History: All Ireland

All Ireland Junior

Galway won the very first Junior All Ireland that was played by beating Cork in 1985.

Mayo made history as they were the first Connacht team to play in Croke Park in 1987 where they beat Wexford in the final. The following year Leitrim won by beating London in the Junior All Ireland to rejoin the Senior ranks once again where they had won many Senior provincial titles in the early eighties.

In 1998 Roscommon reached the All Ireland only to be beating by Louth, Roscommon returned once again to Croke Park in 2001 and this time brought glory to their County by beating Kildare. 2000 saw Galway in the final against Down, Down won this encounter by two points.

In two years 2002, Galway make a return visit to Croke Park to take on the Ladies from Donegal and let there be no elusions Galway had no intentions of coming home empty handed where they had a run away win of ten points in the end, the score board read 2-17 for Galway with 2-7 for Donegal.

Galway, Clare and London are the only three Counties that have won two Junior titles each.

As I said earlier Sligo were the last County to join up in Connacht, they too have fought for Junior glory where in 2004 they met Kildare in Croke Park, Kildare were crowned All Ireland Champions. Sligo returned once again to the big stage in 2005, this time they suffered another blow where Armagh defeated them.

Sligo ladies had no intentions of hanging up their boots and returned once again in 2006 to try and bring The West County Hotel Cup back to Sligo.

Amazing to see two County Connacht teams competing for the same competition on All Ireland Final stage in Croke Park. Third time luck for Sligo, as they became the new All Ireland champions in 2006.

All Ireland Intermediate

Intermediate first began in 1997 this replaced the B Championship. Our first team to reach a final was Roscommon in 2005 where Down were their opponents and Roscommon brought the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup West. 2006 no intermediate championship took place. In 2007 the championship was revamped and for the first year we had a triple headed in Croke Park Leitrim met Wexford in the final and here The Wild Rose County Ladies were crowned champions when they won the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup. On this historic day for Leitrim Maeve Quinn and Eimear McGlade played a leading roll on taking this title as the cup is named after their mother and grandmother respectively.

All Ireland Senior Championship

At Senior grade Galway were first off the mark as they were our first County to play in the second Senior All Ireland of 1975 but Tipperary beat them to take their second All Ireland. Roscommon two years later reached the All Ireland and were beaten by Cavan. The following year 1978 Roscommon again played in the final, this time against Tipperary, here our blue and amber girls made history and conquered the first senior All Ireland title for the West.

It wasn't until 1984 that we were represented again in our next All Ireland where the girls from lovely Leitrim met Kerry where Kerry made it three in a row.

For the next fifteen years the greats of Kerry, Waterford and Monaghan shared the Brendan Martin cup, until our new kids on the block took the stage in 1999 where Mayo beat Waterford.

Mayo was the last All Ireland team to walk up and down the steps of the old Hogan Stand. Diana O'Hora from Ballina was the Mayo captain.

Mayo had a repeat contest in 2000 again with Waterford; Mayo did the business to claim their second All Ireland.

Mayo were going for three in row in 2001 but Laois had other things in mind and put a stop to their gallop to claim their first All Ireland after many years of trying.

Now there's no stopping this Mayo team and returned to the big stage again in 2002 to make a fourth appearance, this time their opposition was Monaghan. As the nation watched and over thirty thousand spectators in Croke Park to witness 

Mayo made amends for the previous year, their hunger, skill and experience when Christina Heffernan lifted Brendan Martin and took him across the Shannon once again.

The game ended Mayo 0-12, Monaghan 1-8.

2003 Mayo this time and for the first time played Dublin in the final, experience again gave Mayo a back to back title.

2004 saw Galway and Dublin in the final and the tribe's ladies took their first Senior title. Galway again in 2005 carrying the can on behalf of Connacht and returned to Croke Park with high hopes for another crown only to be defeated by Cork who had made the journey for the first time.

In 2006 both Galway and Mayo ended their run at this grade at quarterfinal stages.

Once again Cork defeated Mayo. Galway took Armagh to a replay but were beaten the second day.

Mayo the Senior Connacht champions for 2007 made another journey to the capital to face Cork who were hoping to take their third consecutive title, and this they did with a five-point margin to spare over Mayo.

All Ireland Senior B Championship

1991 saw the beginning of the B Championship. Galway was crowned champions in 1992 and Mayo in 1993. This B Cup was in honour of the late Mary Quinn from Aughawillan in Leitrim.

All Ireland Aisling McGing Championship Tournament

The first crowned champions of this competition were Cork in 2007 when they defeated Dublin. Aisling McGing was a very talented young lady from Killawalla Westport who played here club football with Carnacon and county with Mayo. We sadly lost Aisling on 19th July 2003 (RIP) as she was making here way to McHale Park in Castlebar to cheer her two sisters Michelle and Sharon as they played Galway in the Connacht Senior championship. To date Cork and Dublin met in all five finals with Cork taken four of the five titles and Dublin taking the 2010 title.