The Cork Athletic Union League, also known as the Cork AUL, is an
association football league featuring amateur and junior clubs from
County Cork. Its top division, the Premier League, is a seventh level division in the
Republic of Ireland football league system. The Cork AUL is currently sponsored by
Murphy's Irish Stout. It is affiliated to the
Munster Football Association. Clubs in the Cork AUL also compete in the
FAI Junior Cup
The FAI Junior Cup is a cup competition organized by the Football Association of Ireland for junior association football clubs from the Republic of Ireland. The inaugural winners were Brideville. The competition's most successful club is Fairvi ...
. Three
League of Ireland clubs –
Cobh Ramblers,
Cork Hibernians and
Albert Rovers – were originally members of the Cork AUL.
History
Inaugural season
The Cork Athletic Union Football League, originally known as the Cork City and County Athletic Union Junior League, was founded in
1947
It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Events
January
* January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...
. Its founding members included two future members of the
League of Ireland,
Cobh Ramblers and
Albert Rovers and the inaugural champions, Mortonville. The other eleven original members were Maymount Rovers, Prospect Rovers, Grattan, Ballinllough, Clapton Celtic, Green Rovers, Blackrock, Mountview, Marine Services, Cork Spinning and Ladyswell Brewery.
Munster Senior League
In addition to
Cobh Ramblers,
Cork Hibernians and
Albert Rovers joining the
League of Ireland, a number of current
Munster Senior League clubs were also originally members of the Cork AUL before switching from junior to intermediate football. Five of the Cork AUL's most successful clubs – Temple United,
Kinsale,
St. Mary's, Wembley and Castleview – all subsequently joined the MSL.
Other clubs to switch from the Cork AUL to the MSL include
Avondale United,
,
,
, Ringmahon Rangers,
Everton and
Rockmount.
Cup competitions
In its inaugural season, 1947–48 the Cork AUL featured three league cup competitions, the City Challenge Cup, the Saxone Cup and the Miniature Cup.
The Cork AUL's main league cup is the AOH Cup which was presented to the league in 1951 by the
Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Clubs in the Cork AUL also compete in the
FAI Junior Cup
The FAI Junior Cup is a cup competition organized by the Football Association of Ireland for junior association football clubs from the Republic of Ireland. The inaugural winners were Brideville. The competition's most successful club is Fairvi ...
. In 1973–74
St. Michael's of
Tipperary won the competition while playing in the Cork AUL. Six other Cork AUL clubs – Castleview, Blackrock, Douglas,
Everton,
St. Mary's and Temple United – have all been finalists. Between 1961–62 and 1965–66 Cork AUL clubs were runners-up in four out of five seasons.
Representative team
The senior Cork AUL representative team competes in the Oscar Traynor Trophy against other representative teams of similar junior leagues. They have won the competition on two occasions, in 1965–66 and again in 2008–09. They were also runners-up in 1994–95.
;FAI Oscar Traynor Trophy
Sponsors
The main sponsors of the Cork AUL are
Murphy's Irish Stout. Other sponsors include the ''
Evening Echo''.
2015–16 clubs
List of winners by season
List of winners by club
References
{{Reflist
Association football in County Cork
7
Association football leagues in Munster
Sports leagues established in 1947
1947 establishments in Ireland
Association football in Cork (city)