Club Titles – Minor Football

Our research found the following MFC title changes which were supplied to and adopted by Coiste Chontae an Longfort in 2020. This was the first detailed assessment of and revisions to the official MFC record since records began.

1949
Was: Mostrim
Now: No Championship

1951
Was: Clonguish
Now: Not Completed

1974
Was: Longford Slashers
Now: Wolfe Tones/St. Bernards

1985
Was: Killoe
Now: Killoe Region (Killoe + St. Mels Shroid)

1st Harte Cup Winner
Was: Mostrim (1949)
Now: Clonguish (1950)

Note: All other MFC titles are aligned with the official records prior to our research.

The Harte Cup was introduced in 1949 and was initially used for Minor League. Following the completion of the delayed 1949 Minor League which ended in February 1950 with Clonguish as champions, Clonguish were awarded the new Harte Cup as Minor League winners.

On March 10th 1950 a Minor Board meeting noted eight teams affiliated for competition that year and proposed running both Minor League and Championship competitions in 1950. The 1950 Minor League commenced in April 1950 and finished in September 1950 with Colmcille taking the honours beating Rathcline 2-3 to 0-4 in the Minor League final. An August 25th 1950 preview of the Clonguish vs Rathcline Minor League semi-final noted Clonguish as holders (of the League). Rathcline won the match with the report noting that they defeated the holders. The preview to the Colmcille vs Rathcline Minor League final noted that both sides are deciding who should “hold the Harte Cup – the Minor trophy for the League winners”. Colmcille went on to win the 1950 Minor League final, but they did not receive the Harte Cup. That winning Colmcille squad was: John Rudden (Fostra Captain), Colm Murphy (Aughamore Lower), Larry Kiernan, Frank Murphy and Owen Corcoran (Aughagreagh), Pee Kiernan (Culray), Noel Dodd (Aughnacliffe), Michael Timoney, Seán Lynch and Sonny Moore (Cleenrath), Mel and Matt Murtagh (Aughamore Upper), Seán McEvoy (Lislea), Micheál Lynch (Pulladoey), Jimmy Reilly (Aughaward), Frank Kiernan (Aughakeeran), Fintan Tierney, Liam Moore and Seán Barry (Granard).

A Minor Board meeting in September 1950 congratulated Colmcille on winning the Minor League and unanimously decided to play a Minor Championship (knockout) competition in 1950, agreeing to “present the Harte Cup for this competition instead of the league”. Clonguish beat Young Irelands (Drumlish/Ballinamuck) 2-1 to 0-2 in the Minor Championship final on 12th November 1950 and were duly awarded the Harte Cup (📷 [Preview], 📷 [Report]). This was the first recorded Minor Championship knockout competition since 1938 and Clonguish were the first club to receive the Harte Cup for winning the Minor Championship. They have the unique distinction of having won the Harte Cup for both Minor Championship (1950) and Minor League (1949).

Prior to the 2014-2021 research, some publications cited Mostrim as the first winners of the Harte Cup in 1949. This is incorrect because the Mostrim club did not compete in underage at all in 1949, although the Manor Gaels club in Mostrim parish did compete in Minor League that year but did not win it. More crucially, there was no Minor Championship in 1949.

Club Teams:

• Ballymore Shamrocks is underage section of Ballymore club. Not fielded since 2019.
• Clonbroney is underage section of the Seán Connollys club.
• Clonguish Óg is underage section of the Clonguish club.
• Granard is underage section of the St. Marys Granard club.
• Grattan Gaels is underage section of the Young Grattans club.
• Killoe Óg is underage section of the Killoe Young Emmets club.
• Longford Slashers is underage section of the Longford Slashers club.
• Shannon Gaels is underage section of the Rathcline club.
• St. Colmcilles is underage section of the Colmcille club.
• St. Dominics is underage section of the Kenagh club.
• St. Francis is underage section of the Dromard club.
• St. Patricks Óg is underage section of the Ardagh Moydow club.
• St. Vincents is underage section of the Fr. Manning Gaels club.
• Wolfe Tones Óg is underage section of the Mostrim club.

Independent Teams:

• Ballymahon Forgney Gaels is a combination of Ballymahon & St. Munis Forgney.
• Carrick Sarsfields is a combination of Carrickedmond & Legan Sarsfields.
• Northern Gaels is a combination of Abbeylara & Mullinalaghta St. Columbas.
• Western Gaels is a combination of Shannon Gaels & Grattan Gaels.
• Shamrock Gaels is a combination of Ballymahon Forgney Gaels & Southern Gaels.
• Southern Gaels is a combination of Cashel & St. Brigids Killashee.

