1987–88 National Football League (Ireland)

1987–88 National Football League
League details
Dates	October 1987 – 22 May 1988
League champions
Winners	Meath (5th win)
Captain	Mick Lyons
Manager	Seán Boylan
League runners-up
Runners-up	Dublin
Captain	Barney Rock
Manager	Gerry McCaul
	← 1986–87 1988–89 →

The 1987–88 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Royal Liver National Football League, was the 57th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

Meath won the league, beating Dublin in a replayed final.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Format

Divisions

Division One: 8 teams
Division Two: 8 teams
Division Three: 16 teams. Split into two regional groups of 8 (North and South)

Round-robin format

Each team played every other team in its division (or group where the division is split) once, either home or away.

Points awarded

2 points were awarded for a win and 1 for a draw.

Titles

Teams in all three divisions competed for the National Football League title.

Knockout stage qualifiers

Division One: top 4 teams
Division Two: top 2 teams
Division Three (North): group winners
Division Three (South): group winners

Knockout phase structure

In the quarter-finals, the match-ups were as follows:

Quarter-final 1: First-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Three (South)
Quarter-final 2: Second-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Three (North)
Quarter-final 3: Third-placed team in Division One v Second-placed team in Division Two
Quarter-final 4: Fourth-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Two

The semi-final match-ups are:

Semi-final 1: Winner Quarter-final 1 v Winner Quarter-final 4
Semi-final 2: Winner Quarter-final 2 v Winner Quarter-final 3

The final match-up is: Winner Semi-final 1 v Winner Semi-final 2.

Promotion and relegation

Division One: bottom 2 teams demoted to Division Two
Division Two: top 2 teams promoted to Division One. Bottom 2 teams demoted to Division Three.
Division Three (North): group winners promoted to Division Two.
Division Three (South): group winners promoted to Division Two.

Separation of teams on equal points

In the event that teams finish on equal points, then a play-off will be used to determine group placings if necessary, i.e. where to decide relegation places or quarter-finalists.

League Phase Results and Tables

Division One

Division One (A) play-offs

13 March 1988 For 5th Place

Armagh

2-8 — 0-6

Mayo

Carrick-on-Shannon ^[4]

20 March 1988 For 6th Place

Kerry

0-14 — 0-10

Mayo

Cusack Park, Ennis^[5]

Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Status
Dublin	7	5	2	0	12	Advance to quarter-finals
Meath	7	4	2	1	10
Monaghan	7	4	1	2	9
Derry	7	3	0	4	6
Armagh	7	2	1	4	5
Kerry	7	2	1	4	5
Mayo	7	2	1	4	5	Relegated to Division Two of the 1988–89 NFL
Cork	7	1	2	4	4	Relegated to Division Two of the 1988–89 NFL

Division Two

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Status
Down	7	5	1	1	11	Advance to quarter-finals; promoted to Division One of the 1988–89 NFL
Donegal	7	5	1	1	11
Galway	7	3	3	1	9
Kildare	7	4	1	2	9
Roscommon	7	3	0	4	6
Cavan	7	2	1	4	5
Clare	7	1	2	4	4	Relegated to Division Three of the 1988–89 NFL
Laois	7	0	1	6	1	Relegated to Division Three of the 1988–89 NFL

Division Three

Division Three (South)

Promotion play-offs

13 March 1988 Semi-Final

Longford

1-15 — 0-7

Wexford

O'Moore Park, Portlaoise^[6]

13 March 1988 Semi-Final

Limerick

2-9 — 0-10

Tipperary

Cusack Park, Ennis^[7]

20 March 1988 Final

Longford

0-8 — 0-7

Limerick

O'Moore Park, Portlaoise^[8]

Division Three (North) table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Status
Louth	7	6	1	0	13	Advance to quarter-finals; promoted to Division Two of the 1988–89 NFL
Antrim	7	4	2	1	10
Tyrone	7	4	1	2	9
Fermanagh	7	3	0	4	6
Leitrim	7	3	0	4	6
Offaly	7	2	3	3	6
Westmeath	7	2	0	5	4
Sligo	7	1	0	6	2

Division Three (South) table

Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	Status
Longford	7	5	2	10	Advance to quarter-finals; promoted to Division Two of the 1988–89 NFL
Limerick	7	5	2	10
Tipperary	7	5	2	10
Wexford	7	5	2	10
Wicklow	7	3	4	6
Carlow	7	2	5	4
Waterford	7	2	5	4
Kilkenny	7	1	6	2

^[9]

Division Three Final

8 May 1988^[10]

Louth	1-09 – 0-09	Longford
R. Culhane (0-5, 4f), Johnny McDonnell (1-0), P. Reneghan (0-2), G. Curran, B. McEntee (0-1 each)		J. McCormack (0-5, 3f), F. McNamee, J. Keegan, M. O'Hara, D. Barry (0-1 each)

Cootehill, Cavan

Referee: G. Neeson (Monaghan)

