Mayo Association Football League is an association football league that features amateur and junior clubs from County Mayo. Its top division, the Super League, is a seventh level division in the Republic of Ireland football league system. Clubs from the league also compete in the FAI Junior Cup and the Connacht Junior Cup. A Mayo League representative team also competes in the League of Ireland Cup.
| Founded | 1954 |
|---|---|
| Country |  Ireland |
| Divisions | Super League Premier League League One League Two |
| Level on pyramid | 7–10 |
| Domestic cup(s) | FAI Junior Cup Connacht Junior Cup Connacht Junior Shield |
| League cup(s) | Calor Gas Mayo Super Cup Calor Gas Mayo Premier Cup Westaro Cup Tuohy Cup Tonra Cup McDonnell Cup League 3 Cup |
| Current champions | Castlebar Celtic (21st title) (2025) |
| Website | Official website of Mayo AFL |
The league season operates on a calendar schedule, usually running from March to September.[1][2] The headquarters of the league are located at Milebush Park in Castlebar, known as Umbro Park for sponsorship reasons.[3][4][5]
History
editIn the autumn of 1953, a group of men that included Joe McCormack and Robert Kilkellly met to form the Mayo Association Football League. County Mayo had been denied representation on the senior and junior councils of the Football Association of Ireland as the county had no organised league and the meeting was an attempt to bring more structure to the sport in Mayo.[6] In 1954 Westport Town, Barcastle, Quay Hearts and Castlebar Celtic became the founder members of the Mayo Association Football League.[7][8] Castlebar Celtic finished the inaugural season as champions and, together with Westport United, they went on to become the league's most successful clubs.[9][10] Quay Hearts secured the title the following season in 1955.[11]
During the 1970s and early 1980s, the winners of the league played off against the winners of the other Connacht junior leagues for the Michael Byrne Cup.[12][13] During the 1970s the league expanded to include three divisions. In 1984–85 a league cup was introduced. It was originally known as the Robert Kilkelly Cup, before becoming the AIB Cup and then the Chadwicks Cup. As of August 2018, it is known as the Connacht Gold Cup.[14] In December 1986, 11 acres at Milebush were purchased and became the headquarters of the league, with the new ground named as Milebush Park.[15]
The league originally operated on an autumn/winter schedule but grounds and facilities were a major problem and games were vulnerable to postponements due to weather. To resolve this, a summer season was introduced in May 1994 and kicked off the following July.[11][2] To further assist the development of the game in Mayo, the 1990s saw new entry requirements introduced for the top division. This included coaching badges for managers and higher standards for playing surfaces and dressing rooms. The top division was also renamed the Super League from the 1999 season onwards to reflect the changes.[11]
In 2017, Milebush Park, the headquarters of the Mayo Association Football League, was renamed 'Solar 21 Park' after a sponsorship deal was agreed with the company.[3][16] A fifth division, the 'CMR Fire and Security League Three', was introduced in 2021 but was short lived and only lasted one season.[17]
Milebush Park was again renamed in 2024, this time to Umbro Park, when a new sponsorship deal was agreed.[5] In July 2025, Kiltimagh Knock United withdrew from the top division mid-season.[18] Their reserve side had left the third tier earlier the same year.[19]
League pyramid
editThe Mayo Association Football League has four divisions.[20] The two top divisions – the Super League and the Premier Division – are sponsored by Elverys Sports and Welcome Inn Hotel respectively. The league also organises an over-35s league, known as the Westaro Masters League for sponsorship purposes. As of 2025, the Masters League has three divisions.[21]
| County Level | League(s) / division(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Elverys Sports Super League |
| 2 | Castlecourt Hotel Premier League |
| 3 | Killeen Sports Ground League One |
| 4 | McDonnell Construction League Two |
Ground
editMilebush Park is the headquarters of the Mayo Association Football League and is an official FAI regional centre, hosting national programmes and events such as player development courses, tournaments, coaching education courses and trials for the national team.[15][35][36][37] Also known as Umbro Park[5] (and formerly Solar 21 Park)[3] for sponsorship reasons, Milebush Park has previously hosted Connacht Junior Cup finals, inter-league, underage league and women's league finals.[15]
The ground was purchased in December 1986, with a separate company setup to oversee development. A clubhouse was added in 1992 and a covered stand was built in 2001. The stand was named the Henry Downes Stand after the chairman of the league committee involved in the purchase of Milebush.[15] The stand seats 300 people.
