DATES have been released for this year’s Very National League and for the various Ulster inter-county competitions.
The league programme will begin in mid-February, while the provincial and All-Ireland minor and U16 competitions lift off later this month.
The dates have also been set for every round of the Glen Dimplex-sponsored All-Ireland senior, intermediate and junior championships, although the draws will not take place until the end of March.
Antrim and Down, of course, were relegated from the senior championship after three and four seasons respectively, leaving Derry alone to carry the Ulster flag at the top level.
However, the roles are reversed in the leagues, with the Saffrons and the Mourne county remaining in Division 1B, while Derry’s defeat to Westmeath in Croke Park last April means that the Oak Leafers have another season in Division 2.
Division 1B has a full round of fixtures on Saturday, February 15 with both Ulster sides enjoying home venue – Down facing Limerick and Antrim meeting Wexford. In the remaining fixture, Clare are at home to newly-promoted Westmeath.
Down will have just two home games, the other is against Clare, while Antrim have three.
The Saffrons will host Westmeath on March 1 and then the Ulster derby on St Patrick’s weekend.
Champions Tipperary will start their Division 1A campaign with a home tie against Dublin on Saturday, February 22, while All-Ireland senior champions Cork are also at home – to Waterford. Kilkenny host Galway in the other 1A game on the opening Saturday.
Saturday, February 22 sees the throw-in for Division 2 games with both Derry and Armagh, 2024 winners of Division 3, on the road. Derry will be in Carlow, while Armagh make the short trip to Meath. Kerry, relegated from Division 1B last season, also face an away trip, to Offaly.
Tyrone and Cavan are in separate groups in Division 3 that begins on March 1. Tyrone start their campaign with a trip to Wicklow, while Cavan face a more difficult challenge when they host Laois.
Tyrone will also have games against Kildare and Roscommon, while Cavan and Laois are grouped with Mayo and Louth.
The top two from each group will contest the semi-finals on the last Saturday in March, with the final, along with those from the other divisions, on the weekend of April 12-13.
Round one of the group games in the All-Ireland senior championship (involving Derry) is scheduled for May 24, with the Intermediate (Down and Antrim) championship beginning a week later and the premier junior (Armagh, Cavan and Tyrone) on June 7.
By then, the Armagh City Hotel-sponsored Ulster senior and intermediate champions will be known.
Senior champions Antrim face Down in the semi-finals, while Armagh are at home to Derry. Both games take place on Saturday, April 27, with the final a week later.
The Saturday between those fixtures will see the intermediate final between Tyrone and Cavan.
Tyrone v Cavan is also the first inter-country fixture of the season in a fortnight’s time. The counties meet in the Ulster Minor Shield semi-final, while Derry v Armagh and Down v Antrim are the scheduled semi-finals for the same weekend in the Ulster Minor Cup.
The finals of those competitions take place a week later, with the throw-in for the Electric Ireland-sponsored national championships starting on February 2 and running cheek by jowl with the concluding stages of the post-primary schools’ championships.
Very National Camogie League schedule
Division 1A
February 22 Cork v Waterford; Kilkenny v Galway; Tipperary v Dublin
March 1 Dublin v Cork; Waterford v Galway; Tipperary v Kilkenny
March 8 Cork v Kilkenny; Galway v Tipperary; Dublin v Waterford
March 22 Kilkenny v Waterford; Galway v Dublin; Tipperary v Cork
March 29 Cork v Galway; Dublin v Kilkenny; Waterford v Tipperary
April 13 Final
Division 1B
February 15 Down v Limerick; Antrim v Wexford; Clare v Westmeath
February 22 Limerick v Antrim; Westmeath v Down; Wexford v Clare
March 1 Wexford v Limerick; Down v Clare; Antrim v Westmeath
March 15 Antrim v Down; Westmeath v Wexford; Clare v Limerick
March 22 Clare v Antrim; Wexford v Down; Limerick v Westmeath
March 29 Final
Division 2
February 22 Offaly v Kerry; Carlow v Derry; Meath v Armagh
March 1 Derry v Offaly; Armagh v Carlow; Kerry v Meath
March 8 Offaly v Meath; Carlow v Kerry; Derry v Armagh
March 22 Armagh v Kerry; Offaly v Carlow; Meath v Derry
March 29 Kerry v Derry; Carlow v Meath; Armagh v Offaly
April 13 Final
Division 3
Group 1
March 1 Kildare v Roscommon; Wicklow v Tyrone
March 8 Tyrone v Kildare; Roscommon v Wicklow
March 15 Tyrone v Roscommon; Kildare v Wicklow
Group 2
March 1 Cavan v Laois; Louth v Mayo
March 8 Mayo v Cavan; Louth v Laois
March 15 Cavan v Louth; Laois v Mayo
March 29 Semi-finals
April 12 Final
