The North Cork Junior A Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Synergy Fermoy Credit Union Junior A Football Championship) is an annual Gaelic football competition organised by the Avondhu Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1926 for junior Gaelic football teams in the northern part of Cork.
| North Cork Junior A Football Championship | |
|---|---|
| Code | Gaelic football |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Region |  Avondhu (GAA) |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Title holders |  Liscarroll Churchtown Gaels (1st title) |
| Most titles |  Mitchelstown (24 titles) |
| Sponsors | Synergy Fermoy Credit Union |
| Official website | Official website |
The series of games begin in April, with the championship culminating with the final in the autumn. The championship includes a knock-out stage and a "back door" for teams defeated in the first round.
The North Cork Junior A Championship is an integral part of the wider Cork Junior Football Championship. The winners and runners-up of the North Cork championship join their counterparts from the other seven divisions to contest the county championship.
10 clubs currently participate in the North Cork Championship. The title has been won at least once by 18 different clubs. The all-time record-holders are Mitchelstown, who have won a total of 24 titles.
Liscarroll Churchtown Gaels are the title-holders, defeating Charleville by 1-13 to 0-10 in the 2024 final.
Format
editGroup stage
editThe 10 teams are divided into two groups of three and one group of four. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed at least three games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout stage.
Knockout stage
editQuarter-finals: Two lone quarter-finals featuring the four lowest-placed qualifying teams from the group stage. Two teams qualify for the next round.
Semi-finals: The two quarter-final winners and the top two highest-placed qualifying teams from the group stage contest this round. The two winners from these games advance to the final.
Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.
Promotion and relegation
editAt the end of the championship, the winning team enters the Cork Junior A Football Championship and by winning this, they will be promoted to the Cork Premier Junior Football Championship for the following season. There is no relegation to the North Cork Junior B Football Championship.
Teams
edit2024 teams
edit| Team | Location | Colours | Position in 2023 | Championship Titles | Last Championship Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ballyclough
|
Ballyclough | Green and yellow | Group stage | 5 | 2016 |
 Ballyhooly
|
Ballyhooly | Blue and yellow | Semi-finals | 0 | — |
 Charleville
|
Charleville | Red and white | Runners-up | 2 | 2020 |
| Clyda Rovers
|
Mourneabbey | Black and amber | Quarter-finals | 5 | 1989 |
| Fermoy
|
Fermoy | Black and yellow | Group stage | 7 | 2003 |
 Killavullen
|
Killavullen | Blue and white | Champions | 4 | 2023 |
| Kilshannig
|
Glantane | Blue and yellow | Group stage | 10 | 2019 |
| Kilworth
|
Kilworth | Red and white | Group stage | 1 | 2021 |
| Liscarroll Churchtown Gaels
|
Churchtown | Green, white and yellow | Semi-finals | 1 | 2024 |
 Mallow
|
Mallow | Red and yellow | Quarter-finals | 3 | 1984 |
Roll of honour
editBy club
edit| # | Club | Titles | Runners-up | Championship wins | Championship runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitchelstown
|
27 | 8 | 1928, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1944, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2013 | 1930, 1931, 1953, 1988, 1991, 2000, 2003, 2012 |
| 2 |  Glanworth
|
14 | 11 | 1942, 1945, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1962, 1963, 1971, 2006, 2008, 2009 | 1933, 1943, 1947, 1951, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1990, 2002 |
| 3 | Kilshannig
|
10 | 8 | 1959, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1976, 1982, 1985, 1996, 2014, 2019 | 1955, 1958, 1960, 1964, 1977, 1981, 2006, 2010 |
| 4 | Fermoy
|
7 | 8 | 1926, 1936, 1941, 1974, 1993, 1997, 2003 | 1928, 1940, 1945, 1946, 1973, 1979, 1999, 2016 |
| 5 |  Grange
|
5 | 4 | 1964, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1979 | 1962, 1963, 1965, 1976 |
| Clyda Rovers
|
5 | 4 | 1980, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 | 1978, 1983, 1984, 2011 | |