Note: Northern Gaels, Southern Gaels, Carrick Sarsfields and Ballymahon Forgney Gaels are long-term independent teams (i.e. combination of more than 1 club) which have been together in a fixed arrangement for many years and play together in all underage competition. Other independent teams such as Western Gaels or Shamrock Gaels or others might combine for a specific competition or grade in any particular year but it is not a fixed long-term arrangement. 

Minor changed from U-18 to U-17 grade in 2021 & 2022 and back to U-18 from 2023.

In 1934, Minor teams were entered into competition from Clonbroney, Whiterock Slashers, United Gaels (Longford/Clonguish/Ardagh), Drumlish, Killashee and Granard. Fixtures were arranged in May 1934 but nothing more was recorded. We cannot ascertain for certain whether this competition was Minor League or Minor Championship but when Killoe wins the 1936 title this is referred to as the first winners of Minor Championship.

Minor Championship and Minor League competitions were organised in 1935 but a review of Minor Board notes from early 1936 indicate that the 1935 Minor Championship was not completed. Fixtures for Minor League (i.e. Longford v Drumlish) and Minor Championship (i.e. Killoe v Whiterock, Granard v Edgeworthstown and Longford v Clonbroney) can be found in October and November 1935. However no record exists of any Minor Championship final or winner, while a notice exists for a medal presentation in April 1937 noting Longford (aka Wanderers) as 1935 Minor League winners.

(Note: The preview to the Minor Board convention in March 1936 noted  Longford as the winners of the 1935 Minor Competition. However no report of the final has been found. Additionally, one week prior to the final it was noted that the 1935 competitions were ‘unfinished’. Further research is needed on this, but all available published evidence indicates that this Minor competition was played in a format similar to the 1936 league and was therefore the League. Longford was also not listed in the Minor Championship roll of honour published in 1944).

Killoe 6-4
Longford 0-6

📷 1936 Minor Championship Final

This was the first year that a Minor Championship knockout competition was successfully completed (albeit ran into 1937).

In 1936 six teams entered Minor League competition with Clonguish winning the title with victory over Dromard by 4-6 to 1-0 in September 1936. In July 1936 the Minor Board organised the Minor Championship (straight knockout competition) which ran into 1937 with Killoe defeating Longford in the first recorded Minor Championship final, by 6-4 to 0-6 on Sunday 13th June 1937. Killoe had beaten Dromard and Clonguish on the way to the final, while Longford had beaten Seán Connollys. The final had been scheduled for Sunday 28th February 1937 in the Gaelic Grounds with Fr. Kearney as referee. However it was delayed and did not complete until 13th June 1937 in Pearse Park (now officially opened) with R Mulcahy as referee.

Killoe Team: T Farrell, P Lennon, T Masterson, D Hughes (Captain), B McLoughlin, J Mitchell, M Kilimeade, J Brady, M Bratton, E Doherty, JJ Doherty, JJ Morgan, H Hughes, J Brady, JJ Hagan. 

Longford Team: T Murray, E Clarke, J Reynolds, M Rogers, P McGrath, J McDermott, J Duffy, K Banks, B Matthews, J Power, J Plunkett, P Donlon, L Branigan, C Walsh, M Glennon, D Glennon, P Regan. 

The 1936 Minor Championship was not completed until June 1937 which may explain the absence of any Minor Championship for 1937. A Minor League was played in 1937 and was at an advanced stage up to end of October 1937. Four teams played in that Minor League with some teams having played two games by end of October 1937. The County Board AGM in January 1938 noted a lack of progress in local competition at every level including lack of support for underage competitions. It seems the Minor league competition was not finished and additionally no Championship was played in 1937 either.

Mullinalaghta Winners

📷 1938 Minor Championship Medal

(Medal image courtesy of Patrick Matthews)

Minor League competition began in April 1938 and continued into November 1938. The preview to Mullinalaghta v Ballymahon game on 1st November mentions that Mullinalaghta are leading the Minor League at that stage. No published record of the League final has been found, but we can infer from later references that Mullinalaghta went on to win that League competition. There is no published record of any 1938 Minor Championship win (or indeed of a knockout Championship competition being played), however winner medals exist with the year, club and competition to suggest that Mullinalaghta won the 1938 Minor Championship title. It should be noted that some players from Seán Connollys club played on the Mullinalaghta Minor team in 1938, but it was not an amalgamation (only ‘Mullinalaghta’ inscribed on the medals).