Knockout stage

Quarter-final

13 March 1988

Monaghan	1-5 – 0-6	Donegal

Healy Park, Omagh

13 March 1988

Meath	1-9 – 0-8	Louth
Flynn (1-2), Stafford (0-5, 3f, 1'45), Gillic (0-1), O'Rourke (0-1)		Dawe (0-4, 2f, 1sl), C. O'Hanlon (0-1), D. McDonnell (0-1), J. McDonnell (0-1), Culhane (0-1)

Croke Park, Dublin^[11]

Referee: Séamus Aldridge (Kildare)


GK	1	Mickey McQuillan (St Patrick's)
RCB	2	Robbie O'Malley (St Colmcille's)
FB	3	Mick Lyons (Summerhill)
LCB	4	Terry Ferguson (Gaeil Colmcille)
RHB	5	Kevin Foley (Trim)
CHB	6	Liam Harnan (Moynalvey)
LHB	7	Martin O'Connell (St Michael's)
MF	8	Liam Hayes (Skryne)
MF	9	Gerry McEntee (Nobber)
RHF	10	David Beggy (Navan O'Mahonys)
CHF	11	P.J. Gillic (Carnaross)
LHF	12	Brendan Reilly (Dunboyne)
RCF	13	Colm O'Rourke (Skryne)
FF	14	Brian Stafford (Kilmainhamwood)
LCF	15	Bernard Flynn (St Colmcille's)
Substitutes:
	16	Frank Foley (Trim) for Harnan
	17	Mattie McCabe (Seneschalstown) for Beggy


GK	1	Niall O'Donnell (Clan na Gael)
RCB	2	Pat Matthews (Oliver Plunketts)
FB	3	David Mulligan (St Joseph's)
LCB	4	Stephen Melia (John Mitchels)
RHB	5	Dessie Callaghan (Newtown Blues)
CHB	6	Martin McCann (Dundalk Young Irelands)
LHB	7	Peter Fitzpatrick (Clan na Gael) (c)
MF	8	Séamus O'Hanlon (Clan na Gael)
MF	9	Gerry Curran (Clan na Gael)
RHF	10	Eugene Judge (Newtown Blues)
CHF	11	Paul Reneghan (Geraldines)
LHF	12	Davie McDonnell (Dundalk Gaels)
RCF	13	Jimmy McDonnell (Civil Service, Dublin)
FF	14	Richie Culhane (Newtown Blues)
LCF	15	Kevin Dawe (Dreadnots)
Substitutes:
	16	Cathal O'Hanlon (Clan na Gael) for Judge

20 March 1988

Down	2-13 – 1-16	Derry

Armagh^[12]

27 March 1988
Replay

Down	2-6 – 0-10	Derry

Armagh

27 March 1988

Dublin	0-10 – 0-4	Longford

Croke Park, Dublin

Semi-final

3 April 1988

Dublin	4-12 – 1-8	Monaghan

Croke Park, Dublin^[13]

3 April 1988

Meath	0-13 – 1-9	Down

Croke Park, Dublin^[13]

Final

17 April 1988

Meath	0-11 – 1-8	Dublin

Croke Park, Dublin

22 May 1988
Replay

Meath	2-13 – 0-11	Dublin

Croke Park, Dublin

References

^ GAA Final Teams Archived 2015-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
^ Moran, Sean. "No love lost in 1988". The Irish Times.
^ "NFL Final 1988 | Inpho Photography". inpho.ie.
^ "How they stand", Cork Examiner, 14 March 1988, p. 19
^ "Terrace Talk :: Kerry Football :: 1988 League". www.terracetalk.com.
^ "Backs shine as Longford press ahead", Irish Independent, 14 March 1988, p. 10
^ "Limerick stay in the race", Cork Examiner, 14 March 1988, p.14
^ "GAA Results", Irish Independent, 21 March 1988, p.13
^ "GAA Scoreboard", Irish Independent 29/02/1988, p. 15
^ "Louth take title and earn trip". Irish Independent. 9 May 1988.
^ "Battling Louth give Meath a real fright", Irish Independent, 14 March 1988, p. 10
^ "GAA Results", Irish Independent, 21 March 1988, p. 13
^ ^a ^b "GAA Results", Irish Press 4 April 1988, p. 11

[1] GAA Final Teams Archived 2015-07-17 at the Wayback Machine

[2] Moran, Sean. "No love lost in 1988". The Irish Times.

[3] "NFL Final 1988 | Inpho Photography". inpho.ie.

[4] "How they stand", Cork Examiner, 14 March 1988, p. 19

[5] "Terrace Talk :: Kerry Football :: 1988 League". www.terracetalk.com.

[6] "Backs shine as Longford press ahead", Irish Independent, 14 March 1988, p. 10

[7] "Limerick stay in the race", Cork Examiner, 14 March 1988, p.14

[8] "GAA Results", Irish Independent, 21 March 1988, p.13

[9] "GAA Scoreboard", Irish Independent 29/02/1988, p. 15

[10] "Louth take title and earn trip". Irish Independent. 9 May 1988.

[11] "Battling Louth give Meath a real fright", Irish Independent, 14 March 1988, p. 10

[12] "GAA Results", Irish Independent, 21 March 1988, p. 13

[auto-13] "GAA Results", Irish Press 4 April 1988, p. 11

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