The 1938–39 National Football League was the 12th staging of the National Football League, an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

30 counties participated in the league, with Kilkenny and Fermanagh being the non-participants."New draws in National Football League", Irish Independent, 25 October 1938, p. 16

Mayo won the league for the sixth consecutive season, beating Meath in the final.Mayo results archive

Format

There were seven groups.

Group A had originally been drawn with five teams. When Mayo entered, they were added to Group A, which was then split into two sections for the round-robin stage."New draws in National Football League", Irish Independent, 25 October 1938, p. 16

The winners of Groups A, B and C qualified automatically for the semi-final.,"How They Stand Now", Irish Independent, 27 February 1939, p. 13"What the results now mean"; Irish Independent, 27 March 1939, p.10

The winners of Groups D, E, F and G played off for the remaining semi-final place

Results and Tables

Group A

Section One play-offs

Section Two

Group Final

Section One Table TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 2 1 0 1 2 Advance to Knockout Stage 2 1 01 2 2 1 0 1 2

Section Two Table TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 2 1 1 0 4 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 11 0

Laois were awarded full points for their draw v Offaly, as Offaly were late fielding out."How They Stand Now", Irish Independent, 27 February 1939, p. 13

Group B

TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 4 4 0 0 8 Advance to Semi-final 4 2 1 1 5 4 2 11 5 4 1 03 2 4 0 04 0 "What the results now mean"; Irish Independent, 27 March 1939, p.10

Group C

Play-Off

TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 6 4 2 0 10Advance to Knockout Stage 6 4 2 0 10 6 3 30 9 6 2 13 5 6 2 04 4 6 1 05 2 6 1 05 2 "What the results now mean"; Irish Independent, 27 March 1939, p.10

Group D

TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 2 2 0 0 4 Advance to inter-group play-offs 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 01 0

Group E

TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 2 2 0 0 4 Advance to inter-group play-offs 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 01 0

Group F

TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 2 2 0 0 4 Advance to inter-group play-offs 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 01 0

Group G TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 2 2 0 0 4 Advance to inter-group play-offs 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 01 0

Inter-group play-offs

Semi-finals

Final

Semi-finals

National League Final

References