Mayo Association Football League

Mayo Association Football League is an association football league that features amateur and junior clubs from County Mayo. Its top division, the Super League, is a seventh level division in the Republic of Ireland football league system. The two top divisions – the Super League and the Premier Division – are sponsored by Elverys Sports and Welcome Inn Hotel respectively. Clubs from the league also compete in the FAI Junior Cup and the Connacht Junior Cup. A Mayo League representative team also competes in the League of Ireland Cup.

Mayo Association Football League
Founded1954
CountryRepublic of Ireland Ireland
DivisionsElverys Sports Super League
CastleCourt Hotel Premier League
Killeen Sports Ground League One
McDonnell Construction League Two
CMR Fire and Security League Three
Westaro Masters League Division One
Westaro Masters League Division Two
Westaro Masters Division 3
Level on pyramid7–12
Domestic cup(s)FAI Junior Cup
Connacht Junior Cup
Connacht Junior Shield
League cup(s)Calor Gas Mayo Super Cup
Calor Gas Mayo Premier Cup
Westaro Cup
Tuohy Cup
Tonra Cup
McDonnell Cup
League 3 Cup
Current championsCastlebar Celtic
(2023)
WebsiteOfficial website of Mayo AFL

History

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In 1954 Westport Town, Barcastle, Quay Hearts and Castlebar Celtic became the founder members of the Mayo Association Football League.[1] Castlebar Celtic finished the inaugural season as champions and, together with Westport United, they went on to become the league's most successful clubs. During the late 1970s and early 1980s the winners of the league played off against the winners of other Connacht junior leagues for the Michael Byrne Cup. During the 1970s the league expanded to include three divisions. In 1984–85 a league cup was introduced. It was originally known as the Robert Kilkelly Cup, before becoming the AIB Cup and then the Chadwicks Cup. It is currently[when?] known as the Connacht Gold Cup. The league originally operated an autumn/winter schedule but a summer season was introduced in May 1994 and it kicked off the following July. The top division became known as the Super League from the 1999 season onwards. In 2022, current Claremorris AFC, and formally Swinford FC Striker, Joe Slevin became the first player in the league’s history to earn back to back relegations with different clubs. [2][3] Continuing on his nomadic tour around county, ‘Journeyman Joe’ or JJ as he is affectionately known as now then went on to warm the bench for Castlebar Celtic in their 2022/2023 super league title run.

League pyramid

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County Level League(s) / division(s)
1 Elverys Sports Super League

10 clubs – 2 relegations

2 Castlecourt Hotel Premier League

9 clubs – 2 promotions, 1 relegation

3 Killeen Sports Ground League One

8 clubs – 1 promotion, 2 relegations

4 McDonnell Construction League Two

10 clubs – 2 promotions

Representative team

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A Mayo League representative team competes regularly in the Oscar Traynor Trophy and the Connacht Inter League Cup, playing against teams representing other leagues. In recent[when?] seasons they have also competed in the League of Ireland Cup, playing against Connacht/Ulster – based teams from the League of Ireland. As of 2016 they have never progressed past the first round. In 2015 Joseph N'Do was appointed the head coach of the league's representative team.[4][5]

League of Ireland Cup record

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Season Round Home team Score Away team Venue
2004 1 Mayo League 1–1 Galway United
2004 1 Sligo Rovers 2–0 Mayo League The Showgrounds
2005 1 Derry City 2–1 Mayo League
2012[6] 1 Finn Harps 2–0 Mayo League Finn Park
2013 1 Mayo League 1–4 Finn Harps
2014[7] 1 Galway 2–0 Mayo League Eamonn Deacy Park
2015[8] 1 Sligo Rovers 8–0 Mayo League Showgrounds
2016[9] 1 Galway United 3–1 Mayo League Eamonn Deacy Park

Wins by club

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Club Wins Winning years
Westport United 21 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1981–82, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Castlebar Celtic 17 1954, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1967–68, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 2001, 2006, 2011,2019
Ballina Town 5 1988–89, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2018
Manulla 4 1987–88, 1994, 1995, 1999
Ballyglass 1990–91, 1996, 1997
Straide & Foxford United 3 1992–93, 1993–94, 2000
Balla 2 1976–77, 1977–78
Ballyheane 2021, 2022
Sporting Club Westport 1970–71, 1971–72
Urlaur 1989–90, 1991–92
Achill Rovers 1 1998
Iorras Aontaithe (Erris United) 2003
Quay Hearts 1954–55
Westport Crusaders 1979–80

