Connacht Champions, Mayo, retained their title in 1916 and defeated Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final at Athlone. The game was refixed by Central Council after Cork had objected to the legality of a Mayo player Bernard Durkan. Mayo won the refixture 1-2 to 1-1 and the county went on to contest it's first All-Ireland Football Final, but they came up against the great Wexford 'four-in-a-row' team, losing the final by 3-4 to 1-2.
Mayo surrendered their Connacht crown to Galway in 1917, losing by 1-4 to 1-1 in a final refereed by Leitrim County Board Secretary, John Flynn. Despite the 1918 ban on GAA games, the Connacht Council proceeded with the provincial Championship and Mayo recaptured the title, defeating keen rivals Galway by 0-4 to 0-1 with future GAA president Dan O'Rourke as referee. Hopes of reaching the ALl-Ireland final were dashed by 2-2 to 1-4 victory for Tipperary in the semi-final.

The Galway-Mayo dominance in Connacht saw these counties contest the 1919 'Midland Great Western Railway' competition final with a gate of £82. Again they drew 2-2 to 1-5, with Mayo winning the replay 1-4 to 0-1.