1950–51 National Football League (Ireland) Explained

League:1950–51 National Football League
Dates:October 1950 – 30 September 1951
Team1:Meath
Captain1:Paddy Meegan
Titles:3rd
Team2:New York
Captain2:Tom "Gega" O'Connor
Previous:1949–50
Next:1951–52

The 1950–51 National Football League was the 20th staging of the National Football League, an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

Thirty counties participated; Kilkenny and Limerick did not participate.[1]

Meath won the home final and flew to New York for the real final. Despite some players being weakened by smallpox vaccination, they beat New York by a goal and sailed home in triumph on the SS Nieuw Amsterdam. John 'Lefty' Devine commentated on the radio, and was criticised for his newly acquired New York accent (he was a native of County Clare).[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Format

Teams are placed into Divisions I, II, III and IV. The top team in each division reaches the home semi-finals. The winner of the home final plays in the NFL final.

Group stage

Division I (Dr Lagan Cup)

Eastern Section

TeamPldWDLPtsStatus
3 3 0 0 6 Win Dr Lagan Cup; advance to Knockout Stage
3 2 0 1 4
3 1 0 2 2
3 0 0 3 0

Western Section

TeamPldWDLPtsStatus
3 3 0 0 6
3 2 0 1 4
3 1 0 2 2
3 0 0 3 0

[8]

Division II

,,,,

Division III

won, ahead of,, and .

Division IV

,,,, and .

Division V

,,,, and .

Knockout stage

Semi-finals

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Finals

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Notes and References

  1. "26 Counties in action on Sunday", Irish Independent, 4 October 1950, p. 10
  2. http://mayogaablog.com/?page_id=3753 Mayo results archive, 1951
  3. Web site: GAA Archive 1949 . 2015-07-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150714173241/http://www.crokepark.ie/gaa-museum/gaa-archive/gaa-years/2000-2009-(5)/1984-(9)# . 2015-07-14 . dead .
  4. http://www.gaa.ie/about-the-gaa/gaa-history/final-teams/0/6/0/0/14/ GAA Final Teams
  5. http://hoganstand.com/Meath/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=180933 "Death of Meath legend Paddy Meegan" - HoganStand
  6. https://irishnewspapers.com/newspage/88890075/ Ballina Herald
  7. https://www.nytimes.com/1951/10/01/archives/30000-see-meath-gain-1310-victory-irish-teams-displaying-their.html New York Times: 30,000 SEE MEATH GAIN 13-10 VICTORY; IRISH TEAMS DISPLAYING THEIR SKILLS AT THE POLO GROUNDS
  8. "National Football League Tables" Irish Press, 31 October 1963, p. 8