ANTRIM
CARGIN have won seven of the last nine in Antrim and thus they will start every summer now as undisputed favourites until somebody finds a way to take that tag off them.
There was a fair bit of shadow-boxing went on towards the end of an ultra-busy league campaign but St Brigid’s will have taken a lot out of winning a first ever Division One title, especially the fact that it was Cargin they beat in the final.
Ronan Devlin’s reigning championship winners have been easing through the gears but their big names have played a fair bit of league football too.
Portglenone won the league last season and the signing of former Derry forward Enda Lynn has added a bit more to their attack.
Creggan have been steady under Joe Cassidy and St Gall’s had a major resurgence in the league, finishing fifth, and both find themselves in the group of death with St Brigid’s and Aghagallon.
Dunloy, last year’s beaten finalists, have been away plying their trade in Division Two but keep senior championship status, although losing their hurling crown last year might shift a bit more of the focus back there.
Odds: Cargin 2/1, Creggan 5/1, Portglenone 5/1
Format: The plight around Dunloy potentially being relegated having reached last year’s final prompted a rethink. 14 teams is now 16, split more evenly into four groups of four where previously there had been two groups of three. Top two through from each group, with teams having one home, one away and one neutral game.
Start date: This weekend
Final: October 13
Draw
Group One: Dunloy, Lamh Dhearg, St Enda’s, Aldergrove
Group Two: Cargin, O’Donovan Rossa, Tir na nÓg, St John’s
Group Three: Portglenone, Ahoghill, Glenravel, Moneyglass
Group Four: St Brigid’s, St Gall’s, Aghagallon, Creggan
This week’s fixtures
Friday: Dunloy v Aldergrove (7.30pm), Portglenone v Ahoghill (7.30pm)
Saturday: Lamh Dhearg v St Enda’s (5pm), Tir na nÓg v St John’s (5pm), Cargin v Rossa (5pm)
Sunday: Glenravel v Moneyglass (2pm), St Brigid’s v St Gall’s (2pm), Aghagallon v Creggan (5pm)
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ARMAGH
THE league only finishes in Armagh this Friday night and it’s just as well given all that’s happened in the last month.
Counties that have won All-Irelands tend to end up with fairly crammed club championships and for fixture makers, the balance will have to be struck between giving the county men time to enjoy it and giving the rest their place.
Championship is currently set to begin in two weeks’ time with the first round of group games on the weekend of August 16-18, leading to a final on October 19-20, although it remains to be seen if those dates change.
A draw on Friday night at home to third-placed Silverbridge will hand Clann Eireann the league title.
The Lurgan men won it in 2021 but lost a semi-final to their town rivals Clan na Gael last season, paving the way for back-to-back Crossmaglen titles.
Cross are, as ever, favourites.
A fit, fresh and pacy Madden side with a fit-again Niall Grimley could be the dark horses behind those two.
Odds: Crossmaglen 4/7, Clann Eireann 7/2, Madden 10/1
Format: Four groups of four, for which the draw has not yet been made. Top team straight into the quarter-finals, second v third in preliminary playoffs for the other spots in the last eight, bottom team in each group out.
Start date: August 16-18
Final: October 19/20
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CAVAN
TRYING to predict what will ever happen in the Cavan championship is a waste of my time and yours.
Crosserlough had taken on the mantle of being hot favourites at a stage last year but were beaten in the semi-final by back-to-back winners Gowna, who overcame Kingscourt in the final.
Paddy Lynch’s absence from the Crosserlough attack could be significant.
Last week saw 2021 champions Ramor United beat Gowna in the league final to mark their ambitions, although the championship holders were down a good few.
No team has won a league and championship double in Cavan since Castlerahan in 2019.
There does seem to at least be a defined top five of Gowna, Crosserlough, Cavan Gaels, Ramor and Kingscourt. Anything outside that winning a championship would be considered a surprise, even in Cavan.
Odds: Gowna 2/1, Crosserlough 9/4, Cavan Gaels 11/2
Format: They brought the world this off-the-wall system of 12 teams each playing four games each in one big group, completely unseeded and unscripted, with the draw for the next round of fixtures made at the end of the previous round. Top eight into the quarter-finals, bottom four out.
Start date: August 16-18
Final: October 19/20
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DERRY
ALL-Ireland club champions Glen begin the defence of their title in Owenbeg on Saturday evening with a derby against their nearest and dearest Slaughtneil, although the nature of the format will take some of the sting out of that game.
Danny Tallon, Ryan Dougan and Jack Doherty are all back home after spells travelling. They’ve eased into gear through the group stage the last couple of seasons so it might be hard to get a read on them until knockout starts.
