Galway's 1925 All-Ireland Senior Football Champions To Be Honoured with Centenary Commemoration in November

A Galway 1925 All-Ireland Football Champions Centenary Commemoration will take place in Ballinasloe on Saturday, 15^th November, starting with mass in St. Michael’s Church, before refreshments in Gullanes Hotel afterwards.

The Ballinasloe club played a major role in that squad, as events both on and off the field, resulting in Galway’s first ever title.  Twenty of the 24-man squad played for the club with Corofin, Moylough, Kilbannon, Mountbellew and Dunmore also represented.

Three members of the organising committee John Egan, Willie Tully and Joey Walsh joined Ollie Turner in studio today to look ahead to the event, and look back on Galway’s historic success.

If anybody has any information that will help the committee putting together information on players, or Galway's 1925 All-Ireland senior football championship success, please email [email protected]

Galway 1925 Centenary Commemoration Committee Members John Egan, Willie Tully and Joey Walsh with the Connacht, All-Ireland and Substitute Competition Medals won by Galway's seniro footballers in 1925

Letter from Tom Keating

The championship has become known for the farcical manner in which the title was awarded. There was no 1925 All-Ireland Football Final.

The Connacht final had not been held by the time the All-Ireland semi-finals were played; Mayo were nominated to represent the province. In the semi-finals, Mayo beat Wexford and Kerry beat Cavan. However, both Kerry and Cavan were disqualified for fielding illegal players. This meant that Mayo were declared champions without the need for a final. Following this, however, Galway defeated Mayo in the Connacht final. Galway were therefore proclaimed All-Ireland champions on December

Following protests from Galway, Kerry and Mayo, the GAA Central Council organised a substitute competition between the four provincial champions, with Galway as Connacht champions. However, Kerry complained that their semi-final victory over Cavan should stand in this new competition. When the GAA insisted that it should not stand, Kerry withdrew, leaving Cavan to automatically proceed to the final. Galway beat Wexford in their semi-final 3-4 to 1-1 in Croke Park and then defeated Cavan 3-2 to 1-2 in the final of that tournament, which was played on 10^th January 1926

Connacht Championship 1925

Quarter Final:

Roscommon 2-4 Sligo 2-2 (Objection and Replay ordered)

Roscommon 1-5 Sligo 1-5 AET (1^st Replay)

Roscommon 1-3 Sligo 0-6 (2^nd Replay)

Roscommon 2-0 Sligo 0-6 (3^rd Replay)

Roscommon 1-5 Sligo 1-3 (Objection and Replay ordered)

Sligo 2-3 Roscommon 0-2 (5^th Replay)

Semi-Finals:

Galway 1-1 Leitrim 1-1

Galway 1-4 Leitrim 2-1 AET (1^st Replay)

Galway 1-4 Leitrim 0-5 (2^nd Replay)

Mayo 2-6 Sligo 1-6 (October 4^th)

Final:

Galway 1-5 Mayo 1-3 in Tuam (October 18^th)

Back row (l-r): (Ballinasloe unless stated): Fr Hughes, Leonard McGrath, Frank Benson, Sonny Burke, Mick Brennan, Bartley Murray, Paddy Ganley, John Egan, Gilbey Jennings, Jack Deeley, Larry Raftery, Jack Fry, Tom McGrath, Jack Brennan.
Second Row: Mick Bannerton (Mountbellew), Mick Donnellan (Dunmore MacHales), Tom Leetch, Tom Molloy (Corofin), Frank Walsh, Willie Smith, Denis Egan.
Front Row: Harry Burke (Moylough), Mick Walsh ©, Paddy Roche.

The Galway 1925 All-Ireland Football Champions Centenary Commemoration will take place in Ballinasloe on Saturday, 15^th November, starting with mass in St. Michael’s Church, followed by refreshments in Gullanes Hotel afterwards.