ANTRIM
Since being promoted to Division Three under now Errigal Ciaran boss Enda McGinley, Antrim have held their ground, thanks in large part to current boss Andy McEntee.
A final day victory over Wicklow to secure survival was perhaps a little too close for comfort last year, having beaten Offaly and Limerick early doors.
Andy McEntee hasn’t been the biggest advocate for the new rules. Could that potentially be an indicator of where they’re at?
The Saffrons’ Tailteann Cup win against Fermanagh in 2024 tees up a nice Ulster derby in Brewster Park in round two.
Manager
Andy McEntee
Last year
Fifth in Division Three. Made second consecutive Tailteann Cup semi-final.
Fixtures: Clare (H), Fermanagh (A), Offaly (A), Leitrim (H), Laois (A), Sligo (H), Kildare (A).
CLARE
There will be much expectation on Peter Keane after last year petered out for Clare. Mark Fitzgerald lasted just one season at the helm, and though The Banner just missed out on promotion, Kerry, Donegal and Tyrone all beat them heavily in the championship.
For a side that had been sticking in Division Two and qualifying for All-Ireland quarter-finals, it was rather un-Clare like, but if anyone knows pressure it would be Kerryman Keane, whose Kingdom side were beaten after an All-Ireland final replay in 2019 as Dublin made it five-in-a-row.
Manager
Peter Keane
Last year
Third in Division Three. Made Sam Maguire race after Munster final defeat. Knocked out in group phase.
Fixtures: Antrim (A), Leitrim (H), Fermanagh (H), Sligo (A), Kildare (H), Laois (A), Offaly (H).
FERMANAGH
2025 marks Kieran Donnelly’s fourth season in charge since replacing Ryan McMenamin. A challenge victory in Louth was a healthy sign, as was a narrow defeat to Monaghan in Tempo at the weekend.
Darragh McGurn is back fit for The Ernemen having missed much of 2024. He was a key figure in their promotion in 2023 and looks to be suited to the new rules as an out and out inside forward.
Ulster University’s Josh Largo-Ellis and Ronan McCaffrey are among their stars that will have Sigerson commitments however.
Manager
Kieran Donnelly
Last year
Relegated from Division Two in seventh. Beaten by Antrim in Tailteann Cup quarter-final.
Fixtures: Kildare (A), Antrim (H), Clare (A), Offaly (H), Sligo (H), Leitrim (A), Laois (H).
KILDARE
It’s a tricky position for Brian Flanagan in his first season in charge. If he fails to win Division Three, it will be deemed a failure.
Daniel Flynn looks like the type of player who can really thrive under the new rules. 2023 All-Star nominee Ben McCormack is another man with forward prowess in white, while 2025 could be the year Jimmy Hyland finally announces himself on the national stage.
Fermanagh’s round two win over Kildare was where things started to unravel last year.
This time it’s round one in Newbridge.
Manager
Brian Flanagan
Last year
Finished bottom of Division Two. Lost to Laois in the Tailteann Cup quarter-final.
Fixtures: Fermanagh (H), Sligo (A), Leitrim (A), Laois (H), Clare (A), Offaly (A), Antrim (H)
LAOIS
Laois made light work of Division Four last year, which few teams tend to do even when it is expected of them.
It wasn’t so easy for Justin McNulty off the pitch, temporarily suspended from the SDLP having prioritised a league encounter over the first sitting of the new assembly at Stormont.
A Division Four trophy may have somewhat justified, if not totally, that all is well that ends well.
Goalkeeper Killian Roche was a star in 2024, and he will have no fear of advancing into the opposition half.
Manager
Justin McNulty
Last year
Won Division Four final versus Leitrim. Lost Tailteann Cup final to Down.
Fixtures: Leitrim (A), Offaly (H), Sligo (H), Kildare (A), Antrim (H), Clare (H), Fermanagh (A)
LEITRIM
Leitrim’s biggest result in the bottom tier last season was a win over Laois, The O’Moore County’s only league defeat, one which they atoned for in a 14-point win in the league final.
Andy Moran’s men were without Mohill’s Keith Beirne last season, who cited a lack of passion for his absence. Steven Poacher has coaxed the Allianz League’s top scorer from 2023 back into the fold, but Leitrim legend Emlyn Mulligan noted nine men who started the county’s Division Four final defeat are not part of the panel for 2025.
In Paul Honeyman he has another quality forward, but Leitrim may struggle at a higher level even if they pinch a result or two.
Manager
Steven Poacher
Last year
Promoted in second place from Division Four. Beaten by Wicklow in Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-final.
Fixtures: Laois (H), Clare (A), Kildare (H), Antrim (A), Offaly (H), Fermanagh (H), Sligo (A).
OFFALY
Having been struck with the blow of the death of manager Liam Kearns in 2023, Offaly pushed Louth all the way in Leinster.
Last year, a provincial win over Laois aside, things never really got going. After finishing third from bottom in the league, The Faithful were mauled by Dublin, with their Tailteann Cup campaign forgettable at best.
Now the task lies with Mickey Harte to get the show back on the road.
Manager
Mickey Harte
Last year
Finished in sixth place in Division Three. Lost to London in a winless Tailteann Cup campaign.
Fixtures: Sligo (H), Laois (A), Antrim (H), Fermanagh (A), Leitrim (A), Kildare (H), Clare (A).
SLIGO
A top half Division Three finish marked serious progress for a Sligo side in their first season in Division Three.
In Connacht, Galway needed late heroics to overcome The Yeats’ men, while in the Tailteann Cup it was Down’s turn to crush Tony McEntee’s men’s dreams.
McEntee is one of three managers from Ulster not managing an Ulster side in this division. His side have the credentials for promotion.
Manager
Tony McEntee
Last year
Finished fourth in Division Three. Beaten after extra-time by Down in Tailteann Cup semi-final.
Fixtures: Offaly (A), Kildare (H), Laois (A), Clare (H), Fermanagh (A), Antrim (A), Laois (H)
Predicted league table
- Kildare
- Sligo
- Clare
- Fermanagh
- Laois
- Offaly
- Antrim
- Leitrim