1965–66 National Football League (Ireland)

The 1965–66 National Football League was the 35th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

1964–65 National Football League

League details
Dates	October 1965 – 16 October 1966
League champions
Winners	Longford (1st win)
Captain	Brendan Barden
Manager	Mick Higgins
League runners-up
Runners-up	New York
Captain	Paddy Cummins
← 1964–65 1966–67 →

Longford won their first and (so far) only NFL title with wins over Galway in the "home" final and New York in the two-legged "World Championship." Longford had the first leg at Pearse Park and won easily. After the second leg, an angry crowd chased the New York team off the field due to their (perceived) rough play. [1][2][3][4][5]

Format

Divisions

• Division I: 8 team. Split into two groups of four
• Division II: 8 teams. Split into two groups of four
• Division III: 8 teams. Split into two groups of four
• Division IV: 8 teams. Split into two groups of four

Group stages

Group B Play-off

28 November 1965 For 1st Place	Donegal	2-9 — 1-8	Fermanagh	Ballybofey[6]
				Referee: D Donnelly (Tyrone)

Inter-Group Play-offs

20 February 1966 Semi-Final	Donegal	4-11 — 0-10	Antrim	Ballybay[7]
				Referee: J Martin (Tyrone)

6 March 1966 Semi-Final	Down	2-17 — 1-7	Fermanagh	Ballybay[8]
				Referee: F Tierney (Cavan)

13 March 1966 Final

Donegal

1-10 — 1-3

Down

Dungannon[9]

Group A Team Pld W D L Pts Status Down 3 3 0 0 6 Antrim 3 2 0 1 4 Armagh 3 1 0 2 2 Monaghan 3 0 0 3 0

Group B Team Pld W D L Pts Status Donegal 3 2 0 1 4 Win Dr Lagan Cup; advance to Knockout Stage Fermanagh 3 2 0 1 4 Tyrone 3 1 1 1 3 Derry 3 0 1 2 1 [10]

Inter-Group Play-offs

13 February 1966 Semi-Final	Cavan	1-11 — 1-6	Kerry	Croke Park[11]
				Referee: P Kelly (Dublin)

13 February 1966 Semi-Final	Longford	1-7 — 0-8	Meath	Croke Park[12]
				Referee: J Martin (Tyrone)

6 March 1966 Final	Longford	0-11 — 0-7	Cavan	Carrick-on-Shannon[13]
				Referee: M Loftus (Mayo)

Group A Team Pld W D L Pts Status Longford 3 3 0 0 6 Advance to Knockout stage Cavan 3 2 0 1 4 Sligo 3 1 0 2 2 Leitrim 3 0 0 3 0 [14]

Group B Team Pld W D L Pts Status Kerry 3 3 0 0 6 Meath 3 2 0 1 4 Louth 3 1 0 2 2 Wicklow 3 0 0 3 0

Inter-Group Play-offs

6 March 1966 Semi-Final	Dublin	1-16 — 1-2	Waterford	Croke Park[15]
				Referee: J Hatton (Wicklow)

6 March 1966 Semi-Final	Kildare	3-12 — 2-5	Carlow	Croke Park[16]
				Referee: J Shannon (Dublin)

13 March 1966 Final	Kildare	0-10 — 0-7	Dublin	Croke Park[17]
				Referee: E Moules (Wicklow)

Tables

Group A Team Pld W D L Pts Status Dublin 3 2 0 1 4 Kildare 3 2 0 1 4 Advance to Knockout stage Laois 3 1 0 2 2 Cork 3 1 0 2 2 [18]

Group B Team Pld W D L Pts Status Carlow 3 2 0 1 4 Waterford 3 2 0 1 4 Kilkenny 3 1 0 2 2 Wexford 3 1 0 2 2

