1977–78 National Football League (Ireland)

The 1977–78 National Football League was the 47th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

1977–78 National Football League

League details
Dates	October 1977 – 23 April 1978
League champions
Winners	Dublin (5th win)
Captain	Tony Hanahoe
Manager	Tony Hanahoe
League runners-up
Runners-up	Mayo
Captain	John P Keane[1]
Manager	Johnny Carey
← 1976–77 1978–79 →

Dublin beat Mayo in the final.[2][3][4]

Format

Group stage

Division One (North)

Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Notes
Mayo	5	4	1	0	9	Qualified for Knockout Stages
Cavan	5	3	0	2	6
Roscommon	5	2	1	2	5
Tyrone	5	2	1	2	5
Antrim	5	1	1	3	3
Derry	5	1	0	4	2	Relegated to Division Two of the 1978–79 NFL

[5]

Division One (South)

Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Notes
Dublin	5	5	0	0	10	Qualified for Knockout Stages
Kildare	5	3	1	1	7
Cork	5	2	0	3	4
Galway	5	2	0	3	4
Kerry	5	1	1	3	3
Offaly	5	1	0	4	2	Relegated to Division Two of the 1978–79 NFL

Division Two (North)

Group A Play-offs

Armagh v Down

22 January 1978 For 1st Place

Armagh

2-9 — 2-7

Down

Castleblaney

Down v Louth

29 January 1978 For 2nd Place

Down

1-11 — 0-5

Louth

Castleblaney

Group B Play-offs

Donegal v Fermanagh

22 January 1978 For 1st Place

Donegal

0-13 — 0-10

Fermanagh

Ballybofey

Inter-Group Play-offs

Armagh v Fermanagh

5 February 1978 Semi-Final

Armagh

2-7 — 0-7

Fermanagh

Omagh

Down v Donegal

5 February 1978 Semi-Final

Down

3-9 — 1-6

Donegal

Dungannon

Down v Armagh

19 February 1978 Final

Down

2-7 — 1-3

Armagh

Castleblaney

Group A Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Notes
Armagh	4	3	0	1	6
Down	4	3	0	1	6	Qualified for Knockout Stages; promoted to Division One of the 1978–79 NFL
Louth	4	3	0	1	6
Westmeath	4	1	0	3	2
Antrim	4	0	0	4	0

Group B Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Notes
Donegal	4	3	0	1	6
Fermanagh	4	3	0	1	6
Leitrim	4	2	0	2	4
Sligo	4	2	0	2	4
Longford	4	0	0	4	0

Division Two (South)

Group A Play-offs

Laois v Meath

22 January 1978 For 1st Place

Laois

4-8 — 1-12

Meath

Tullamore

Group B Play-offs

Wicklow v Carlow

29 January 1978

Wicklow

3-5 — 2-7

Carlow

Athy

Inter-Group Play-offs

Wexford v Meath

5 February 1978 Semi-Final

Wexford

3-10 — 1-7

Meath

Newbridge

Laois v Wicklow

5 February 1978 Semi-Final

Laois

4-16 — 1-7

Wicklow

Athy

Laois v Wexford

5 March 1978 Final

Laois

1-12 — 1-6

Wexford

Carlow

Group A Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Notes
Laois	4	3	0	1	6	Qualified for Knockout Stages; promoted to Division One of the 1978–79 NFL
Meath	4	3	0	1	6
Tipperary	4	2	0	2	4
Clare	4	2	0	2	4
Limerick	4	0	0	4	0

Group B Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Notes
Wexford	4	4	0	0	8
Carlow	4	3	0	1	6
Wicklow	4	2	0	2	4
Waterford	4	1	0	3	2
Kilkenny	4	0	0	4	0

Knockout stage

Quarter-Finals

17 March 1978

Laois	W – L	Cavan

Croke Park, Dublin

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17 March 1978

Down	D – D	Kildare

Croke Park, Dublin

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26 March 1978
Replay

Down	1-15 – 1-11 a.e.t.	Kildare

Croke Park, Dublin

Semi-Finals

2 April 1978

Dublin	0-12 – 0-7	Laois

Croke Park, Dublin

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9 April 1978

Down	0-8 – 0-10	Mayo

Croke Park, Dublin

Final

23 April 1978

Dublin	2-18 – 2-13	Mayo

Croke Park, Dublin

Attendance: 39,623[6]

Referee: Jimmy Dennigan (Cork)[7]

References

1. "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
2. GAA Final Teams
3. Mayo Archive 1978
4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-12-19. Retrieved 2015-07-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. "GAA Results and Tables", Irish Independent, 5 December 1977, p. 11
6. "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
7. "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151