Joe McDonagh Cup
Antrim
Managers
Terence McNaughton, Dominic McKinley, Gary O’Kane, Neal Peden
Captain
Conor McKinley
Main man
Neil McManus – an obvious choice but his scoring stats were ridiculous in the league. The Cushendall ace grabbed 0-62 in six games including 0-13 from play.
Last year’s highlight
Carlow may have beaten them in the Christy Ring Cup final, but Antrim had managed to out-maneuver them in the Division 2A final earlier in the season, Neil McManus and Eoghan Campbell grabbing the goals that secured promotion.
Disappointed if they don’t
With three home games left in their final four fixtures, Antrim have to target a top-two spot. That would secure not only a shot at the new Joe McDonagh Cup but also a spot in the Liam MacCarthy competition proper (All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final), so they should have plenty of motivation.
Next fixture
Joe McDonagh Cup round two v Carlow (Saturday, May 12, Corrigan Park).
Christy Ring Cup
Armagh
Manager
Padraig O’Connor
Captain
Simon Doherty
Main man
David Carvill – Armagh may have suffered relegation from Division 2B, but the Middletown man played some sublime hurling and contributed 1-31 in five games.
Last year’s highlight
A run to the Nicky Rackard final was expected so the highlight was probably the Ulster Championship semi-final win over Down. They have performed well against their neighbours in recent times and a strong second half brought them back to the final.
Disappointed if they don’t
Manager Paddy Kelly stepped down recently and Padraig O’Connor came in as interim boss so there’s an uncertainty about how they will go. Still, if they react in the right manner they should be competitive in a Christy Ring Cup group also containing Derry, Down and London. Two home games from three gives them a chance of finishing in the top two and reaching the semi-final.
Next fixture
Christy Ring Cup group two round one v Down (Saturday, May 12, Ballycran).
Derry
Manager
Collie McGurk
Captain
Chrissy McKaigue
Main man
Chrissy McKaigue – The Slaughtneil and Derry dual star always has a packed schedule, but he still brings elite performances to every team that he represents.
Last year’s highlight
After a dreadful 2017 when they failed to win a competitive fixture, Derry roared back to win the Nicky Rackard Cup. They hit 9-40 in their semi-final and final wins over Monaghan and Armagh.
Disappointed if they don’t
Chrissy McKaigue and Brendan Rogers have committed to playing for the hurlers, if football permits, so they should be strong. It’s still a young team though and getting out of the group is the priority. If they have their main men it’s an achievable target.
Next fixture
Christy Ring Cup group two round one v London (Saturday, May 12, Ballinascreen).
Down
Manager
Marty Mallon
Captain
Declan McManus
Main man
Paul Sheehan – with so many players retiring or deciding not to commit after last season, Sheehan has really stepped up to the plate and hit 1-39 in the league.
Last year’s highlight
It certainly wasn’t a vintage year by any stretch, so securing a few Christy Ring wins, against Roscommon and London respectively, was probably the highlight before Antrim dismissed them in the semi-final.
Disappointed if they don’t
This is a new, young Down team so expectations aren’t massively high. Still, with quality players like Danny Toner, Caolan Baillie and John McManus still involved, they will be confident of getting to a semi-final at least.
Next fixture
Christy Ring Cup group two round one v Armagh (Saturday, May 12, Ballycran).
Nicky Rackard Cup
Donegal
Manager
Mickey McCann
Captain
Danny Cullen
Main man
Declan Coulter – the former Armagh man has a real keen eye for goal and raised three green flags during the league.
Last year’s highlight
Their stunning Division 3A final win over Tyrone when David Flynn notched 2-8 in the 4-25 to 1-12 win.
Disappointed if they don’t
Donegal are one of the success stories of the year having already defeated Armagh, Derry and Down. Make no mistake about it, anything other than winning this competition will be seen as a disappointment.
Next fixture
Nicky Rackard Cup group two round one v Tyrone (Saturday, May 12, Healy Park).
Monaghan
Manager
Trevor Hilliard
Captain
Jamie Guinan
Main man
Mark Treanor – provides a real battling partnership with his brother Peter around the centre of the park.
Last year’s highlight
Their Nicky Rackard cup quarter-final win over Donegal was their most impressive performance of the season. A heavy loss to Derry followed but it was good progress.
Disappointed if they don’t
Monaghan have defeated Longford this year, drawn with Louth and lost to Warwickshire by just a point. If they can get Fergal Rafter and Mark Treanor going, they will have ambitions of topping the group.
Next fixture
Nicky Rackard Cup group one round one v Longford (Saturday, May 12, Grattan Park).
Tyrone
Manager
Mattie Lennon
Captain
Brendan Begley
Main man
Damian Casey – The Dungannon man’s 0-8 haul in the League opener against Warwickshire was a surprise, he doesn’t usually stay in single digits. He made up for it by the end of the campaign though, averaging 13.2 points per game.
Last year’s highlight
Beating Monaghan in Cloghan to qualify for the Division 3A final. Unfortunately Donegal would prove much too strong in the final.
Disappointed if they don’t
It’s probably the tougher of the two groups, but if they can beat Donegal at home in their first fixture then they will have top spot, and a final, in their eye-line.
Next fixture
Nicky Rackard Cup group two round one v Donegal (Saturday, May 12, Healy Park).
Lory Meagher Cup
Cavan
Manager
Michael Carr
Captain
Anthony Sheridan
Main man
Kevin Connelly – the Galway native is a huge player for the Breffni county and his driving runs from the middle of the pitch are crucial for their attacking aspirations.
Last year’s highlight
Undoubtedly playing their first competitive game in six years as they competed in the Lory Meagher Cup. They even managed to pick up a win against Fermanagh.
Disappointed if they don’t
Register at least one win. They have now beaten Fermanagh twice since returning from a six-year hiatus, and they’ll be confident of making it a treble.
Next fixture
Lory Meagher Cup round one v Fermanagh (Saturday, May 19, Brewster Park).
Fermanagh
Manager
Sean Duffy
Captain
Andrew Breslin
Main man
John Duffy – the hard-working Fermanagh midfielder played his first full game in 12 months against Lancashire in round one of the League and never looked back.
Last year’s highlight
Not much to chose from unfortunately with just two wins in 11 games. Those victories over Leitrim (Lory Meagher Cup) and Sligo (Division 3B) were rare bright spots.
Disappointed if they don’t
Fermanagh are much weaker this year without the likes of Sean Corrigan and Declan McGarry, so avoiding the wooden spoon may be the most achievable goal.
Next fixture
Lory Meagher Cup round one v Cavan (Saturday, May 19, Brewster Park).
