# Cardinal O'Donnell Cup

The Cardinal O'Donnell Cup is an annual senior league competition organised by Louth GAA for the Division 1 teams in Gaelic football in County Louth.

## Format

All 12 teams play each other once, with the top four traditionally qualifying for the semi-final stage. The semi-final victors then face off in the final of the competition. There is also relegation to Division 2 for the worst-performing team(s).

## Trophy

The winning team is presented with the Cardinal O'Donnell Cup, named after Patrick O'Donnell, who was Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland from 1924 until his death in October 1927.
The trophy, which was donated to the County Board of Louth GAA by the Cardinal in 1926, is a replica of the Ardagh Chalice. The inaugural winners of the competition were Wolfe Tones of Drogheda.

## Roll of Honour

| # | Team | Wins | Years won |
| 1 | Cooley Kickhams | 15 | 1936, 1937, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1989, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 |
| 2 | Newtown Blues | 14 | 1933, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1977, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2005, 2010, 2018, 2022 |
| 3 | St Mary's | 13 | 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1971, 1975, 1991, 2002, 2021, 2024 |
| 4 | Clan na Gael | 10 | 1929, 1982, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000 |
| 5 | Dundalk Young Irelands | 6 | 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1978 |
| 5 | St Patrick's | 6 | 1999, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 |
| 7 | Stabannon Parnells | 5 | 1945, 1950, 1951, 1995, 1998 |
| 7 | Wolfe Tones | 5 | 1927, 1928, 1931, 1934, 1935 |
| 9 | Roche Emmets | 4 | 1958, 1960, 1961, 2001 |
| 10 | Dundalk Gaels | 3 | 1942, 1943, 1944 |
| 11 | Mattock Rangers | 2 | 2011, 2015 |
| 11 | Naomh Máirtín | 2 | 2017, 2019 |
| 11 | Oliver Plunketts | 2 | 1957, 1959 |
| 11 | Dreadnots | 2 | 1988, 2016 |
| 15 | O'Raghallaighs | 1 | 1973 |
| 15 | St Fechin's | 1 | 1985 |
| 15 | St Bride's | 1 | 1968 |
| 15 | St Mochta's | 1 | 2023 |
| 15 | Kilkerley Emmets | 1 | 1980 |
| 15 | Glyde Rangers | 1 | 1932 |
| 15 | Boyne Rangers | 1 | 1930 |

