Country | Ireland |
---|---|
Founded | 1954 |
Divisions | Elverys Sports Super League Welcome Inn Hotel Premier A Welcome Inn Hotel Premier B Welcome Inn Hotel League One Westaro Masters League Division One Westaro Masters League Division Two Arcon Recruitment Mayo 7's |
Level on pyramid | 7–12 |
Domestic cup(s) |
FAI Junior Cup Connacht Junior Cup Connacht Junior Shield |
League cup(s) | Connacht Gold Cup Connacht Gold Shield Westaro Cup Tuohy Cup Tonra Cup McDonnell Cup |
Current champions | Westport United |
Website | Official website of Mayo AFL |
The 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. The two top divisions – the Super League and the Premier Division – are sponsored by Elverys Sports and Welcome Inn Hotel respectively. 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.
In 1954 Westport Town, Barcastle, Quay Hearts and Castlebar Celtic became the founder members of the Mayo Association Football League. Castlebar Celtic finished the inaugural season as champions and, together with Westport United, they went on to become the league's most successful clubs. During the late 1970s and early 1980s the winners of the league played off against the winners of other Connacht junior leagues for the Michael Byrne Cup. 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. It is currently known as the Connacht Gold Cup. The league originally operated an autumn/winter schedule but a summer season was introduced in May 1994 and it kicked off the following July. The top division became known as the Super League from the 1999 season onwards.
A 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 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.