Slaughtneil will be expected to get out of the group with them. The other two qualification spots will be scrapped over by league champions Kilrea, second-placed Dungiven, last year’s league winners Bellaghy and Swatragh.
Last year’s beaten finalists Magherafelt will get out of Group Two ok and be fancied to test Glen’s credentials again somewhere down the line. Newbridge will miss Padraig McGrogan while the Loup have taken an upturn since Declan McVey took over as manager mid-season.
Lavey played intermediate league football and cruised back into Division One.
It does feel a bit like a three-horse race between Glen, Slaughtneil and Magherafelt, with the Watties clear favourites again.
Odds: Glen 1/4, Slaughtneil 5/1, Magherafelt 9/1
Format: Another year, another new system. Two groups of six this time, each playing two home games, two away and one neutral. Top four in each group go into the quarter-finals, bottom two in each into relegation playoffs.
Start date: This weekend
Final: October 27
Draw
Group One: Slaughtneil, Glen, Dungiven, Kilrea, Bellaghy, Swatragh
Group Two: Magherafelt, Newbridge, The Loup, Lavey, Steelstown, Ballinascreen
This week’s fixtures
Friday: Kilrea v Bellaghy (8.15pm), Ballinascreen v Steelstown (8pm)
Saturday: Ballinascreen v The Loup (3.30pm), Swatragh v Dungiven (5.30pm), Glen v Slaughtneil (7.15pm)
Sunday: Newbridge v Lavey (5pm)
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DONEGAL
CAN anyone find the formula to wrestle the Dr Maguire Cup off Naomh Conaill?
They’ve won back-to-back titles, four of the last five and been in every final bar one since 2015. Each year people queue up to tell them that surely their run is over now, that there have to be too many miles on the clock, but they keep on defying it.
Martin Regan remains in charge and provided the increased demands of their year with Donegal has filled rather than emptied the tanks of their county men, they’ll take stopping again.
Just over a week ago they cruised to another Division One title, beating Gaoth Dobhair comfortably in a repeat of last year’s championship final.
The Magheragallon outfit are almost a completely new team from the one that won Ulster in 2018 but it’s to St Eunan’s, again, that most people will direct their gaze for a contender.
Letterkenny’s finest host Naomh Conaill in the second game of the league phase, a reverse of when they met in the Glenties last year.
MacCumhaill’s were led to a semi-final by Oisin Gallen last year and are young enough to keep improving.
Glenswilly, with Michael Murphy available all year, will feel they’re back in with a real shout, and Kilcar will be determined to prove that their time is not up.
Odds: Naomh Conaill 7/4, St Eunan’s 7/4, Kilcar 9/2
Format: Something similar to Cavan’s, only with 16 teams. All in for the group stage, although they’ve drawn the first two rounds of fixtures rather than just one, and do seed theirs. Top four teams after four games each go into the quarter-finals, with 5th through 12th playing in preliminary quarters and the bottom four going out.
Start date: August 10-11
Final: October 12/13
Draw
Round One: St Eunan’s v Kilcar, Cloughaneely v Naomh Conaill, St Michael’s v Killybegs, St Naul’s v Glenswilly, Four Masters v Gaoth Dobhair, Glenfin v Dungloe, MacCumhaills v Ardara, Aodh Ruadh v Downings
Round Two: Killybegs v MacCumhaills, Dungloe v Aodh Ruadh, Kilcar v St Naul’s, Downings v Four Masters, Gaoth Dobhair v Glenfin, Ardara v St Michael’s, Glenswilly v Cloughaneely, Naomh Conaill v St Eunan’s
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DOWN
LAST year’s success was so emphatic that it moved the barriers back on when people expected that Kilcoo’s winning run might finally cease.
They’ve built freshness into the team over the past few seasons and amid the furore around the final against Burren, they produced such a polished and focussed display that it became a huge surprise when Scotstown knocked them out of Ulster.
Burren, Warrenpoint and Carryduff have all reached finals in the last few years and it’s still the case that if anyone else wins it, it’s likely to come from that trio.
Carryduff are top going into the final round of league fixtures this weekend, where they’re at home to Mayobridge.
Burren, under Eoin McCartan and Stevie O’Hare, have Brendan Hackett with them, a former Dublin championship winning boss with Ballymun, and will be hell-bent on their long run of underage successes starting to bear fruit soon at senior level.
Odds: Kilcoo 5/6, Burren 4/1, Carryduff 10/1
Format: Seemed such a good format that the GAA have taken it and want to use it for the All-Ireland. Everyone in for round one. Win your first two games and you’re in the quarters. Win one and lose one, you get a third bite. Lose twice and you’re out. That’s the simplified explanation.
