Leinster Senior Football Championship

Leinster Senior Football Championship
Current season or competition:
2024 Leinster Senior Football Championship
IrishCraobh Sinsir Peile Laighean
CodeGaelic football
Founded1888; 136 years ago (1888)
RegionLeinster (GAA)
TrophyDelaney Cup
No. of teams11
Title holders Dublin (63rd title)
Most titles Dublin (63 titles)
SponsorsSuperValu, Eir, AIB
TV partner(s)RTÉ
GAAGO
MottoBe there. All the way
Official websiteOfficial website

The Leinster Senior Football Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship and shortened to Leinster SFC, is an annual inter-county Gaelic football competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county Gaelic football competition in the province of Leinster, and has been contested every year since the 1888 championship.

The final, currently held on the fourth Sunday in June, serves as the culmination of a series of games played during May and June, and the results determine which team receives the Delaney Cup. The championship has always been played on a straight knockout basis, whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the championship.

The Leinster SFC is an integral part of the wider All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. The winners of the Leinster SFC final, like their counterparts in Connacht, Munster and Ulster, are rewarded by advancing directly to the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals. Depending on results earlier in the season and elsewhere, some of the defeated teams may advance to the All-Ireland SFC, while other defeated teams play any further games they may have in the Tailteann Cup.

11 teams currently participate in the Leinster SFC. One of the most successful team in Gaelic football, namely Dublin, play their provincial football in this competition, and have won the title on a record 60 occasions, while they have also claimed 30 All-Ireland SFC titles.

The Leinster SFC title has been won at least once by 11 of the Leinster counties, eight of which have won the title more than once. Wicklow are the only team never to have won the title, while three-time winner Kilkenny no longer participate.[1] Dublin, who are also the current champions, have dominated the competition since its beginning.[needs update][2]

  1. ^ O'Riordan, Ian (26 May 2018). "Wicklow football still has a mountain to climb". Irish Times. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  2. ^ Roche, Frank (21 November 2020). "Dublin make it perfect ten in Leinster with facile beating of Meath on emotional night in Croke Park". Irish Independent. Retrieved 24 November 2020.