A second ground, a floodlit Omniturf all-weather pitch, was installed in 2003–04 with the first game being played by Mayo under-15s on 11 February 2004. In 2006, the clubhouse was extended to include new dressing rooms. In March 2014, the all-weather pitch was relaid with new artificial turf to meet the latest standards.[15]
Representative team
editA Mayo League representative team competes regularly in the Oscar Traynor Trophy and the Connacht Inter League Cup, playing against teams representing other leagues. In recent[when?] seasons they have also competed in the League of Ireland Cup, playing against Connacht/Ulster – based teams from the League of Ireland. As of 2016 they have never progressed past the first round. In 2015 Joseph N'Do was appointed the head coach of the league's representative team.[38][39]
League of Ireland Cup record
edit| Season | Round | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1 | Mayo League | 1–1 | Galway United | |
| 2004 | 1 | Sligo Rovers | 2–0 | Mayo League | The Showgrounds |
| 2005 | 1 | Derry City | 2–1 | Mayo League | |
| 2012[40] | 1 | Finn Harps | 2–0 | Mayo League | Finn Park |
| 2013 | 1 | Mayo League | 1–4 | Finn Harps | |
| 2014[41] | 1 | Galway | 2–0 | Mayo League | Eamonn Deacy Park |
| 2015[42] | 1 | Sligo Rovers | 8–0 | Mayo League | Showgrounds |
| 2016[43] | 1 | Galway United | 3–1 | Mayo League | Eamonn Deacy Park |
| 2017[44] | 1 | Galway United | 2–0 | Mayo League | Eamonn Deacy Park |
| 2018[45] | 1 | Finn Harps | 4–3 | Mayo League | Finn Park |
Wins by club
edit| Club | Wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Castlebar Celtic | 21 | 1954, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1967–68, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Westport United | 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1981–82, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 | |
| Ballina Town | 5 | 1988–89, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2018 |
| Manulla | 4 | 1987–88, 1994, 1995, 1999 |
| Ballyglass | 3 | 1990–91, 1996, 1997 |
| Straide & Foxford United | 1992–93, 1993–94, 2000 | |
| Balla | 2 | 1976–77, 1977–78 |
| Ballyheane | 2021, 2022 | |
| Sporting Club Westport | 1970–71, 1971–72 | |
| Urlaur | 1989–90, 1991–92 | |
| Achill Rovers | 1 | 1998 |
| Iorras Aontaithe (Erris United) | 2003 | |
| Quay Hearts | 1954–55 | |
| Westport Crusaders | 1979–80 |
List of Super League winners by season
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Mayo Football League - Match Hub". www.mayofootballleague.ie. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- 1 2 Sneyd, David (8 May 2025). "Phenomenal growth of summer football in Clare and Mayo shows FAI plan is worth trying". The 42. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
... given it was around the time that the Republic of Ireland appeared at the 1994 World Cup... that plans were put into motion to rip up their winter-autumn schedule... a league calendar that usually begins in March for the youngest children and operates on alternate days to Gaelic games for respective age groups.
