The 1925 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 39th staging of Ireland's premier Gaelic football knock-out competition. Galway were the winners.[1][2][3]
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 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.[4]
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 defeated Cavan in the final of that tournament, which was played on 10 January 1926.[4]
The Connacht championship was not finished in time, so Mayo were nominated to play in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Kerry
1-7 – 2-3
Cavan
Tralee
Attendance: 5000
Both teams lodged objections against each other, and both were disqualified.
Mayo
2-4 – 1-4
Wexford
Croke Park, Dublin
With both Kerry and Cavan disqualified, Mayo now had no opponent to play in the All-Ireland final. And when Galway defeated Mayo in the Connacht final, the GAA decided to award the All-Ireland title to Galway.[5]
Galway were declared All-Ireland Champions on 5 December 1925. The All-Ireland Championship of 1925 was declared to be finished.[6]
A substitute competition was organised by Central Council. Kerry, Cavan, Wexford and Galway were invited to participate. Kerry wanted their victory over Cavan to stand, but when they were ordered to replay it, they withdrew in protest.[7][8]
Galway won the substitute competition, but this game had no bearing on their status as All-Ireland Champions. They entered the final game as All-Ireland Champions and the match had no bearing on the destination of the title.
There were a number of replays, mostly due to draws, but on some occasions resulting from objections: in the Connacht championship Galway met Leitrim three times and Sligo met Roscommon six times (once after a disputed result); in the Munster championship the Kerry vs Tipperary match went to a replay due to a disputed result; and in the Ulster championship Monaghan vs Armagh was also replayed following an objection.
Galway became the first Connacht county to win the All Ireland title and first not from Munster or Leinster.