Leinster Senior Football Championship
Encyclopedia
The GAA Leinster Senior Football Championship (sponsored by Toyota, Ulster Bank
, Vodafone
) is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province
of Leinster
in Ireland
. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council
and are played during the summer months. The competition involves the counties of Leinster
playing against each other. The Leinster football Final is played in July in Croke Park
, Dublin. The winning county is presented with the Delaney Cup.
Dublin
are the most successful county
, having won the championship on 50 separate occasions, more than double their nearest rivals Meath
.
The GAA Leinster Football Championship is run on a knock-out basis, whereby a team is eliminated from the competition once they lose. All of the counties of Leinster except Kilkenny
participate in the championship. The draw is seeded, with the previous year's semi-finalists getting byes to the quarter-finals. Six of the remaining seven teams are drawn for three preliminary round matches, while the seventh team also gets a bye to the quarter-finals.
During the Leinster Final on July 11, 2010, in the 74th minute of the match against Louth, a goal was awarded by the referee
after brief consultation with only one of the match umpires (although close circuit camera evidence shown on the RTÉ Two
coverage of the game proved that the ball was carried over the line by a Meath player). However, Meath received the 2010 Leinster Title and the cup.
newspaper, Eugene McGee, and Louth fans alike, as well as many Meath fans and ex-players such as Bernard Flynn
and Trevor Giles
. Despite the outcry, on 13 July the Meath county board decided not to offer a replay to Louth.
The Louth County board issued a statement on the 14 July saying that they would not be taking the matter any further and that the matter was now closed.
In the statement, the Louth County Board spoke of the enormous sense of injustice which was being felt in Louth GAA. They also questioned the referee’s official report saying it was contrary to Playing Rules where he indicated in his report that he blew the whistle for a penalty, but then changed his mind and awarded a goal instead. The referee also wrote that "he made a terrible mistake".
Louth County board referred to Rule 6.41 Award //facts of game: The award of the game rests with the committee / council in charge acting on the referees report.
In doing so the Louth County Board intimated that the committee/council in charge erred in leaving the matter to Meath County Board to offer a replay without seeking clarification from the referee in relation to his match report and his statement that "he made a terrible mistake".
The debate on who officially won the game is now over with Meath recorded as being the winners but numerous TV replays show that the goal was indisputably a technical foul in respect to the Playing Rules of Gaelic Football as quoted below and as outlined in the GAA Official Guide -Part 2.
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Ulster Bank
Ulster Bank is a large commercial bank, one of the Big Four in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Ulster Bank Group is subdivided into two separate legal entities, Ulster Bank Limited and Ulster Bank Ireland Limited...
, Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
) is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province
Provinces of Ireland
Ireland has historically been divided into four provinces: Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht. The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, literally meaning "fifth part", indicates that there were once five; the fifth province, Meath, was incorporated into Leinster, with parts going to...
of Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council
Leinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
and are played during the summer months. The competition involves the counties of Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
playing against each other. The Leinster football Final is played in July in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
, Dublin. The winning county is presented with the Delaney Cup.
Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
are the most successful county
GAA county
A Gaelic Athletic Association county is a geographic region within the Gaelic Athletic Association , controlled by a county board and originally based on the counties of Ireland as they were in 1884. While the counties of Ireland have changed since the foundation of that date, the GAA counties have...
, having won the championship on 50 separate occasions, more than double their nearest rivals Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
.
The GAA Leinster Football Championship is run on a knock-out basis, whereby a team is eliminated from the competition once they lose. All of the counties of Leinster except Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
participate in the championship. The draw is seeded, with the previous year's semi-finalists getting byes to the quarter-finals. Six of the remaining seven teams are drawn for three preliminary round matches, while the seventh team also gets a bye to the quarter-finals.
