Sligo GAA - History

History

Due to a much smaller population than both County Galway or County Mayo, the two dominant forces in the province, together with competition from professional League of Ireland soccer team Sligo Rovers in the county's capital town, Sligo's Gaelic football team have never been able to break free of the shackles inherent in the provincial championship format. They have a paltry three Connacht championships to their name, won at virtually fifty-year gaps in 1928, 1975 and 2007. The continuation of such a run should see the Connacht title return to Sligo at some point in the middle of the 21st century.

In 1922, Sligo defeated Galway in the final of that year's Connacht Senior Football Championship (played in 1923) and subsequently defeated Tipperary to qualify for the 1922 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. However an objection from Galway led to the Connacht decider being replayed; Sligo lost. Sligo met the same fate in the inaugural National Football League campaign of 1926, beating Laois to reach the final only for Laois to object and Sligo to lose the replay, rendering Sligo the unique gift of having qualified for an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final and a National Football League Final, without ever having contested either.

Since the 2001 introduction to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship of a "back-door" system, Sligo football, despite its appalling historical record, has enjoyed some noteworthy, though modest, success. The new format, together with a prolonged period of competing in Division 1 of the National Football League, helped bring about an upward turn in the county's fortunes. In 2002, having narrowly lost the Connacht Senior Football Final to Galway – then All-Ireland Senior Football Champions – Sligo went on to defeat Tyrone in Croke Park, turning over a seven-point deficit in one of the matches of the decade. A similar comeback against eventual All-Ireland Senior Football Champions Armagh two weeks later set the county and the championship alight; however, when Sligo had legitimate claims for a penalty in injury time of the replay turned down, Armagh went on to win the 2002 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Orchard County's first – and thus far only – such title. On 8 July 2007, Sligo won the Connacht Senior Football Championship following a one point victory over Galway. This was their first time to win the Championship since 1975. On 27 June 2010, Sligo hosted Galway in a game which Sligo led 1–8 to 0–2 at halftime but were shocked by an undeserved draw ending 1–10 each. The replay saw Sligo defeat the Tribesmen on the scoreline 1–14 to 0–16 to advance to the Connacht Senior Football Final. Once there, after all their hard work and continued misfortune, Roscommon defeated them by 0–14 to 0–13.

The county Vocational Schools team reached two All-Ireland finals in 1962 and 1963, losing both to Dublin City.

Four Sligo players have won All-Stars – Mickey Kearns of St. Pat's (1971), Barnes Murphy of St. Mary's (1974), Eamonn O'Hara of Tourlestrane (2002), and Charlie Harrison of St. John's (2010). Sligo's club football scene is not dominated by any single team; there have been no back-to-back winners since the St. Patrick's team of 1988 & 1989