Start date: August 22-26
Final: October 13
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FERMANAGH
DERRYGONNELLY came roaring back to reclaim the title from Enniskillen Gaels last year but with Declan Bonner at the helm, Erne Gaels remain determined to muscle in on any notions of a big two.
The former Donegal manager was a high-profile appointment in January and he brought Paul Brennan with him to try and push them over the line after losing the last two finals.
They were beaten by Derrygonnelly last year after having knocked the Gaels, holders at the time, out in the semi-final.
Derrygonnelly were down a number of key men when they met in Brewster Park in the league a fortnight ago, but the manner of the Gaels’ 22-point victory raised more than just a few eyebrows.
There are still two games to play in the league, after which the finishing positions will determine the draw for the championship group stage.
Odds: Derrygonnelly 11/8, Enniskillen Gaels 2/1, Erne Gaels 11/2
Format: Just eight teams involved so two groups of four that will be determined by league position. Group A will be the teams finishing 1st, 4th, 5th and 8th in the league, and Group B will be the remaining four. One home, one away, one neutral. Top team straight into a semi-final, second against third in the quarter-finals, and the bottom team in the two groups facing off in a relegation playoff.
Start date: August 30-31
Final: October 20
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MONAGHAN
THE relatively short summer of the Monaghan county team lends a league table that makes it ever harder to see how Scotstown’s grip will be loosened in 2024.
Their representation on the county team meant it took them a long time to blast off the cobwebs last year, to the point where they were almost relegated from Division One and largely scratched their way through Monaghan.
Darren Hughes is a huge loss to them and that will provide some chink of light.
While Ballybay took it off them two years ago, there was a sense that it was close to the end of their cycle and that it would be Inniskeen and Latton and Corduff who would come with the challenge in the next few years.
Clontibret always stay about too although it’s now five years since they last won it. Conor McManus kicked very little ball all year for Monaghan and if he’s fresh, they might see an avenue.
It was Inniskeen beaten in last year’s decider and with that day behind them, John McEntee will hope they can go one further for the first time since 1948.
Odds: Scotstown 8/15, Inniskeen 9/2, Clontibret 15/2
Format: Two groups of five. Top team into the semi-finals, second and third play-off, with fourth and fifth into relegation playoffs.
Start date: August 10-11
Final: October 27
Draw
Group A: Scotstown, Ballybay, Aughnamullen, Corduff, Cremartin
Group B: Inniskeen, Clontibret, Latton, Donaghmoyne, Killanny
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TYRONE
THE big challenge right now for everyone in Tyrone is trying to get through a punishing schedule of league games as unscathed as possible.
With clubs refusing to relent on the number of games without county men, capped at five, they’ve ended up each having seven games to play in the next 25 days – one every three-and-a-half days on average – in order to get the regulation league finished before championship.
Throw in the added complication of Tyrone’s winners being drawn in the preliminary round of the Ulster Club, snatching another precious weekend away and leaving them needing to be finished by the end of October.
The landscape has changed slightly even in the few weeks since the draw for round one was made.
At the time it seemed a decent path back to the final for holders Trillick but Dungannon’s All-Ireland 7s title – emulating the Reds’ success last year – and the unbeaten table-topping form of Galbally have changed the look of it.
Edendork ran the winners to a point last year as well and with Armagh’s All-Ireland winning coach Conleith Gilligan still in charge, they’ll fancy it too.
Carrickmore v Dromore is the obvious standout tie of the round, with Omagh-Killyclogher and the derby of Coalisland and Clonoe sure to be worth seeing.
Trillick – bear in mind they won it last year without Mattie Donnelly – and Errigal Ciaran will be in most people’s thoughts but 18 years have passed since anyone retained it, so don’t go putting the house on anyone.
Oh, and they’ve reintroduced replays from the first round onwards, eliminating extra-time and penalties.
Odds: Errigal Ciaran 7/4, Trillick 5/1, Dungannon 7/1
Format: No messing. Straight knockout, as always.
Draw
Round One: Omagh v Killyclogher, Carrickmore v Dromore, Errigal Ciaran v Pomeroy, Coalisland v Clonoe, Trillick v Eglish, Ardboe v Edendork, Loughmacrory v Galbally, Dungannon v Donaghmore
Start date: September 5-8
Final: October 20
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COUNTY FINALS DIARY
October 12/13: Antrim, Donegal, Down
October 19/20: Fermanagh, Armagh*, Cavan, Tyrone
October 26/27: Monaghan, Derry
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ULSTER CLUB SFC
November 3: Tyrone v Donegal
November 10: (1) Fermanagh v Monaghan, (2) Down v Cavan, (3) Derry v Armagh, (4) Tyrone/Donegal v Antrim
November 24: Semi-finals: 1v2, 3v4
December 8: Final