2011 Championship
2010 Championship
2010 Leinster Football Final
On July 11, 2010, Meath reached and won the Leinster Final against neighbours Louth.During the Leinster Final on July 11, 2010, in the 74th minute of the match against Louth, a goal was awarded by the referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
after brief consultation with only one of the match umpires (although close circuit camera evidence shown on the RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
coverage of the game proved that the ball was carried over the line by a Meath player). However, Meath received the 2010 Leinster Title and the cup.
2010 Leinster Football Final controversy
The sense of outrage throughout the whole GAA community, after the goal that never should have been, was shared by thousands of TV viewers who saw the incident beamed live into their living rooms and was expressed through many media outlets. There were an overwhelming amount of calls for a replay after the match by many commentators including The Irish TimesThe Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
newspaper, Eugene McGee, and Louth fans alike, as well as many Meath fans and ex-players such as Bernard Flynn
Bernard Flynn
Bernard Flynn is a retired inter-county Irish Gaelic footballer for County Meath in Ireland. As a teenager he attended secondary school in St Mary's of Drogheda. He enjoyed success play inter-county football in the 1980s and early 1990s on the Meath team's managed by Sean Boylan. For Meath he...
and Trevor Giles
Trevor Giles
Trevor Giles is a successful Meath Gaelic Footballer. He is regarded as one of the best players of his generation. He plays club football for Skryne. He came to prominence first when he won an All Ireland minor medal with Meath in 1992. He would go on to win 2 All Ireland Senior medals, 3...
. Despite the outcry, on 13 July the Meath county board decided not to offer a replay to Louth.
The Louth County board issued a statement on the 14 July saying that they would not be taking the matter any further and that the matter was now closed.
In the statement, the Louth County Board spoke of the enormous sense of injustice which was being felt in Louth GAA. They also questioned the referee’s official report saying it was contrary to Playing Rules where he indicated in his report that he blew the whistle for a penalty, but then changed his mind and awarded a goal instead. The referee also wrote that "he made a terrible mistake".
Louth County board referred to Rule 6.41 Award //facts of game: The award of the game rests with the committee / council in charge acting on the referees report.
In doing so the Louth County Board intimated that the committee/council in charge erred in leaving the matter to Meath County Board to offer a replay without seeking clarification from the referee in relation to his match report and his statement that "he made a terrible mistake".
The debate on who officially won the game is now over with Meath recorded as being the winners but numerous TV replays show that the goal was indisputably a technical foul in respect to the Playing Rules of Gaelic Football as quoted below and as outlined in the GAA Official Guide -Part 2.
Roll of honour
| Team | Winner | Winning Years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin Dublin GAA Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams... |
50 | 1891, 1892, 1894, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1941, 1942, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 |
| 2 | Meath Meath GAA The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :... |
21 | 1895, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2010 |
| 3 | Kildare Kildare GAA For more information see Kildare Senior Club Football Championship or Kildare Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Kildare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Kildare GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kildare... |
13 | 1903, 1905, 1919, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1935, 1956, 1998, 2000 |
| 4 | Offaly Offaly GAA The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly... |
10 | 1960, 1961, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1997 |
| 4 | Wexford Wexford GAA The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in... |
10 | 1890, 1893, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1925, 1945 |
| 6 | Louth Louth GAA The Louth County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Louth GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Louth. The county board is also responsible for the Louth inter-county teams.... |
8 | 1909, 1910, 1912, 1943, 1948, 1950, 1953, 1957 |
| 7 | Laois Laois GAA The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:... |
6 | 1889, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1946, 2003 |
| 8 | Kilkenny Kilkenny GAA The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams... |
3 | 1888, 1900, 1911 |
| 9 | Carlow Carlow GAA The Carlow County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Carlow GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Carlow and the Carlow inter-county teams.-Gaelic football:... |
1 | 1944 |
| 9 | Longford Longford GAA The Longford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Longford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Longford... |
1 | 1968 |
| 9 | Westmeath Westmeath GAA The Westmeath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Westmeath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Westmeath... |
1 | 2004 |
| 12 | Wicklow Wicklow GAA The Wicklow County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wicklow GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wicklow... |
0 | N/A |
Previous Finals
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