# West Cork League

The West Cork League is an association football league featuring amateur and junior clubs from West Cork. Its top division, the PremierHiSpecCars.com Premier Division, is a seventh level division in the Republic of Ireland football league system. It is affiliated to both the Munster Football Association and the Football Association of Ireland.

## History

The West Cork League was formed in 1978. Before 1978 clubs from West Cork, including Bandon A.F.C. and Clonakilty AFC, played in the Cork Athletic Union League. The founding members of the league included Crookstown, Castletown Celtic, Kileady, Ballinhassig, Our Ladies Hospital and Brinny. In 1990 discussions were held with the Cork Athletic Union League about a possible merger. However the two leagues could not agree. Between 1991 and 1993 the WCL was affiliated with the Munster Senior League. In 1992 Beamish began sponsoring the league. During the 1980s and 1990s membership of the league expanded and by 1997 the WCL featured approximately twenty three clubs. In addition schoolboy, under–18 and ladies leagues were added in the 1990s. The current Ladies League was revived in 2004–05 after a period of inactivity. Drinagh Rangers have been the most successful club since the turn of the century, winning 11 Premier Division titles (and finishing in the top 2 on 15 occasions) and 4 Beamish Cups, with the clubs B team also winning the Division 2 title in the 2018–19 season and 2019-20 season.

## Representative team

In 2005–06 the West Cork League representative team reached the final of the Oscar Traynor Cup but lost 5-0 to the Athletic Union League (Dublin). In 2015 the West Cork League representative team featured Cork GAA player Colm O'Driscoll.

## 2024-25 teams

Premier HiSpecCars.com Premier Division
* Beara United
* Bunratty United
* Castletown Celtic
* Clonakilty Soccer Club
* Drinagh Rangers
* Drinagh Rangers B
* Dunmanway Town
* Mizen AFC
* Sullane
* Togher Celtic

## List of winners
### Premier Division

| Season | Winner | Runners-up |
| 2023-24 | Clonakilty Soccer Club | Drinagh Rangers |
| 2022-23 | Drinagh Rangers | Dunmanway Town |
| 2021-22 | Drinagh Rangers | Dunmanway Town |
| 2020–21 | Cancelled Due To Covid |
| 2019–20 | Drinagh Rangers | Dunmanway Town |
| 2018–19 | Dunmanway Town | Ballydehob |
| 2017–18 | Drinagh Rangers | Lyre Rovers |
| 2016–17 | Dunmanway Town | Drinagh Rangers |
| 2015–16 | Riverside Athletic | Drinagh Rangers |
| 2014–15 | Drinagh Rangers | Clonakilty AFC |
| 2013–14 | Skibbereen | Drinagh Rangers |
| 2012–13 | Drinagh Rangers | Dunmanway Town |
| 2011–12 | Dunmanway Town | Skibbereen |
| 2010–11 | Bunratty United | Skibbereen |
| 2009–10 | Skibbereen | Drinagh Rangers |
| 2008–09 | Drinagh Rangers | Dunmanway Town |
| 2007–08 | Skibbereen | Clonakilty AFC |
| 2006–07 | Drinagh Rangers | Skibbereen |
| 2005–06 | Crossmahon | Bantry Gunners |
| 2004–05 | Drinagh Rangers | Crossmahon |
| 2003–04 | Drinagh Rangers | Crossmahon |
| 2002–03 | Drinagh Rangers | Bunratty United |
| 2001–02 | Bunratty United | Drinagh Rangers |
| 2000–01 | Timoleague | Bunratty United |
| 1999–2000 | Bunratty United | |
| 1998–99 | Timoleague | |
| 1997–98 | Bunratty United | |
| 1996–97 | Bunratty United | |
| 1995–96 | Crossmahon | |
| 1994–95 | Togher Celtic | |

### Division 1

| Season | Winner | Runners-up |
| 2023-24 | Castletown Celtic | Drinagh Rangers B |
| 2022-23 | Sullane | Beara United |
| 2021-22 | Bunratty United | Castletown Celtic |
| 2020-21 | Cancelled Due To Covid |
| 2019–20 | Spartak Mossgrove | Mizen AFC |
| 2018–19 | Durrus | Mizen AFC |
| 2017–18 | Bunratty United | Clonakilty Town |
| 2016–17 | Spartak Mossgrove | Lyre Rovers |
| 2015–16 | Ballydehob | Bay Rovers |
| 2014–15 | Bunratty United | Leeside |
| 2013–14 | Mizen AFC | Clonakilty Town |
| 2012–13 | Crookstown | Cloughduv |
| 2011–12 | Togher Celtic | Sullane |
| 2010–11 | Bay Rovers | Crookstown |
| 2009–10 | Molaga Celtic | Droumree Dynamos |
| 2008–09 | Togher Celtic | Bunratty United |
| 2007–08 | Aultagh Celtic | Ardfield |
| 2006–07 | Crookstown | Clonakilty AFC |
| 2005–06 | Dunmanway Town | Skibbereen B |
| 2004–05 | Old Chapel Celtic | Lyre Rovers |
| 2003–04 | Bantry Gunners | Durrus |
| 2002–03 | Dunmanway Town | Sullane |
| 2001–02 | Ballydehob | Ilen Celtic |

