# 1987–88 National Football League (Ireland)

The 1987–88 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Royal Liver National Football League, was the 57th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.
Meath won the league, beating Dublin in a replayed final.

## Format
### Divisions

* Division One: 8 teams
* Division Two: 8 teams
* Division Three: 16 teams. Split into two regional groups of 8 (North and South)

### Round-robin format

Each team played every other team in its division (or group where the division is split) once, either home or away.

### Points awarded

2 points were awarded for a win and 1 for a draw.

### Titles

Teams in all three divisions competed for the National Football League title.

### Knockout stage qualifiers

* Division One: top 4 teams
* Division Two: top 2 teams
* Division Three (North): group winners
* Division Three (South): group winners

### Knockout phase structure

In the quarter-finals, the match-ups were as follows:
* Quarter-final 1: First-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Three (South)
* Quarter-final 2: Second-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Three (North)
* Quarter-final 3: Third-placed team in Division One v Second-placed team in Division Two
* Quarter-final 4: Fourth-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Two
The semi-final match-ups are:
* Semi-final 1: Winner Quarter-final 1 v Winner Quarter-final 4
* Semi-final 2: Winner Quarter-final 2 v Winner Quarter-final 3
The final match-up is: Winner Semi-final 1 v Winner Semi-final 2.

### Promotion and relegation

* Division One: bottom 2 teams demoted to Division Two
* Division Two: top 2 teams promoted to Division One. Bottom 2 teams demoted to Division Three.
* Division Three (North): group winners promoted to Division Two.
* Division Three (South): group winners promoted to Division Two.

### Separation of teams on equal points

In the event that teams finish on equal points, then a play-off will be used to determine group placings if necessary, i.e. where to decide relegation places or quarter-finalists.

## League Phase Results and Tables
### Division One
#### Table

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Status |
| Dublin | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 12 | Advance to quarter-finals |
| Meath | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 10 | Advance to quarter-finals |
| Monaghan | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | Advance to quarter-finals |
| Derry | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | Advance to quarter-finals |
| Armagh | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Kerry | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Mayo | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Relegated to Division Two of the 1988–89 NFL |
| Cork | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | Relegated to Division Two of the 1988–89 NFL |

### Division Two

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Status |
| Down | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 11 | Advance to quarter-finals; promoted to Division One of the 1988–89 NFL |
| Donegal | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 11 | Advance to quarter-finals; promoted to Division One of the 1988–89 NFL |
| Galway | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
| Kildare | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
| Roscommon | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
| Cavan | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Clare | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | Relegated to Division Three of the 1988–89 NFL |
| Laois | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | Relegated to Division Three of the 1988–89 NFL |

### Division Three (South)
#### Promotion play-offs
#### Division Three (North) table

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Status |
| Louth | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 13 | Advance to quarter-finals; promoted to Division Two of the 1988–89 NFL |
| Antrim | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 10 | |
| Tyrone | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
| Fermanagh | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
| Leitrim | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
| Offaly | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | |
| Westmeath | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | |
| Sligo | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | |

#### Division Three (South) table

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Status |
| Longford | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | Advance to quarter-finals; promoted to Division Two of the 1988–89 NFL |
| Limerick | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | |
| Tipperary | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | |
| Wexford | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | |
| Wicklow | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
| Carlow | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | |
| Waterford | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | |
| Kilkenny | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | |

