1959–60 National Football League (Ireland)


The 1959–60 National Football League was the 29th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

1959–60 National Football League
League details
DatesOctober 1959 – 8 May 1960
League champions
WinnersDown (1st win)
CaptainKevin Mussen
League runners-up
Runners-upCavan
CaptainTom Maguire

The first all-Ulster final attracted a record crowd for a League final and was won by Down.[1][2]

Format

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Group stage

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Division I (Dr Lagan Cup)

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Play-offs

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28 February 1960 Semi-final Down 1-9 — 0-9 Armagh Casement Park, Belfast
Referee: M. McArdle Louth
6 March 1960 Semi-final Derry 2-9 — 0-3 Monaghan O'Neill Park, Dungannon
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: M. McArdle Louth[3]
13 March 1960 Final Down 2-10 — 0-3 Derry Casement Park, Belfast[4]

Division II

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Table

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Team Pld W D L Pts Status
  Cavan 6 6 0 0 12 Advance to knockout phase
  Westmeath 6 5 0 1 10
  Leitrim 3 3 0 3 6
  Mayo 6 3 0 3 6
  Longford 6 2 0 4 4
  Meath 6 2 0 4 4
  Sligo 6 0 0 6 0

Division III

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Table

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Team Pld W D L Pts Status
  Dublin 6 6 0 0 12 Advance to knockout phase
  Offaly 6 5 0 1 10
  Galway 6 4 0 2 8
  Roscommon 6 2 1 3 5
  Louth 6 2 1 3 5
  Laois 6 1 0 5 2
  Wicklow 6 0 0 6 0

Division IV

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Group A play-off

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13 March 1960 For 1st Place Kerry 1-12 — 0-6 Cork Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney[5]

Final

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26 March 1960 Final Kerry 2-6 — 0-5 Clare Gaelic Grounds, Limerick[5]

Knockout stage

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Semi-final

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Down2-10 – 2-8Kerry

Cavan2-8 – 1-8Dublin

Final

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Down0-12 – 0-9Cavan
Attendance: 49,451
Referee: John Mulvey (Mayo)[7]

References

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  1. ^ GAA Final Teams
  2. ^ "Cavan will take any glory they can get". The Irish Times.
  3. ^ "Sparkling Derry win", Irish Independent, 7 March 1960, p. 11
  4. ^ "Down victory was complete",Irish Press, 14 March 1960, p. 14
  5. ^ a b c "Terrace Talk :: Kerry Football :: 1960 League". www.terracetalk.com.
  6. ^ "Placings in Football League", Irish Independent, 7 March 1960, p.11
  7. ^ "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151