1995–96 National Football League (Ireland)

1995–96 National Football League
League details
Dates	12 November 1995 – 5 May 1996
Teams	33
League champions
Winners	Derry (4th win)
Captain	Henry Downey
Manager	Brian Mullins
League runners-up
Runners-up	Donegal
Captain	Noel Hegarty
Manager	PJ McGowan
Other division winners
Division 2	Cork
Division 3	Mayo
Division 4	Wicklow
	← 1994–95 1996–97 →

The 1995–96 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Church & General National Football League, was the 65th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

Derry defeated Donegal in the final for the second year in a row.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Format

The teams are in four divisions, three of 8 teams and one of 9. Each team plays all the other teams in its division once: either home or away. Teams earn 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw. The top two teams in Divisions 2, 3 and 4 are promoted, while the bottom two teams in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 are relegated.^[4]

Eight teams contest the NFL quarter-finals:

The top 4 teams in Division 1
The top 2 teams in Division 2
The first-placed team in Division 3
The first-placed team in Division 4

League Phase

Division One

Play-Offs

31 March 1996 For 6th Place

Kildare

2-12 — 0-11

Laois

Croke Park^[5]

Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Status
Donegal	7	3	3	1	9	Advance to quarter-finals
Meath	7	4	1	2	9
Derry	7	4	1	2	9
Kerry	7	3	2	2	8
Tyrone	7	3	1	3	7
Kildare	7	2	2	3	6
Laois	7	3	0	4	6	Relegated to Division Two of the 1996–97 NFL
Clare	7	1	0	6	2	Relegated to Division Two of the 1996–97 NFL

Division 2

Table

Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	Status
Cork	7	6	1	12	Promoted to Division One of the 1996–97 NFL and advance to quarter-finals
Cavan	7	5	2	10
Armagh	7	4	3	8
Leitrim	7	4	3	8
Dublin	7	4	3	8
Louth	7	3	4	6
Westmeath	7	1	6	2	Relegated to Division Three of the 1996–97 NFL
Down	7	1	6	2	Relegated to Division Three of the 1996–97 NFL

Division 3

Play-Offs

31 March 1996 For 6th Place

Antrim

3-6 — 0-6

Fermanagh

St Tiernach's Park, Clones^[6]

Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Status
Mayo	7	7	0	0	14	Promoted to Division Two of the 1996–97 NFL and advance to quarter-finals
Monaghan	7	6	0	1	12	Promoted to Division Two of the 1996–97 NFL
Roscommon	7	4	1	2	9
Galway	7	2	1	4	5
Wexford	7	2	1	4	5
Antrim	7	2	0	5	4
Fermanagh	7	2	0	5	4	Relegated to Division Four of the 1996–97 NFL
Sligo	7	1	1	5	3	Relegated to Division Four of the 1996–97 NFL

Division 4

Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Status
Wicklow	8	7	1	0	15	Promoted to Division Three of the 1996–97 NFL and advance to quarter-finals
Longford	8	6	1	1	13	Promoted to Division Three of the 1996–97 NFL
Offaly	8	5	1	2	11
Carlow	8	4	1	3	9
Limerick	8	4	0	4	8
Tipperary	8	4	0	4	8
Waterford	8	2	0	6	4
London	8	1	0	7	2
Kilkenny	8	1	0	7	2

Knockout Phase

Quarter-Finals

31 March 1996

Donegal	2-12 – 1-8	Wicklow

Croke Park,^[7]

Attendance: 11,004

31 March 1996

Mayo	2-10 – 1-10	Meath

Dr. Hyde Park, Roscommon^[8]

31 March 1996

Cork	2-14 – 0-18 AET	Kerry

Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork^[9]

Attendance: 9,432

31 March 1996

Derry	0-12 – 0-11	Cavan

St Tiernach's Park, Clones^[10]

Semi-Finals

21 April 1996

Donegal	0-10 – 0-9	Cork

Croke Park, Dublin

21 April 1996

Derry	1-12 – 0-7	Mayo

Croke Park, Dublin

Final

5 May 1996
Final

Derry	1-16 – 1-9	Donegal

Croke Park, Dublin

Attendance: 24,298^[11]

Referee: Michael Curley (Galway)^[12]

References

^ "GAA Final Teams". Archived from the original on 2015-07-17. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
^ GAA Archive 1996^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Photo of final
^ Gaelic Games website
^ "Kildare's net profit means Laois go down", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 5
^ "Antrim avoid the drop", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 5
^ "Wicklow are punished by Donegal aces", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 5
^ "Mayo rock Meath", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 4
^ "Cork's late reminder", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 5
^ "'Old Guard' see Derry through", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 4
^ "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
^ "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151

[1] "GAA Final Teams". Archived from the original on 2015-07-17. Retrieved 2015-07-21.

[2] GAA Archive 1996^{[permanent dead link]}

[3] Photo of final

[4] Gaelic Games website

[5] "Kildare's net profit means Laois go down", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 5

[6] "Antrim avoid the drop", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 5

[7] "Wicklow are punished by Donegal aces", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 5

[8] "Mayo rock Meath", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 4

[9] "Cork's late reminder", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 5

[10] "'Old Guard' see Derry through", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 April 1996, p. 4

[11] "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151

[12] "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151

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