Inishowen Football League
Encyclopedia
The Inishowen Football League (IOFL) is an amateur league for football clubs. There are two divisions in the main league and the reserves league. 17 towns compete in the league, 9 in the Premier Division, and 8 in the First Division operating a promotion
and relegation system. The season runs from September to May time. The league is featured in much of Inishowen's media like the Inish Times
and the Inishowen Independent
.
The divisions are sponsored by different companies and corporations. The top division is called the Jackie Crossan Premier, and the lower division is called the Strand Hotel First Division. The current champions are Clonmany Shamrocks who won in the 2010/2011 season. Many teams compete in the North West Champions League and the FAI Junior Cup
. People of Inishowen
enjoy the league, and games have usually good attendance. The league has been growing in popularity and is known as one of the best football leagues in Donegal
and Ulster
.
The league gave people a great chance to socialise and have fun on weekends. The league has grown a lot since its founding and is known as one of the most successful leagues in Co. Donegal
.
First. The divisions are aided with a promotion and relegation system. The first and second placed teams of the Strand Hotel First is promoted to the Premier Division, while the two bottom teams of the Jackie Crossan Premier are relegated to the Strand Hotel First.
, which features 600-plus teams from around the country. Teams who do well in the Jackie Crossan Premier are invited to compete against other clubs from around Ulster
. Teams from the Inishowen Football League have been competing in the cup for a long time and continue still.
compete in a league and knockout format competition that runs the length of the season. The final is hosted at the Brandywell Stadium
The players of the league consist of many people from around Inishowen
. The league also has its own ladies league. Players are free to join which ever team they want before the season starts. Players cannot switch teams during the regular season unless they request a transfer
from the league. There have been a lot of local people that have a reputation
for playing in the league. Most of these people stay in the league after their playing careers, and move on to management
of a club.
The league has some of the finest players in Ulster
, most of these include goalkeepers and strikers. Some of the leagues young talent have also appeared in try outs for playing in the Irish youth teams.
For cup finals or any other tournament the league is involved with, Maginn Park is were these games are held. Maginn Park is located in Buncranna, and is serving as one of the most important pitches in the league.
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
and relegation system. The season runs from September to May time. The league is featured in much of Inishowen's media like the Inish Times
Inish Times
The Inish Times is a local Irish newspaper based in Buncrana in Donegal's Inishowen peninsula. It serves the Inishowen area and is also sold in nearby areas such as Derry and Letterkenny...
and the Inishowen Independent
Inishowen Independent
The Inishowen Independent is a local newspaper in County Donegal, Ireland. The paper was launced in March 2007 and is printed on a Tuesday. The paper covers the Inishowen peninsula area in the north of the county and competes against the Inish Times and the Inishowen edition of the Derry Journal...
.
The divisions are sponsored by different companies and corporations. The top division is called the Jackie Crossan Premier, and the lower division is called the Strand Hotel First Division. The current champions are Clonmany Shamrocks who won in the 2010/2011 season. Many teams compete in the North West Champions League and the FAI Junior Cup
FAI Junior Cup
The FAI Junior Cup is a football competition organised by the Football Association of Ireland. It is regarded as one of the biggest competitions at the junior level in European football....
. People of Inishowen
Inishowen
Inishowen is a peninsula in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in the north of Ireland. It is also the largest peninsula in all of Ireland. Inishowen is a picturesque location with a rich history...
enjoy the league, and games have usually good attendance. The league has been growing in popularity and is known as one of the best football leagues in Donegal
Donegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
and Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
.
The League
The Inishowen Football leagues was formed in the 1988 with people representing their towns to play in small tournaments and of course the main league itself.The league gave people a great chance to socialise and have fun on weekends. The league has grown a lot since its founding and is known as one of the most successful leagues in Co. Donegal
Donegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
.
| Club | Titles |
|---|---|
| Cockhill Celtic | 5 |
| Clonmany Shamrocks | 5 |
| Redcastle United | 4 |
| Quigley's Point Swifts | 3 |
| Illies Celtic | 3 |
| Culdaff FC | 1 |
| Newtown FC | 1 |
| Moville Celtic | 1 |
League Format
The league is split up into 4 divisions, 2 divisions in the first team leagues, and 2 divisions in the reserves league. The top league is called the Jackie Crossan Premier Division, and the first division is called the Strand Hotel First. The 2 reserve leagues are sponsored by Inishowen Engineering. There are 9 clubs in the Jackie Crossan Premier, and 8 in the Strand HotelStrand Hotel
The Strand is a Victorian-style hotel located in Yangon, Myanmar , built in 1896 by Aviet and Tigran Sarkie, two of the Sarkies Brothers. The hotel, which opened in 1901, which faces the Hlaing — or Yangon — River to its south, is one of the most famous hotels in Yangon and Southeast Asia, and is...
First. The divisions are aided with a promotion and relegation system. The first and second placed teams of the Strand Hotel First is promoted to the Premier Division, while the two bottom teams of the Jackie Crossan Premier are relegated to the Strand Hotel First.
