The 1925 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 39th staging of Ireland's premier Gaelic football knock-out competition. Galway were the winners. 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 was not held in time to produce a team that could compete against the other three provinces in the semi-finals. Mayo was therefore nominated to represent the province. Mayo beat Wexford in the semi final. Kerry beat Cavan in the other semi-final. However, both Kerry and Cavan were disqualified for fielding illegal players. This meant that Mayo were declared champions without the need for a final. However, in the meantime, Galway had defeated Mayo in the Connacht final and this put the GAA in a bind. They withdrew their nomination of Mayo to represent Connacht, and chose Galway as rightful Connacht champions. Thus, Galway became All-Ireland champions. However, this was deemed unsatisfactory by all. The GAA Central Council organised a substitute competition, with Galway taking the rightful place of 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 January 10, 1926.
Results
Connacht Championship
An objection was made and a replay ordered. ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- An objection was made and a replay ordered. ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
Leinster Championship
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Munster Championship
An objection was made and a replay ordered. ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
Ulster Championship
An objection was made and a replay ordered. ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
The Connacht championship was not finished in time, so Mayo were nominated to play in the All-Ireland semi-final. ---- Both teams lodged objections against each other, and both were disqualified. ---- ---- 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. Galway were declared All-Ireland Champions on 5 December 1925. The All-Ireland Championship of 1925 was declared to be finished. 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. 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. ----
Central Council Tournament
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Championship statistics
Miscellaneous
There were a lot of objections draws, replayed and extra time:
- In the Connacht championship saw 3 meetings of Galway vs Leitrim and 6 meetings of Sligo vs Roscommon while in the Munster championship no draw between Kerry vs Tipperary but went to a replay and with Monaghan vs Armagh in the Ulster championship.
Galway became the first Connacht county to win the All Ireland title and first not from Munster or Leinster.