Note: The published accounts of 1938 Minor competition relates entirely to Minor League (not Championship), and when the paper trail ends in November 1938, Mullinalaghta are leading the Minor League. In a wider context, it was not unusual for the sole competition in any age group to be casually referred to as ‘Championship’ in some of the early years in Longford, and it is not clear whether this 1938 title was in fact the Minor League title which was then referred to as Championship on the medals, or whether a separate Minor Championship competition was played very late in 1938 (post November) which didn’t warrant any mention in local media in either 1938 or 1939. We have maintain the status-quo on this title (since it existed prior to our research and has some evidence to support it), but in the interest of transparency we acknowledge that further analysis is required here to rule in or out any alternative explanation. 

Minor League commenced at the end of February 1939 and fixtures continue to be arranged sparingly (see example) up to the end of May 1939, after which no fixtures appear with no record found of the competition being finished. A roll of honour published in local media in 1944 indicated Clonguish were Minor winners (this was the only published roll from 1890 to 1922 to make this claim), however an investigation of all available published evidence indicates that this was Minor League, and that no Minor Championship was played in 1939. It is likely that the medals provided for that Minor League win were inscribed ‘Minor Champions’ or ‘Minor Championship’ which would not have been an uncommon practice at the time given that the Minor League was the only underage competition ongoing at the time, but the available evidence shows it to be the Minor League, not the Minor Championship. Our research found no evidence of any Minor Championship (as distinct from Minor League) winner for 1939. The above position is also consistent with the previous research by other parties prior to our research work in 2014-2021.

Six clubs (Longford, Clonguish, Seán Connollys, Kenagh, Killoe & Drumlish) entered into Minor competition in April 1940 with teams playing home and away ties in a League competition (See fixture examples from July 1940 and August 1940). This Minor League continued through to November 1940 and can be seen to have reached an advanced stage, but there is no record found thereafter of any winner in any written publications of the time. A Minor Board notice in local newspapers on 27th July 1940 noted that a number of Minor fixtures have not been fulfilled, and that it has become a common occurrence. The 1940 Minor Board AGM referred to “unfinished underage competitions” and “lack of support for these games”. A roll of honour published in 1944 indicated that Clonguish won back-to-back Minor Championship titles in 1939 & 1940 (this was the only published roll from 1890 to 1922 to make this claim), however an examination of available published evidence supports these being Minor League titles, not Minor Championship titles. It is likely that the medals provided for any Minor League win were inscribed ‘Minor Champions’ or ‘Minor Championship’ which would not have been an uncommon practice at the time given that the Minor League was the only underage competition ongoing at the time. Our research however, found no evidence of any Minor Championship (as distinct from Minor League) winner for 1940. The above position is also consistent with the previous research by other parties prior to our research work in 2014-2021.

Just four teams affiliated in 1941 and the draw for the league was arranged, commencing in March 1941. Similar to the 1940 competition, the league seemed to be at an advanced stage by the end of July 1941 but no definite record exists of any league winner. No records exist of any Minor Championship played in 1941.

No record of any Minor Championship in 1942.

No record of any Minor Championship in 1943.

No record of any Minor Championship in 1944.

Calls were made at the County Convention for Minor Competition to be ‘revived’ in 1945. First set of fixtures organised in July for a Minor League, including Ballymahon, Clonguish, Wanderers, Killoe, Cashel, Kenagh and Legan. Competition continued into October after which no further fixtures are noted and no record exists of any Minor League winner for 1945.

No record of any Minor Championship played in 1945.

Minor League competition commenced in August 1946 with Abbeylara and Ardagh eventually reaching the final with the original fixture in December 1946 postponed. The Minor final was eventually played in April 1947 with Abbeylara emerging victorious. This is the first recorded winner of a Minor competition since 1938. No knockout Minor Championship competition was played in 1946 and the Minor competition which was played was conducted on a league basis and referenced as ‘Minor Competition’.

Note: Reporting on the 1946 final cites ‘Abbeylara’ but at stages during the competition the team was referenced as Granard and in one instance as ‘Abbeylara (Granard)’. While they were solely referred to as Abbeylara in the final and their success noted alongside the clubs Junior double as an overall ‘treble’, the Granard GAA History book records this as a minor amalgamation of Abbeylara and Granard. The Longford Leader report on the final on 19th April 1947 notes the winning team as Abbeylara. The Granard GAA book also cites this as a Minor Championship, however this is never referred to as a Minor Championship title in any contemporaneous records or in any published Minor rolls of honour down the years. At the end of the section on this final the Granard GAA book notes that “… there are no County Board records of Minor Championship winners from 1938 to 1949”. On this website we show this final as the Minor League final, consistent with the reporting of the time. 