### Division 2

| Season | Winner | Runners-up |
| 2021-Present | Merged With Division 1 | |
| 2020-21 | Cancelled Due To Covid | |
| 2019–20 | Drinagh Rangers B | Castletown Celtic |
| 2018–19 | Drinagh Rangers B | Baltimore |
| 2017–18 | Lyre Rovers B | Sullane |
| 2016–17 | Clonakilty Town | Durrus |
| 2015–16 | Lyre Rovers | Spartak Mossgrove |
| 2014–15 | Ballydehob | Bay Rovers |
| 2013–14 | Kilmichael Rovers | Bunratty United |
| 2012–13 | Mizen AFC | Castletown Celtic |
| 2011–12 | Lyre Rovers | Rosscarbery |
| 2010–11 | Sullane | Cloughduv |
| 2009–10 | Baltimore | Crookstown |
| 2008–09 | Molaga Celtic | Rosscarbery |
| 2007–08 | Castletown Celtic | Droumree Dynamos |
| 2006–07 | Ardfield | Rosscarbery |
| 2005–06 | Clonakilty AFC | Aultagh Celtic |
| 2004–05 | Courtmacsherry | Castlelack |
| 2003–04 | Lyre Rovers | Bay Rovers |
| 2002–03 | Caheragh Celtic | Lissarda |
| 2001–02 | Gurrane Celtic | Bantry Gunners |

### Beamish Cup

| Season | Winner | Runners-up |
| 2023-24 | Clonakilty Soccer Club | Drinagh Rangers |
| 2022-23 | Dunmanway Town | Bunratty United |
| 2021-22 | Lyre Rovers | Clonakilty Soccer Club |
| 2020-21 | Dunmanway Town | Clonakilty Soccer Club |
| 2019–20 | Dunmanway Town | Clonakilty Town |
| 2018–19 | Togher Celtic | Drinagh Rangers |
| 2017–18 | Drinagh Rangers | Lyre Rovers |
| 2016–17 | Drinagh Rangers | Bay Rovers |
| 2015–16 | Crookstown | Dunmanway Town |
| 2014–15 | Dunmanway Town | Crookstown |
| 2013–14 | Drinagh Rangers | Crookstown |
| 2012–13 | Riverside Athletic | Clonakilty AFC |
| 2011–12 | Rosscarbery | Skibbereen |
| 2010–11 | Bunratty United | Mizen AFC |
| 2009–10 | Bunratty United | Drinagh Rangers |
| 2008–09 | Ballydehob | Ardfield |
| 2007–08 | Clonakilty AFC | Bunratty United |
| 2006–07 | Drinagh Rangers | Aultagh Celtic |
| 2005–06 | Bantry Gunners | Bunratty United |
| 2004–05 | Leeside | Ardfield |
| 2003–04 | Dunmanway Town | Gurrane Celtic |
| 2002–03 | Dunmanway Town | Timoleague |
| 2001–02 | Crossmahon | Drinagh Rangers |

### Number of Trophies Won By Club

The following list displays the number of trophies won by each West Cork club since the turn of the century:
| Club | No. of Trophies |
| Drinagh Rangers | 27 |
| Bunratty United | 15 |
| Dunmanway Town | 14 |
| Crookstown | 8 |
| Skibbereen | 8 |
| Ballydehob | 7 |
| Bantry Gunners | 6 |
| Castletown Celtic | 6 |
| Togher Celtic | 5 |
| Mizen AFC | 5 |
| Drinagh Rangers B | 5 |
| Lyre Rovers | 5 |
| Ardfield | 4 |
| Bay Rovers | 4 |
| Durrus | 4 |
| Molaga Celtic | 3 |
| Clonakilty AFC | 3 |
| Leeside | 3 |
| Clonakilty Town | 3 |
| Clonakilty Soccer Club | 3 |
| Crossmahon | 2 |
| Kilmichael Rovers | 2 |
| Riverside Athletic | 2 |
| Courtmacsherry | 2 |
| Spartak Mossgrove | 2 |
| Sullane | 2 |
| Gurrane Celtic | 1 |
| Aultagh Celtic | 1 |
| Lyre Rovers B | 1 |
| Old Chapel Celtic | 1 |
| Castlelack | 1 |
| Rosscarbery | 1 |
| Baltimore | 1 |
| Dunmanway Town B | 1 |
| Caheragh Celtic | 1 |

## List of Defunct Clubs

The following displays a list of clubs who have become defunct or have left the West Cork League:
* Club
* Ballydehob
* Bantry Gunners
* Belgooly
* Bridge Side Celtic
* Caheragh Celtic
* Clonakilty AFC
* Clonakilty Town
* Cloughduv
* Crookstown
* Crossmahon
* Droumree Dynamos
* Durrus
* Gurrane Celtic
* Harbour United
* Ilen Celtic
* Knockavilla
* Leeside
* Molaga Celtic
* Old Chapel Celtic
* Pike Rovers
* Rosscarbery
* Timoleague