. Crokes Crossmaglen Rangers St. Brigid's
2013–14St. Vincent's Dr. Crokes Ballinderry Shamrocks Castlebar Mitchels
2014–15St. Vincent's Austin Stacks Slaughtneil Corofin
2015–16Ballyboden St. Enda's Clonmel Commercials Crossmaglen Rangers Castlebar Mitchels
2016–17St. Vincent's Dr. Crokes Slaughtneil Corofin
2017–18Moorefield Nemo Rangers Slaughtneil Corofin
2018–19Mullinalaghta St. Columba's Dr. Crokes Gaoth Dobhair Corofin
2019–20Ballyboden St. Enda's Nemo Rangers Kilcoo Corofin '''