## Finals

‡ winners also won Louth Senior Football Championship that year
§ Title awarded to St Mary's after objection. Oliver Plunketts fielded an ineligible player
| Year | Winner | Score | Opponent | Score | Final Venue |
| 2024 | ‡ St Mary's | 1-15 | St Mochta's | 1-12 | Stabannon |
| 2023 | St Mochta's | 0-12 | Naomh Máirtín | 0-11 | Darver |
| 2022 | Newtown Blues | 0-11 | St Mary's | 1-07 | Darver |
| 2021 | St Mary's | - | A Final was not played | - | - |
| 2020 | Cancelled (COVID-19) | Cancelled (COVID-19) | Cancelled (COVID-19) | Cancelled (COVID-19) | Cancelled (COVID-19) |
| 2019 | Naomh Máirtín | 2-19 | St Mary's | 1-12 | The Grove |
| 2018 | ‡ Newtown Blues | 2-10 | Naomh Máirtín | 1-08 | Gaelic Grounds |
| 2017 | Naomh Máirtín | 0-18 (AET) | Dreadnots | 1-10 | The Grove |
| 2016 | Dreadnots | 2-15 | Geraldines | 1-16 | Stabannon |
| 2015 | Mattock Rangers | 1-12 | St Patrick's | 0-14 | Páirc Uí Mhuirí |
| 2014 | ‡ St Patrick's | 1-10 | Dreadnots | 1-06 | Clan na Gael Park |
| 2013 | St Patrick's | 1-17 | Cooley Kickhams | 2-05 | St Brigid's Park |
| 2012 | ‡ St Patrick's | 0-18 | O'Connells | 0-08 | St Brigid's Park |
| 2011 | Mattock Rangers | 3-13 (AET) | Dreadnots | 2-12 | McGeough Park |
| 2010 | Newtown Blues | 0-15 | Kilkerley Emmets | 0-09 | McGeough Park |
| 2009 | St Patrick's | 0-12 (Replay) | Newtown Blues | 1-08 | McGeough Park |
| 2008 | Cooley Kickhams | 1-07 | Newtown Blues | 0-08 | Clan na Gael Park |
| 2007 | Cooley Kickhams | 0-08 (Replay) | Naomh Malachi | 0-06 | Clan na Gael Park |
| 2006 | Cooley Kickhams | 1-06 | Glyde Rangers | 0-08 | St Brigid's Park |
| 2005 | Newtown Blues | 0-11 | Cooley Kickhams | 0-07 | Páirc Na nGael |
| 2004 | Cooley Kickhams | 1-10 | Glyde Rangers | 0-07 | Clan na Gael Park |
| 2003 | ‡ St Patrick's | 0-13 | St Bride's | 1-07 | Clan na Gael Park |
| 2002 | St Mary's | 1-05 | Mattock Rangers | 0-04 | Gaelic Grounds |
| 2001 | Roche Emmets | 1-09 | St Patrick's | 0-08 | St Brigid's Park |
| 2000 | Clan na Gael | 2-05 (Replay) | Cooley Kickhams | 1-06 | St Brigid's Park |
| 1999 | St Patrick's | 1-14 | Cooley Kickhams | 0-09 | St Brigid's Park |
| 1998 | Stabannon Parnells | 0-08 | Newtown Blues | 0-05 | Páirc Mhuire |
| 1997 | Clan na Gael | 1-08 (Replay) | Newtown Blues | 1-05 | The Grove |
| 1996 | Clan na Gael | 1-12 | St Patrick's | 0-03 | St Brigid's Park |
| 1995 | Stabannon Parnells | 0-11 | St Joseph's | 0-07 | The Grove |
| 1994 | Clan na Gael | 3-07 | Dundalk Gaels | 1-11 | St Brigid's Park |
| 1993 | ‡ Clan na Gael | 2-07 (Replay) | Stabannon Parnells | 1-08 | St Brigid's Park |
| 1992 | ‡ Clan na Gael | 0-12 | Newtown Blues | 1-05 | The Grove |
| 1991 | St Mary's | 1-11 | Stabannon Parnells | 0-04 | Knockbridge |
| 1990 | Clan na Gael | 1-09 | St Mary's | 0-06 | Cluskey Park |
| 1989 | ‡ Cooley Kickhams | 0-06 | St Patrick's | 0-05 | St Brigid's Park |
| 1988 | Dreadnots | 0-13 | St Mary's | 2-04 | The Grove |
| 1987 | ‡ Clan na Gael | 1-08 | Dreadnots | 0-05 | The Grove |
| 1986 | ‡ Newtown Blues | 0-10 | Clan na Gael | 1-04 | Páirc Mhuire |
| 1985 | St Fechin's | 0-09 | Cooley Kickhams | 1-03 | McGeough Park |
| 1984 | Newtown Blues | 0-08 | Dundalk Young Irelands | 0-03 | McGeough Park |
| 1983 | Cooley Kickhams | 2-07 | Clan na Gael | 0-07 | St Brigid's Park |
| 1982 | Clan na Gael | 2-10 | Newtown Blues | 0-04 | The Grove |
| 1981 | ‡ Newtown Blues | 2-11 | Kilkerley Emmets | 1-05 | Cluskey Park |
| 1980 | Kilkerley Emmets | 1-09 | Cooley Kickhams | 2-05 | Clan na Gael Park |
| 1979 | Cooley Kickhams | 1-07 | Clan na Gael | 1-06 | St Brigid's Park |
| 1978 | Dundalk Young Irelands | 1-11 | St Mary's | 0-04 | Páirc Mochta |
| 1977 | Newtown Blues | 2-09 | Roche Emmets | 2-05 | The Grove |