| Ballyclough
|
5 | 2 | 2004, 2005, 2012, 2015, 2016 | 1980, 2014 | |
| 8 |  Kildorrery
|
4 | 4 | 1978, 1990, 1994, 2007 | 1974, 1975, 1986, 1989 |
| Killavullen
|
4 | 0 | 1998, 1999, 2000, 2023 | — | |
| 10 | Mallow
|
3 | 13 | 1929, 1933, 1984 | 1932, 1935, 1941, 1942, 1948, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1971, 1972, 1987, 1995, 2005 |
| 11 | Charleville
|
2 | 8 | 2018, 2020 | 1926, 1934, 1936, 1937, 2015, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
| Deel Rovers
|
2 | 6 | 1981, 1991 | 1982, 1985, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, | |
 Doneraile
|
2 | 4 | 1983, 1992 | 1944, 1993, 1998, 2001 | |
| Buttevant
|
2 | 4 | 2017, 2022 | 2013, 2018, 2020, 2021 | |
| Dromtarriffe
|
2 | 0 | 1930, 1932 | — | |
| Sons of Liberty
|
2 | 0 | 1931, 1938 | — | |
| 17 | Kilworth
|
1 | 4 | 2021 | 2007, 2008, 2017, 2019 |
| Newmarket
|
1 | 0 | 1927 | — | |
| Liscarroll Churchtown Gaels
|
1 | 0 | 2024 | — | |
| 20 | Araglen
|
0 | 2 | — | 1949, 1950 |
| Abbey Rovers
|
0 | 2 | — | 1959, 1961 | |
| Oldcastletown
|
0 | 1 | — | 1927 | |
| Ballindangan
|
0 | 1 | — | 1938 | |
| Funcheon Vale | 0 | 1 | — | 1939 | |
| Rathluirc Rovers
|
0 | 1 | — | 2004 | |
| Churchtown
|
0 | 1 | — | 2009 |
Notes
edit- Runners-up unknown: 1929, 1952
List of finals
editList of finals (2012–present)
edit| Year | Winners | Runners-up | # | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Score | Club | Score | ||
| 2024 | Liscarroll Churchtown Gaels | 1-13 | Charleville | 0-10 | |
| 2023 | Killavullen | 0-14 | Charleville | 0-06 | |
| 2022 | Buttevant | 1-09 | Charleville | 1-08 | |
| 2021 | Kilworth | 4-11 | Buttevant | 1-15 | [1] |
| 2020 | Charleville | 2-16 | Buttevant | 0-10 | [2] |
| 2019 | Kilshannig | 3-16 | Kilworth | 0-07 | [3] |
| 2018 | Charleville | 4-14 | Buttevant | 1-12 | [4] |
| 2017 | Buttevant | 2-13 | Kilworth | 1-09 | [5] |
| 2016 | Ballyclough | 2-15 | Fermoy | 1-08 | [6] |
| 2015 | Ballyclough | 2-11 | Charleville | 1-12 | |
| 2014 | Kilshannig | 2-15 | Ballyclough | 3-11 | |
| 2013 | Mitchelstown | 0-15 | Buttevant | 0-07 | |
| 2012 | Ballyclough | 0-10 | Mitchelstown | 0-07 | |
Notes
edit- 2021 - The game ended in a draw and extra time was played.
Records
editBy decade
editThe most successful team of each decade, judged by number of North Cork Junior Football Championship titles, is as follows:
- 1920s: 1 each for Fermoy (1926), Newmarket (1927), Mitchelstown (1928) and Mallow (1929)
- 1930s: 4 for Mitchelstown (1934-35-37-39)
- 1940s: 5 for Mitchelstown (1940-43-44-47-48)
- 1950s: 5 for Mitchelstown (1951-55-56-57-58)
- 1960s: 3 each for Mitchelstown (1960-61-69) and Kilshannig (1965-67-68)
- 1970s: 3 each for Grange (1970-77-79) and Mitchelstown (1972-73-75)
- 1980s: 5 for Clyda Rovers (1980-86-87-88-89)
- 1990s: 2 each for Kildorrery (1990-94), Fermoy (1993-97) and Killavullen (1998-99)
- 2000s: 3 for Glanworth (2006-08-09)
- 2010s: 3 each for Mitchelstown (2010-11-13) and Ballyclough (2012-15-16)
Gaps
editTop ten longest gaps between successive championship titles:
- 51 years: Mallow (1933-1984)
- 35 years: Glanworth (1971-2006)
- 33 years: Fermoy (1941-1974)
- 23 years: Killavullen (2000-2023)
- 20 years: Mitchelstown (1975-1995)
- 19 years: Fermoy (1974-1993)
- 18 years: Kilshannig (1996-2014)
- 13 years: Kildorrery (1994-2007)
- 12 years: Kilshannig (1978-1990)
- 10 years: Fermoy (1926-1936)
- 10 years: Deel Rovers (1981-1991)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Ryan, Paddy (30 October 2021). "Kilworth lift first Avondhu JAFC title after extra time with Buttevant". Evening Echo. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- ^ Ryan, Paddy (13 June 2021). "Charleville lift the Avondhu football title for the second time". Evening Echo. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- ^ Ryan, Paddy (8 September 2019). "Kilshannig land the Avondhu junior football title in style against Kilworth". Evening Echo. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ "Glory days for Charleville". The Corkman. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ Ryan, Pat (12 June 2021). "Evenly matched sides in refixed final". The Corkman. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- ^ Ryan, Pat (17 September 2016). "Stronger Ballyclough prevail against Fermoy to claim JAFC title". The Corkman. Retrieved 31 October 2021.