Group B Play-off

23 January 1966 For 2nd Place	Offaly	3-3 — 0-6	Tipperary	Templemore[19]
				Referee: Seamus Garvey (Kerry)

6 February 1966 For 1st Place	Roscommon	1-9 — 1-7	Offaly	Ballinasloe[20]
				Referee: J Martin (Tyrone)

Inter-Group Play-offs

20 February 1966 Semi-Final	Mayo	3-11 — 2-10	Roscommon	Tuam[21]
				Referee: M Mahon (Fermanagh)

20 February 1966 Semi-Final	Galway	0-11 — 0-7	Offaly	Tuam[22]
				Referee: E Moules (Wicklow)

6 March 1966 Final	Galway	2-6 — 0-7	Mayo	Tuam[23]
				Referee: J Martin (Tyrone)

Group A Team Pld W D L Pts Status Galway 3 3 0 0 6 Advance to Knockout stage Mayo 3 2 0 1 4 Limerick 3 1 0 2 2 Clare 3 0 0 3 0 [24]

Group B Team Pld W D L Pts Status Roscommon 3 2 0 1 4 Offaly 3 2 0 1 4 Tipperary 3 2 0 1 4 Westmeath 3 0 0 2 0

Knockout Stages

Semi-finals

27 March 1966

Galway	2-12 – 0-6	Kildare

Croke Park, Dublin

Attendance: 14,350[25]

Referee: Jimmy Martin (Tyrone)

---

3 April 1966

Longford	0-13 – 0-11	Donegal
Bobby Burns 0-6; Jackie Devine 0-3; Mick Hopkins, Jimmy Hanniffy, Mick Burns, Seán Murray 0-1 each		Mickey McLoone 0-8; P McShea 0-2; J Hannigan 0-1

Croke Park, Dublin

Attendance: 22,845[26]

Referee: M Loftus (Mayo)

Home Final

24 April 1966

Galway	0-8 – 0-9	Longford
		Bobby Burns 0-8; Seán Murray 0-1

Croke Park, Dublin

Attendance: 45,317[27]

Referee: Jimmy Martin (Tyrone)[28]

Final

2 October 1966
First leg

Longford	1-9 – 0-7	New York

Pearse Park, Longford

Attendance: 8,000[29]

Referee: J Nolan (New York and Offaly)

---

9 October 1966
Second leg

New York	0-10 – 0-9	Longford

Croke Park, Dublin[30]

Referee: J Nolan (New York and Offaly)

Longford win 21–17 on aggregate.

References

1. GAA Final Teams
2. GAA Archives
3. IRISH FANS VENT IRE ON NEW YORK TEAM - New York Times
4. Longford GAA history
5. The GAA: An Oral History, chapter 4, John Scally.
6. "Donegal lucky!", Irish Press, 29 November 1965, p. 17
7. "Donegal advance", Irish Independent, 21 February 1966, p. 13
8. "Down score big win at Ballybay ", Irish Independent, 7 March 1966, p. 16
9. "Donegal win an unsavoury game", Irish Independent, 14 March 1966, p. 12
10. "National League Positions" Irish Press, 16 November 1965, p. 10
11. "Cavan, Longford qualify", Irish Independent, 14 February 1966, p. 15
12. "Cavan, Longford qualify", Irish Independent, 14 February 1966, p. 15
13. "Cavan, Longford qualify", Irish Independent, 7 March 1966, p. 15
14. "National League Positions" Irish Press, 16 November 1965, p. 10
15. "Dublin's victory proves nothing", Irish Independent, 7 March 1966, p. 15
16. "Kildare fully extended by lively Carlow side", Irish Independent, 7 March 1966, p. 15
17. "Kildare return to the front ranks", Irish Independent, 14 March 1966, p. 13
18. "National League Positions" Irish Press, 16 November 1965, p. 10
19. "Scenes mar Offaly win", Irish Press, 24 January 1966, p. 11
20. "Roscommon pip Offaly", Irish Press, 7 February 1966, p. 13
21. "Mayo's late burst was decisive", Irish Independent, 21 February 1966, p. 13
22. "Champions triumph in 'needle' tie ", Irish Independent, 21 February 1966, p. 13
23. "Mayo forget red is for danger", Irish Independent, 7 March 1966, p. 15
24. "National League Positions" Irish Press, 16 November 1965, p. 10
25. "Galway in top form", Irish Independent, 4 April 1966, p. 13
26. "Longford March on", Irish Independent, 4 April 1966, p. 13
27. "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
28. "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
29. "Longford 5 points up", Irish Independent, 3 October 1966, p. 10
30. "Lost by a point - but won by four", Irish Press, 10 October 1966, p. 16