Six teams affiliated in 1957 and Minor League competition began in September 1947. According to Minor Board records, the league reached the playoff stage for each section but was not completed. No record exists for any Minor Championship played in 1947.

Eleven teams affiliated in 1948 and a Minor league competition was arranged and split into three sections – North, South and Mid Longford. Games were run on a double-league basis (home and away games) similar to previous years. Killoe beat Longford Wanderers 2-1 to 0-2 in the league final in March 1949. There was an objection raised on the eligibility of some Killoe players and the result was subsequently declared void and no replay occurred. No record exists for Minor Championship played in 1948.

Note: This 1948 league final was initially thought to be a Championship Final but this was played on a league basis similar to previous years and therefore evidence shows it to be a League competition. The Minor Board introduced a new trophy (Harte Cup) for this newly structured league competition which was due to be presented to the Minor League winners in 1948. However, with the 1948 final declared void, the new cup was not presented. Our finding for 1948 was exactly the same as all official and published records for 1948 prior to our research. 

All published records by Coiste Chontae Longfoirt prior to our research in 2014 (including but not limited to Yearbooks from the 1980’s, Comóradh an Chéid from 1987, Longford GAA History from 2005 and every single match programmes down the years with Minor Championship roll of honour included) all showed Mostrim as winners of the 1949 Minor Football Championship. However an examination of all available records & evidence shows that while a Minor League competition was played in 1949 (with Clonguish defeating Rathcline by 3-3 to 2-2 to lift the new Harte Cup in the Minor League final played in February 1950), no published evidence has been found of any separate Minor Championship played in 1949 (though references to the Minor League final as ‘Minor Championship’ are found in the preview to the 1949 Minor decider). The decision to play a separate Minor Championship competition in addition to the Minor League would come for the first time the following year, in 1950.

Indeed Clonguish are also noted as Minor League holders in the 1950 Minor League semi final preview. Also, Mostrim did not compete in underage in 1949 (Manor Gaels in the parish did but not in any knockout Championship). Hence the record has been corrected to show ‘No Minor Championship’ for 1949. It is worth noting that in some years where only one competition was run (i.e. League but no Championship), medals were often inscribed with ‘Championship’ but this does not provide definitive proof that the competition itself was Championship, especially when the available published evidence shows it was League.

Finally, a note on the Harte Cup which was purchased in 1948 and intended to be presented to Minor League winners of that year. However when the final was voided in 1948, it was not presented that year and was instead presented for the first time to the Minor League winners of 1949 (Clonguish). In 1950, the County Board decided to re-purpose the cup and present it instead to the winners of the Minor Championship competition which they had restarted that year for the first time in many years. Clonguish therefore have the unique distinction of winning the Harte Cup in 1949 for winning the Minor League, and then winning the Harte Cup in 1950 for winning the Minor Championship. This led to confusion in the records over the years, including the assumption that Clonguish had won Minor Championships in both years. In fact the records show that Clonguish won the Minor League in 1949, the Minor Championship in 1950 and the Minor League in 1951.

The above detail was validated via published records & reports in local newspapers of the time.

Clonguish 2-1
Young Irelands (Drumlish & Ballinamuck) 0-2

Following the completion of the 1949 Minor League competition in Feb 1950, the Minor Board meeting held March 10th 1950 noted that 8 teams were affiliated for that year, and it was decided to run both League and Championship competitions in 1950. The 1950 Minor League commences in April and finished in September with Colmcille taking the honours beating Rathcline 2-3 to 0-4 in the league final. An August 25th 1950 article previews of the Clonguish vs Rathcline League semi-final noted Clonguish as the holders (of the League). Rathcline won the match with the report noting that they defeated the holders. The preview to the Colmcille vs Rathcline league final noted that both sides are deciding who should “hold the Harte Cup – the Minor trophy for the League winners”. Colmcille went on to win the league final, but they did not receive the Harte Cup. That winning Colmcille squad of 1950 comprised: John Rudden (Fostra Capt), Colm Murphy (Aughamore Lower), Larry Kiernan, Frank Murphy and Owen Corcoran (Aughagreagh), Pee Kiernan (Culray), Noel Dodd (Aughnacliffe), Michael Timoney, Seán Lynch and Sonny Moore (Cleenrath), Mel and Matt Murtagh (Aughamore Upper), Seán McEvoy (Lislea), Micheál Lynch (Pulladoey), Jimmy Reilly (Aughaward), Frank Kiernan (Aughakeeran), Fintan Tierney, Liam Moore and Seán Barry (Granard).