- 1 2 3 Molloy, Sean (25 January 2017). "SOLAR 21 Park –Mayo Football League's headquarters gets a new name". mayofootball.ie. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo Football League Headquarters gets a new name". mayofootball.leaguerepublic.com. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
- 1 2 3 Keating, Tomás (31 January 2024). "Milebush Park to undergo name change with new sponsorship deal". westernpeople.ie. Archived from the original on 24 March 2026. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo League History" (PDF). www.mayofootballleague.ie. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 April 2026. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ↑ Kelly, Tom (1996). Boots, Rules & Fantasy Free — A History Of Mayo Football. Cavendish House Publications.
- ↑ "Swinford Soccer Club – Short History of Club". www.swinfordfc.ie. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- 1 2 "Mayo Football League Roll Of Honour" (PDF). inform.fai.ie. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ↑ "Castlebar Celtic – Roll Of Honour". www.castlebarceltic.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Mayo League History - Mayo Football League - Documents". www.mayofootballleague.ie. 27 December 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ↑ "Extratime.ie - Squads - Teams - Mervue United". extratime.ie. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
...the Michael Byrne Cup run off between the premier league winners from the Connacht counties. In its inaugural year Mervue beat Balla jn [sic] a thrilling penalty shoot out in Terryland Park.
- ↑ "Club Honours - MERVUE UTD Official Website". www.mervueunited.com. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ↑ "View Selected Tournament". www.mayofootballleague.ie. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "About". Milebush Park. Archived from the original on 25 June 2025. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
- ↑ "SOLAR 21 Park – Mayo Football League's headquarters get a new name". www.solar21.ie. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo Football League - Standings Predictor". www.mayofootballleague.ie. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
- ↑ Gallagher, Michael (10 July 2025). "Big blow as Mayo soccer club withdraws from Super League". www.mayonews.ie. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo soccer club withdraw from top division". westernpeople.ie. 10 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ↑ Stafford, Tom (2 January 2025). "The Irish Football Pyramid – or lack of (part 3 - Connacht)". extratime.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo Football League - Select Competition". www.mayofootballleague.ie. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo Football League - Elverys Sports Super League 2025". www.mayofootballleague.ie. Archived from the original on 18 December 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo FL Super League 2025 – Soccer". www.finalwhistle.ie. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo Football League - CastleCourt Hotel Premier League 2025". www.mayofootballleague.ie. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo FL Premier Division 2025 – Soccer". www.finalwhistle.ie. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo Football League - Killeen Sports Ground League One 2025". www.mayofootballleague.ie. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo FL League One 2025 – Soccer". www.finalwhistle.ie. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo Football League - McDonnell Construction League Two 2025". www.mayofootballleague.ie. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo FL League Two 2025 – Soccer". www.finalwhistle.ie. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo Football League - Super League". Mayo Football League. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo Football League - Premier League". Mayo Football League. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo FL Super League". finalwhistle.ie. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo Football League - Killeen Sports Ground League One". www.mayofootballleague.ie. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo Football League - McDonnell Construction League Two". www.mayofootballleague.ie. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ↑ "FAI/ETB Player Development Courses | Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland". www.pfai.ie. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
- ↑ "FAI schools primary 5s programme open 2025 registration". www.fai.ie. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
- ↑ "Castlebar - County Mayo - FAI Coaching Courses". www.castlebar.ie. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
- ↑ "Oscar Traynor Record". inform.fai.ie. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ↑ "Joseph N'Do takes charge of Mayo League representative side". www.advertiser.ie/mayo. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ↑ "Finn Harps 2–0 Mayo League". extratime.ie. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ↑ "EA SPORTS CUP: Galway FC 2–0 Mayo League". extratime.ie. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ↑ "Sligo Rovers 8–0 Mayo League". extratime.ie. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ↑ "Galway United 3–1 Mayo League: Tribesmen beat non-league opponents in EA Sports Cup". www.goal.com. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ↑ "Ireland - List of League Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ↑ "Ireland - List of League Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ↑ "Castlebar Celtic crowned Super League champions". Connaught Telegraph. 11 August 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
- ↑ "Mayo Football League - Elverys Sports Super League". www.mayofootballleague.ie. Retrieved 26 July 2025.