| 1976 | ‡ Cooley Kickhams | 2-10 | Newtown Blues | 1-09 | Clan na Gael Park |
| 1975 | ‡ St Mary's | w/o | O'Raghallaighs | scr. | Páirc Uí Mhuirí |
| 1974 | Cooley Kickhams | 1-14 | St Mary's | 1-06 | Knockbridge |
| 1973 | O'Raghallaighs | 1-11 | St Bride's | 0-06 | Páirc Mhuire |
| 1972 | Cooley Kickhams | 3-08 (Replay) | Newtown Blues | 2-05 | Knockbridge |
| 1971 | St Mary's | 1-07 | O'Raghallaighs | 1-05 | Páirc Uí Mhuirí |
| 1970 | Cooley Kickhams | 4-03 | Newtown Blues | 2-05 | The Grove |
| 1969 | ‡ Newtown Blues | 1-08 | Mattock Rangers | 1-05 | The Grove |
| 1968 | St Bride's | 1-10 (Replay, AET) | St Mary's | 0-07 | Páirc Mochta |
| 1967 | Cooley Kickhams | - | A Final was not played | - | - |
| 1966 | Cooley Kickhams | 2-08 | Newtown Blues | 1-10 | St Brigid's Park |
| 1965 | Newtown Blues | 3-08 | Clan na Gael | 1-07 | Páirc Uí Mhuirí |
| 1964 | ‡ Newtown Blues | 1-10 | O'Raghallaighs | 1-05 | Gaelic Grounds |
| 1963 | ‡ Newtown Blues | 3-07 | Roche Emmets | 0-05 | The Grove |
| 1962 | ‡ Newtown Blues | 1-15 | Roche Emmets | 0-05 | Knockbridge |
| 1961 | Roche Emmets | 1-10 | Newtown Blues | 1-05 | St Brigid's Park |
| 1960 | Roche Emmets | 3-04 | Newtown Blues | 1-09 | Knockbridge |
| 1959 | Oliver Plunketts | 0-06 | Roche Emmets | 0-03 | Páirc Mhuire |
| 1958 | ‡ Roche Emmets | 2-07 | Darver Volunteers | 0-04 | Knockbridge |
| 1957 | ‡ Oliver Plunketts | 1-04 | Dundalk Young Irelands | 0-05 | Knockbridge |
| 1956 | ‡ St Mary's | 0-06 | Dundalk Young Irelands | 0-05 | Athletic Grounds |
| 1955 | ‡ St Mary's | 2-08 | Stabannon Parnells | 1-04 | Athletic Grounds |
| 1954 | § St Mary's | 1-07 | Oliver Plunketts | 1-08 | Gaelic Grounds |
| 1953 | St Mary's | - | A Final was not played | - | - |
| 1952 | St Mary's | 3-09 | St Magdalene's | 2-03 | Gaelic Grounds |
| 1951 | Stabannon Parnells | 2-07 | Dundalk Young Irelands | 0-07 | Stabannon |
| 1950 | Stabannon Parnells | 2-03 | Dundalk Gaels | 1-00 | The Grove |
| 1949 | St Mary's | 3-03 | Dundalk Young Irelands | 1-05 | Páirc Mhuire |
| 1948 | Dundalk Young Irelands | 2-10 | St Mary's | 2-05 | Athletic Grounds |
| 1947 | St Mary's | w/o | Clan na Gael | scr. | Gaelic Grounds |
| 1946 | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled |
| 1945 | Stabannon Parnells | 0-05 | St Magdalene's | 0-04 | Athletic Grounds |
| 1944 | Dundalk Gaels | 0-07 | St Magdalene's | 0-02 | Athletic Grounds |
| 1943 | Dundalk Gaels | 1-06 | St Bride's | 1-05 | Athletic Grounds |
| 1942 | ‡ Dundalk Gaels | 1-06 | St Bride's | 1-03 | Athletic Grounds |
| 1941 | ‡ Dundalk Young Irelands | 3-07 | Darver Young Irelands | 1-01 | The Grove |
| 1940 | ‡ Dundalk Young Irelands | 1-05 | Glyde Rangers | 1-03 | The Grove |
| 1939 | Dundalk Young Irelands | 3-03 | Darver Young Irelands | 1-03 | Athletic Grounds |
| 1938 | ‡ Dundalk Young Irelands | 2-05 | Wolfe Tones | 1-03 | Athletic Grounds |
| 1937 | Cooley Kickhams | 1-06 | Wolfe Tones | 1-04 | Gaelic Grounds |
| 1936 | Cooley Kickhams | 3-06 | Wolfe Tones | 1-01 | Athletic Grounds |
| 1935 | Wolfe Tones | 1-04 | St Magdalene's (Drogheda) | 1-03 | Gaelic Grounds |
| 1934 | Wolfe Tones | 0-07 | Newtown Blues | 0-03 | Gaelic Grounds |
| 1933 | ‡ Newtown Blues | 1-04 | Glyde Rangers | 1-02 | Athletic Grounds |
| 1932 | Glyde Rangers | 2-03 | Newtown Blues | 1-01 | Gaelic Grounds |
| 1931 | ‡ Wolfe Tones | 2-06 | Newtown Blues | 1-06 | Gaelic Grounds |
| 1930 | ‡ Boyne Rangers | 4-03 | Wolfe Tones | 1-02 | Gaelic Grounds |
| 1929 | Clan na Gael | 3-02 | Wolfe Tones | 0-03 | Athletic Grounds |
| 1928 | Wolfe Tones | 0-06 | Boyne Rangers (Drogheda) | 0-01 | Gaelic Grounds |
| 1927 | Wolfe Tones | 1-07 | Gardaí | 0-06 | Gaelic Grounds |