A Minor Board meeting in September 1950 congratulated Colmcille on winning the Minor League and also unanimously decided to play a Minor Championship competition in 1950 too and agreed to “present the Harte Cup for this competition instead of the league”. Clonguish beat Young Irelands (Drumlish/Ballinamuck) 2-1 to 0-2 to win that Minor Football Championship in November 1950 and thus lifted the Harte Cup (📷 [Preview], 📷 [Report]). This is the first record of any knockout Championship being held at Minor grade since 1938 and Clonguish were the first club to receive the Harte Cup for winning the Minor Championship.

Note: Young Irelands who competed in the 1950 Minor Championship final, was an underage team formed in 1949 by Fr. Seán Manning and made up of players from Drumlish & Ballinamuck (there was separate adult clubs in the parish at the time – Drumlish and Ballinamuck 98’s). The new Minor club was announced in the Longford Leader on 9th July 1949 (source). This is also cited in Des Guckian’s book ‘The Life and Times of Fr. Seán Manning’ where he describes the formation of a Minor club “to represent the united parish of Drumlish and Ballinamuck”.

The 1951 Minor Championship dragged on through the end of the year and was never completed. The Minor Board meeting in February 1952 formally agreed to drop the incomplete 1951 Minor Championship (as recorded in Longford Leader on 8th March 1952). Previously it had been assumed that Clonguish had won the 1951 Minor Championship and in some records it was also assumed that Clonguish had won a three-in-a-row of Minor Championships from 1949-1951, however in those years Clonguish won Minor League titles in 1949 & 1951 and Minor Championship in 1950. Hence the record has been corrected to show ‘Not Completed’ for 1951.

📷 1951 Championship Incomplete

Ballymahon 5-11
Clonguish 2-4

At the February 1952 Minor Convention, the draw for the championship was arranged (following the decision to drop the unfinished 1951 Minor Championship). It was agreed to run the Minor Championship on League lines with three sections – North, South and mid. Ballymahon beat Clonguish 5-11 to 2-4 to win the 1952 Minor Championship title in April 1953. This is a somewhat unique championship because it was run on league lines. No separate Minor League competition was held in 1952.

Colmcille 1-4
Ballymahon 1-3

A motion to revert to separate league and championship Minor competitions in 1953 was rejected and the championship continued to be played on a league basis in 1953. Colmcille beat Ballymahon 1-4 to 1-3 to win the Minor Championship title in September 1953. No evidence found of any separate Minor League competition in 1953.

Carrickedmond 1-3
Ballymahon 0-5

The Minor Championship semi-finals saw Carrickedmond beat Ardagh (3-7 to nil) and Ballymahon beat Granard. The MFC final saw Carrickedmond beat Ballymahon by 1-3 to 0-5 on 5th September 1954.

The Minor League was won by Longford Slashers with a walkover after Granard failed to field. Longford Slashers had beaten Carrickedmond in the semi-final.

Separate Minor League and Minor Championship competitions were arranged in 1954 and the Minor Championship saw a move away from the league structure utilised in 1952 & 1953 to straight knockout structure instead. The Minor Board review of the year for 1954 referenced the introduction of the Minor League during the year and noting that the Championship was played on a knockout basis. The article notes that “in former years the Minor Championship was played on a league basis”. Available evidence suggests this refers to the 1952 and 1953 Minor Championship competitions, both of which were played on league basis.

Wolfe Tones/St. Bernards 1-11
Ardagh/Kenagh 0-02

📷 1974 Minor Championship Final

Some past records and the Harte Cup itself seemed to indicate Longford Slashers as 1974 winners, however a combination of Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) and St. Bernards (Abbeylara) won the 1974 Minor Championship title. The Longford Leader of September 13th 1974 contains the match report for the game which ended with the scoreline Wolfe Tones/St. Bernards 1-11 vs Ardagh/Kenagh 0-02, making it back-to-back Minor titles for Wolfe Tones/St. Bernards in 1973 & 1974. In some reports of the era the combination is described as Mostrim/Abbeylara while in other reports it is cited as Wolfe Tones/St. Bernards. See report at attached link below.