### Division Three Final

| GK | 1 | Niall O'Donnell (Clan na Gael) |
| RCB | 2 | Pat Matthews (St Mary's) |
| FB | 3 | David Mulligan (St Joseph's) |
| LCB | 4 | Stephen Melia (John Mitchels) |
| RHB | 5 | Dessie Callaghan (Newtown Blues) |
| CHB | 6 | Martin McCann (Dundalk Young Irelands) |
| LHB | 7 | Peter Fitzpatrick (Clan na Gael) (c) |
| MF | 8 | Séamus O'Hanlon (Clan na Gael) |
| MF | 9 | Gerry Curran (Clan na Gael) |
| RHF | 10 | Kevin Gorham (Dundalk Young Irelands) |
| CHF | 11 | Paul Reneghan (Geraldines) |
| LHF | 12 | Brendan McEntee (Oliver Plunketts) |
| RCF | 13 | Johnny McDonnell (St Fechin's) |
| FF | 14 | Richie Culhane (Newtown Blues) |
| LCF | 15 | Kevin Dawe (Dreadnots) |
| Substitutes: ||
| | 16 | Vincent Litchfield (Kilkerley Emmets) for Dawe |
| GK | 1 | Christy Grogan |
| RCB | 2 | Gerry Fox (Seán Connollys) |
| FB | 3 | John Toher (Killoe Young Emmets) |
| LCB | 4 | Seán O'Shea (Civil Service, Dublin) |
| RHB | 5 | Cathal Lee (Colmcille) |
| CHB | 6 | Joe McCabe (Ballymahon) |
| LHB | 7 | Mickey Harkins (St. Mary's) |
| MF | 8 | Mark McNamara (Mostrim) |
| MF | 9 | Francis McNamee (Fr. Manning Gaels) |
| RHF | 10 | Gerry Clarke (Forgney) |
| CHF | 11 | Philip Kiernan (St Patrick's) (c) |
| LHF | 12 | John Keegan (St Patrick's) |
| RCF | 13 | Mickey O'Hara (Mostrim) |
| FF | 14 | Dessie Barry (Longford Slashers) |
| LCF | 15 | John McCormack (Killoe Young Emmets) |
| Substitutes: ||
| | 16 | Declan Rowley (Killoe Young Emmets) for Clarke |

## Knockout stage
### Quarter-final

| GK | 1 | Mickey McQuillan (St Patrick's) |
| RCB | 2 | Robbie O'Malley (St Colmcille's) |
| FB | 3 | Mick Lyons (Summerhill) |
| LCB | 4 | Terry Ferguson (Gaeil Colmcille) |
| RHB | 5 | Kevin Foley (Trim) |
| CHB | 6 | Liam Harnan (Moynalvey) |
| LHB | 7 | Martin O'Connell (St Michael's) |
| MF | 8 | Liam Hayes (Skryne) |
| MF | 9 | Gerry McEntee (Nobber) |
| RHF | 10 | David Beggy (Navan O'Mahonys) |
| CHF | 11 | P.J. Gillic (Carnaross) |
| LHF | 12 | Brendan Reilly (Dunboyne) |
| RCF | 13 | Colm O'Rourke (Skryne) |
| FF | 14 | Brian Stafford (Kilmainhamwood) |
| LCF | 15 | Bernard Flynn (St Colmcille's) |
| Substitutes: ||
| | 16 | Frank Foley (Trim) for Harnan |
| | 17 | Mattie McCabe (Seneschalstown) for Beggy |
| GK | 1 | Niall O'Donnell (Clan na Gael) |
| RCB | 2 | Pat Matthews (Oliver Plunketts) |
| FB | 3 | David Mulligan (St Joseph's) |
| LCB | 4 | Stephen Melia (John Mitchels) |
| RHB | 5 | Dessie Callaghan (Newtown Blues) |
| CHB | 6 | Martin McCann (Dundalk Young Irelands) |
| LHB | 7 | Peter Fitzpatrick (Clan na Gael) (c) |
| MF | 8 | Séamus O'Hanlon (Clan na Gael) |
| MF | 9 | Gerry Curran (Clan na Gael) |
| RHF | 10 | Eugene Judge (Newtown Blues) |
| CHF | 11 | Paul Reneghan (Geraldines) |
| LHF | 12 | Davie McDonnell (Dundalk Gaels) |
| RCF | 13 | Jimmy McDonnell (Civil Service, Dublin) |
| FF | 14 | Richie Culhane (Newtown Blues) |
| LCF | 15 | Kevin Dawe (Dreadnots) |
| Substitutes: ||
| | 16 | Cathal O'Hanlon (Clan na Gael) for Judge |