1953–54 National Football League (Ireland)

The 1953–54 National Football League was the 23rd staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

1953–54 National Football League
League details
Dates11 October 1953 – 9 May 1954
League champions
WinnersMayo (9th win)
CaptainPádraig Carney
League runners-up
Runners-upCarlow
CaptainBilly McGuill

Carlow reached their only final to date, and opened well, leading Mayo by 0-2 to 0-1 after ten minutes. But then the 'flying doctor' Pádraig Carney, who came home from America for the game, levelled before Tommy Langan punched a goal from a Carney centre in the 26th minute. Mayo's second goal from M. Flanagan in the 10th minute of the second-half ended Carlow's dreams of National League glory, and gave Mayo their ninth NFL win.[1][2][3]

Format

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Teams are placed into Divisions I, II, III and IV. The top team in each division reaches the semi-finals.

Results

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Division

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Carlow won, ahead of Kerry, Cork, Wexford, Kildare, Waterford and Tipperary.

Division

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Armagh won

Division III

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Mayo won, finishing ahead of Longford, Westmeath, Sligo, Leitrim, Meath and Cavan.

Division

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Dublin won

Finals

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Carlow1-10 – 1-7Armagh
Ned Doogue goal Mal McEvoy goal (pen)

Mayo0-11 – 0-7Dublin
P Carney 0-7 (4f, 1 '50'); T Langan 0-3; D O'Neill 0-1

Mayo2-10 – 0-3Carlow
T Langan 1-4; P Carney 0-4 (2f); M Flanagan 1-1; E Mongey 0-1 Ned Doogue 0-3 (3f)
Attendance: 38,694[4]
Referee: Sean Hayes (Tipperary)[5]

References

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  1. ^ Mayo results archive, 1954
  2. ^ GAA Final Teams
  3. ^ Carlow GAA History
  4. ^ "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
  5. ^ "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151