Jackie Crossan Premier Division
- Aileach FC
- Carndonagh FC
- Clonmany Shamrocks
- Cockhill Celtic Youths
- Glengad United
- Greencastle FC
- Moville Celtic
- Quigley's Point Swifts
- Redcastle United
Strand Hotel First Division
- Buncrana Hearts Reserves
- Carrowmena FC
- Culdaff FC
- Dunree United
- Gleneely Colts
- Illies Celtic
- Moville Celtic Reserves
- Rashenny FC
Inishowen Engineering Reserves Premier Division
- Aileach Reserves
- Carndonagh Reserves
- Clonmany Reserves
- Cockhill Celtic Reserves
- Glengad Reserves
- Illies Celtic Reserves
- Quigley's Point Swifts Reserves
- Sea Rovers FC
Inishowen Engineering Reserves First Division
- Carrowmena Reserves
- Cockhill Colts
- Culdaff Reserves
- Dunree United Reserves
- Gleneely Colts Reserves
- Greencastle Reserves
- Rashenny Reserves
- Redcastle United Reserves
Honours - Premier League Winners
Cockhill Celtic & Clonmany Shamrocks have won the most titles with five championships apiece. The Cockhill Celtic first team now compete in the Ulster Senior League.- 2010/11 - Clonmany Shamrocks
- 2009/10 - Redcastle United
- 2008/09 - Redcastle United
- 2007/08 - Clonmany Shamrocks
- 2006/07 - Redcastle United
- 2005/06 - Redcastle United
- 2004/05 - Cockhill Celtic
- 2003/04 - Illies Celtic
- 2002/03 - Illies Celtic
- 2001/02 - Clonmany Shamrocks
- 2000/01 - Clonmany Shamrocks
- 1999/2000 - Cockhill Celtic
- 1998/99 - Culdaff FC
- 1997/98 - Moville Celtic
- 1996/97 - Quigley's Point Swifts
- 1995/96 - Newtown FC
- 1994/95 - Clonmany Shamrocks
- 1993/94 - Quigley's Point Swifts
- 1992/93 - Quigley's Point Swifts
- 1991/92 - Cockhill Celtic
- 1990/91 - Cockhill Celtic
- 1989/90 - Illies Celtic
- 1988/89 - Cockhill Celtic
West End League Cup
This cup competition is fought out between the Premier and First Division teams in a mini league and then knockout format. This competition begins prior to the start of the league and played out through the season.Credit Union Cup
This cup competition is played between teams from the Premier and First Divisions in a knockout format only.Hannon Greene Father O'Gara Cup
The Father O'Gara Cup is one of the most famous and historic competition in the league. The format is every team from the Strand Hotel first division, and the two Reserve Divisions compete against one another in a knockout format. The first teams reserve squad may compete against one another if they are drawn to play. Mainly it has been the Strand Hotel division teams that make the final. The competition lasts all the way through the season and is very popular throughout the peninsula.Reserve League Shield
This competition is played between the Reserves Premier and Reserve First Division teams in a mini league and then knockout format. It is not taken as seriously as the O'Gara Cup, but many teams show great fight to get ready for the upcoming season.FAI Junior Cup
Teams from the Premier and First Divisions take part in the FAI Junior CupFAI Junior Cup
The FAI Junior Cup is a football competition organised by the Football Association of Ireland. It is regarded as one of the biggest competitions at the junior level in European football....
, which features 600-plus teams from around the country. Teams who do well in the Jackie Crossan Premier are invited to compete against other clubs from around Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
. Teams from the Inishowen Football League have been competing in the cup for a long time and continue still.
Northwest Champions League
The top four teams in the Inishowen Premier League and the Northwest Saturday Morning League from the Derry and District LeagueDerry and District League
The Derry and District League is an amateur football league in Derry. The league includes youth and senior football teams. The Senior Sunday League has two divisions, the Premier and the First Division. The Youth Leagues have one league for each age group, from under-10 up to under-17. Teams such...
compete in a league and knockout format competition that runs the length of the season. The final is hosted at the Brandywell Stadium
Brandywell Stadium
The Brandywell Stadium is a municipal dual-use football and greyhound racing stadium located in Derry, Northern Ireland.-Location, features and history:...
Players
Inishowen
Inishowen is a peninsula in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in the north of Ireland. It is also the largest peninsula in all of Ireland. Inishowen is a picturesque location with a rich history...
. The league also has its own ladies league. Players are free to join which ever team they want before the season starts. Players cannot switch teams during the regular season unless they request a transfer
Transfer (football)
In professional association football, a transfer is the action taken whenever a player under contract moves between professional clubs. It refers to the transferring of a player's registration from one professional association football club to another. In general, the players can only be...
from the league. There have been a lot of local people that have a reputation
Reputation
Reputation of a social entity is an opinion about that entity, typically a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria...
for playing in the league. Most of these people stay in the league after their playing careers, and move on to management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
of a club.
The league has some of the finest players in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, most of these include goalkeepers and strikers. Some of the leagues young talent have also appeared in try outs for playing in the Irish youth teams.
Football Pitches
Facilities for playing football matches in the league have improved rapidly over the last number of years. The most improved is Culdaff F.C's Caratra Park. After the addition of floodlights, Culdaff now play their home games on Saturday nights. The new addition saw a high attendance in Caratra Park on the first game they were played under them. Club houses with changing rooms and showers have been added to nearly every park. The club houses also provide a great place for local community events and team events such as meetings and local lotteries.For cup finals or any other tournament the league is involved with, Maginn Park is were these games are held. Maginn Park is located in Buncranna, and is serving as one of the most important pitches in the league.