Connacht Senior League Challenge Cup

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.

Connacht Senior League Challenge Cup
Organising bodyConnacht Senior League
Founded1981
Region Connacht
Most successful club(s)Mervue United (6)

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
1999–00St Peters (Athlone)3–0Salthill Devon
1998–99Galway United Reserves2–0Castlebar Celtic
1997–98Castlebar Celtic2–1Mervue United
1996–97UCG2–1Straide & Foxford United
1995–96UCG4–0Salthill Devon
1994–95No competition
1993–94Sligo Rovers Reserves1–0Galway United Reserves
1992–93Mervue United2–1Balinasloe Town
1991–92Salthill Devon2–0Castlebar Celtic
1990–91Sligo Rovers Reserves1–0Salthill Devon
1989–90Salthill Devon1–0UCG
1988–89Mervue United1–0UCG
1987–88UCG1–0Castlebar Celtic
1986–87UCG1–0Galway United Reserves
1985–86Salthill Devon1–0Mervue United
1984–85Mervue United4–2Castlerea Celtic
1983–84Mervue United1–0Balinasloe Town
1982–83Mervue United4–0Castlerea Celtic
1981–82Mervue United3–0UCG

Source:[4][5][6][7]

References
  1. "Connacht Senior League 1980s". connacht-sl.netne.net. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  2. "Connacht Senior League 1990s". connacht-sl.netne.net. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  3. "Mervue United Club Role of Honour". mervueunited.com. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  4. Connacht Sentinel @ Irish Newspaper Archives
  5. Galway City Tribune @ Irish Newspaper Archives
  6. The Connaught Telegraph @ Irish Newspaper Archives
  7. Galway Advertiser Archives
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