1994–95 National Football League (Ireland)

The 1994–95 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Church & General National Football League, was the 64th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

1994–95 National Football League

League details
Dates	October 1994 – 14 May 1995
Teams	33
League champions
Winners	Derry (3rd win)
Captain	Tony Scullion
Manager	Mickey Moran
League runners-up
Runners-up	Donegal
Manager	P. J. McGowan[1]
Other division winners
Division 2	Clare
Division 3	Cavan
Division 4	Monaghan
← 1993–94 1995–96 →

The tournament introduced two experimental rules: consecutive handpasses were banned, and players had to stay 10 m (11 yd) from the free-kick taker. This later evolved into the current 13 m (14 yd) exclusion zone.^[2] Derry defeated Donegal in the final.^[3][4][5]

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.^[6]

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

Results and tables

Division One

Play-Offs

Kerry v Donegal

26 March 1995 For 3rd Place

Kerry

1-10 — 1-8

Donegal

Tuam[7]

Donegal v Kildare

2 April 1995 For 4th Place

Donegal

1-16 — 0-11

Kildare

Clones[8]

Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Status
Laois	7	5	0	2	10	Advance to quarter-finals
Derry	7	4	1	2	9
Kerry	7	4	0	3	8
Donegal	7	4	0	3	8
Kildare	7	4	0	3	8
Meath	7	3	0	4	6
Dublin	7	2	1	4	5	Relegated to Division Two of the 1995–96 NFL
Down	7	1	0	6	2

Division two

Play-Offs

Tyrone v Louth

2 April 1995 For 2nd Place

Tyrone

1-10 — 0-9

Louth

Clones[9]

Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Status
Clare	7	5	1	1	11	Promoted to Division One of the 1995–96 NFL and advance to quarter-finals
Tyrone	7	5	0	2	10
Louth	7	5	0	2	10
Cork	7	3	2	2	8
Leitrim	7	3	1	3	7
Armagh	7	2	2	3	6
Galway	7	1	1	5	3	Relegated to Division Three of the 1995–96 NFL
Mayo	7	0	1	6	1

Division 3

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Status
Cavan	7	6	0	1	12	Promoted to Division Two of the 1995–96 NFL and advance to quarter-finals
Westmeath	7	5	1	1	11	Promoted to Division Two of the 1995–96 NFL
Roscommon	7	5	0	2	10
Wexford	7	3	1	3	7
Fermanagh	7	3	0	4	6
Antrim	7	3	0	4	6
Longford	7	1	2	4	4	Relegated to Division Four of the 1995–96 NFL
Tipperary	7	0	0	7	0

Division 4

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Status
Monaghan	8	7	0	1	14	Promoted to Division Three of the 1995–96 NFL and advance to quarter-finals
Sligo	8	6	1	1	13	Promoted to Division Three of the 1995–96 NFL
Wicklow	8	6	0	2	12
Offaly	8	5	0	3	10
Carlow	8	4	1	3	9
Waterford	8	3	0	5	6
Kilkenny	8	1	1	6	3
Limerick	8	1	1	6	3
London	8	0	2	6	2

Knockout stage

Quarter-finals

Derry	1-11 – 0-11	Cavan

16 April 1995

Athletic Grounds, Armagh^[10]

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Laois	2-8 – 1-6	Monaghan

16 April 1995

Croke Park

Attendance: 14,606 ^[11]

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Tyrone	3-7 – 0-7	Kerry

16 April 1995

Croke Park^[12]

Attendance: 14,606

---

Donegal	2-11 – 3-7	Clare

16 April 1995

MacHale Park, Castlebar^[13]

Semi-finals

Donegal	1-14 – 2-8	Laois

30 April 1995

Croke Park^[14]

Attendance: 28,417

---

Derry	1-8 – 2-3	Tyrone

30 April 1995

Croke Park^[15]

Attendance: 28,417

Final

Derry	0-12 – 0-8	Donegal

14 May 1995

Croke Park, Dublin

Attendance: 28,392^[16]

Referee: Paddy Russell (Tipperary) ^[17]

References

1. Bonner, Declan (28 May 2020). "Champions dethroned". Donegal News. p. 55. It was mentioned to me last week that it was 25 years since Donegal dethroned Down in the preliminary round of the Ulster Championship… PJ McGowan had taken over from Brian McEniff at that stage… It's funny looking back now because we had played the League final against Derry the week before and lost.
2. GAA's previous experimental rules - Irish Independent
3. GAA Final Teams Archived 2015-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
4. "GAA Archive 1995". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
5. Photo of final
6. Gaelic Games website
7. "Kerry pack killer punch", Irish Independent, 27/03/1995, p. 26
8. "Donegal tops as Lilywhites flag",Irish Independent, 03/04/1995, p. 27
9. "Tyrone's wee bit of class", Irish Independent, 03/04/1995, p. 27
10. "Cassidy's class act sends brave Cavan crashing", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 17 April 1995, p. 4
11. "Monaghan collared by Laois", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 17 April 1995, p. 4
12. "Kingdom hopes shattered", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 17 April 1995, p. 5
13. "Donegal edge out Clare with a late flourish", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 17 April 1995, p. 5
14. "Donegal deliver vintage display", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 May 1995, p. 5
15. "Dull Derry subdue Tyrone", Irish Independent Sports Supplement, 1 May 1995, p. 5
16. "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
17. "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151

External links

• Derry v Donegal 1995 NFL Final on YouTube