List of Super League winners by season

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Season Winner Runners-up
2023 Castlebar Celtic F.C. Ballina Town F.C.
2022 Ballyheane Ballina Town F.C.
2021 Ballyheane Ballina Town F.C.
2020 VOID VOID
2019 Castlebar Celtic F.C. Westport United
2018 Ballina Town Westport United
2017 Westport United Manulla
2016 Westport United Ballina Town
2015 Westport United Ballina Town
2014 Westport United Castlebar Celtic
2013 Ballina Town Ballyheane
2012 Westport United
2011 Castlebar Celtic Westport United
2010 Ballina Town Westport United
2009 Ballina Town Westport United
2008 Westport United Ballina Town
2007 Westport United Ballina Town
2006 Castlebar Celtic Iorras Aontaithe
2005 Westport United Iorras Aontaithe
2004 Westport United Castlebar Celtic
2003 Iorras Aontaithe Castlebar Celtic
2002 Westport United Straide & Foxford United
2001 Castlebar Celtic Ballyglass
2000 Straide & Foxford United Manulla
1999 Manulla Ballyglass
1998 Achill Rovers Ballyheane
1997 Ballyglass Achill Rovers
1996 Ballyglass Urlaur
1995 Manulla Iorras Aontaithe
1994 Manulla Castlebar United
1993–94 Straide & Foxford United Iorras Aontaithe
1992–93 Straide & Foxford United Swinford
1991–92 Urlaur Straide & Foxford United
1990–91 Ballyglass Castlebar United
1989–90 Urlaur Straide & Foxford United
1988–89 Ballina Town Urlaur FC
1987–88 Manulla Ballina Town
1986–87 Castlebar Celtic Westport United
1985–86 Castlebar Celtic Ballina Town
1984–85 Castlebar Celtic Manulla
1983–84 Castlebar Celtic Balla
1982–83 Castlebar Celtic Westport United
1981–82 Westport United Castlebar Celtic
1980–81 Castlebar Celtic Westport United
1979–80 Westport Crusaders Shraigh United
1978–79 Castlebar Celtic Westport Textiles
1977–78 Balla Castlebar Celtic
1976–77 Balla Castlebar Celtic
1975–76 Westport United Ballyhaunis/Ballina Town
1974–75 Westport United Ballina Town
1973–74 Westport United Ballina Town
1972–73 Season not completed
1971–72 Sporting Club Westport Castlebar Celtic
1970–71 Sporting Club Westport Westport United
1969–70 Westport United Ballinrobe Town
1968–69 Westport United Castlebar Celtic
1967–68 Castlebar Celtic A Castlebar Celtic B
1966–67 Westport United Ballina Town
1965–66 Westport United Castlebar Celtic
1964–65 Westport United Castlebar Celtic
1963–64 Westport United Castlebar Celtic
1962–63 Westport United Castlebar Celtic
1961–62 Castlebar Celtic Quay Hearts
1960–61 Castlebar Celtic Westport United
1959–60 Castlebar Celtic Westport United
1958–59 Castlebar Celtic Quay Hearts
1957–58 Castlebar Celtic Westport United
1956–57 No competition
1955–56 Season not completed
1954–55 Quay Hearts Unknown
1954 Castlebar Celtic Quay Hearts /Barcastle

Source[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Swinford Soccer Club – Short History of Club". www.swinfordfc.ie. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Mayo Football League Roll Of Honour" (PDF). inform.fai.ie. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  3. ^ "Castlebar Celtic – Roll Of Honour". www.castlebarceltic.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  4. ^ "Oscar Traynor Record". inform.fai.ie. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  5. ^ "Joseph N'Do takes charge of Mayo League representative side". www.advertiser.ie/mayo. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  6. ^ "Finn Harps 2–0 Mayo League". extratime.ie. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  7. ^ "EA SPORTS CUP: Galway FC 2–0 Mayo League". extratime.ie. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  8. ^ "Sligo Rovers 8–0 Mayo League". extratime.ie. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Galway United 3–1 Mayo League: Tribesmen beat non-league opponents in EA Sports Cup". www.goal.com. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.