Connacht Senior League Challenge Cup
| Organising body | Connacht Senior League |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1981 |
| Region |  Connacht |
| Most successful club(s) | Mervue United (6) |
The Connacht Senior League Challenge Cup was an association football cup competition featuring teams from the Connacht Senior League. It was the senior league cup competition of the Connacht Senior League between 1981 and 2000. It was later remained the Connacht Senior League Premiership Cup and in its final season was known as the Connacht Senior League Millennium Cup. The inaugural winners were Mervue United who also went on to become the competition's most successful club, winning the cup six times in total.
History
When the Connacht Senior League was established in 1981–82 the organisers also introduced two league cup competitions. Mervue United defeated Sligo Rovers Reserves in the final of the inaugural League Cup, a pre-season competition featuring two legs per round. In 1988–89 this competition was renamed the League Shield. The second cup competition was the Connacht Senior League Challenge Cup. This was played at the end of the season. Mervue United were the inaugural winners and went on to win it four times in a row. In 1982–83 a third cup, the Incentive Cup, was introduced. It initially featured the two most improved sides who had failed to win another trophy. Tuam Celtic were the first winners. In 1989–90 the format was changed to include teams knocked out in the first round of the Challenge Cup. Castlebar Celtic became the first winners under the new format. Connacht Senior League teams also played in the separate Connacht Senior Cup which also featured teams from the four junior leagues based in the province – the Galway & District League, the Sligo-Leitrim League, the Mayo Association Football League and the Roscommon & District League. In 1994–95 when the Connacht Senior League was split into two groups the competition did not take place. In 1995–96 when the league featured two divisions there was also two league cups, the Premiership Cup and the First Division Cup. When the two divisions were scrapped after one season, the Premiership Cup name was retained.[1][2][3]
List of finals
| Season | Winner | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–00 | St Peters (Athlone) | 3–0 | Salthill Devon |
| 1998–99 | Galway United Reserves | 2–0 | Castlebar Celtic |
| 1997–98 | Castlebar Celtic | 2–1 | Mervue United |
| 1996–97 | UCG | 2–1 | Straide & Foxford United |
| 1995–96 | UCG | 4–0 | Salthill Devon |
| 1994–95 | No competition | ||
| 1993–94 | Sligo Rovers Reserves | 1–0 | Galway United Reserves |
| 1992–93 | Mervue United | 2–1 | Balinasloe Town |
| 1991–92 | Salthill Devon | 2–0 | Castlebar Celtic |
| 1990–91 | Sligo Rovers Reserves | 1–0 | Salthill Devon |
| 1989–90 | Salthill Devon | 1–0 | UCG |
| 1988–89 | Mervue United | 1–0 | UCG |
| 1987–88 | UCG | 1–0 | Castlebar Celtic |
| 1986–87 | UCG | 1–0 | Galway United Reserves |
| 1985–86 | Salthill Devon | 1–0 | Mervue United |
| 1984–85 | Mervue United | 4–2 | Castlerea Celtic |
| 1983–84 | Mervue United | 1–0 | Balinasloe Town |
| 1982–83 | Mervue United | 4–0 | Castlerea Celtic |
| 1981–82 | Mervue United | 3–0 | UCG |
References
- ^ "Connacht Senior League 1980s". connacht-sl.netne.net. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
- ^ "Connacht Senior League 1990s". connacht-sl.netne.net. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
- ^ "Mervue United Club Role of Honour". mervueunited.com. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
- ^ Connacht Sentinel @ Irish Newspaper Archives
- ^ Galway City Tribune @ Irish Newspaper Archives
- ^ The Connaught Telegraph @ Irish Newspaper Archives
- ^ Galway Advertiser Archives