By Shaun Casey

2026 has been pretty tough going for Monaghan so far. The league has come and gone and Gabriel Bannigan’s men find themselves back in Division Two after a run of seven games without picking up a single point.

The Farney County fought so hard last year to get back up to the topflight, capturing the Division Two league title at Croke Park, but they never really stood a chance against the best teams in the country.

So much experience has left that changing room over the last few years. Kieran Hughes, Conor McManus, Karl O’Connell, Darren Hughes, Kieran Duffy. You simply can’t replace that kind of leadership and quality.

Add in the injury nightmare Monaghan have gone through recently and no team could really withstand that magnitude of turnover. Monaghan head into the championship with zero momentum but will be keen to turn a corner.

They showed glimpses of what they can do throughout the league. They only lost to Roscommon by six-points in round two and fought hard against eventual Division One winners Donegal on the last day.

The Dublin game was the one that got away, however. They were the better side that evening at Headquarters but coughed up far too many goal chances to gather up the two-points that were there to be won.

The Dubs on the other hand struck a major late on, through newbie Joe Quigley, and the home side ending up winning by four in the end, although both sides ultimately fell out of the top division by the end of the campaign.

It’s unlikely that Ryan McAnespie is going to be ready for their Clones showdown with rivals Cavan, but Conor McCarthy, Dylan Byrne and Gary Mohan may be available for game time at some point.

Rory Beggan was in and out of the team during the winter months, but his heroics will be required if they are to turn their season around. As he showed for Scotstown in the Ulster Club Championship, he’s still one of the best in the business.

If they can get everyone on the field, they’ll absolutely be a match for anyone. And, they are on the easier side of the draw, meaning if they can see off the Breffni Blues, they are one game away from competing in an Ulster final.

The new faces in the panel have gained valuable minutes playing at the very top level and that will mean a lot going forward. Some of them, if not most, will make their championship debuts in the opening round of Ulster.

Cavan’s year hasn’t exactly gone to plan, and they just held onto their Division Two status by their fingertips. Dermot McCabe’s side have shown anything to date that will have Monaghan quivering in their boots.

But this is championship after all, and form usually goes out the window when two arch-rivals go to battle. While Monaghan won’t fear whatever Cavan bring to the occasion, the same will be said across the hall in the opposition’s dressing room.

It’s over ten years now since Monaghan last got their hands on the Anglo Celt Cup. Five years since they last competed in the decider. But they’ve been a big hitter in the competition for the best part of a decade.

The league has come and gone and once the ball is in the air come 3pm on Sunday 19 April, league results, points on the board and all that has happened up to this point will matter little.

One win could transform Monaghan’s season. If that win comes against Cavan, then the sky is the limit. Their luck is bound to change at some point, so don’t write their eulogy just yet.

Roll of honour:

16 (1888, 1906, 1914, 1916, 1917, 1921, 1922, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1938, 1979, 1985, 1988, 2013, 2015)

Memorable Ulster Championship match

Ulster Championship final 2003

Monaghan 0-13 Armagh 0-9

Sunday May 11, 2003

Armagh headed into this game as All-Ireland champions and not too many people gave Monaghan a chance of causing an upset. That’s exactly what transpired however, and the Orchard County lost both their Ulster and All-Ireland crowns at Croke Park. Managed by Meath great Colm Coyle, they were inspired by a youngster called Paul Finlay, lining out for his championship debut. The Ballybay man kicked 0-8 on the day, all from frees, to knock Armagh out of the competition, but that’s as good as it got for the Farney men as they lost to Down in their next outing.

Wild card:

Karl Gallagher

The Emyvale clubman has been in Australia for the last two seasons but is back now and operating around the middle of the field for Monaghan. His last outing before returning was an All-Ireland semi-final appearance against Dublin in 2023 and the Farney men would love to get back to that level later in the season. Gallagher is a massive addition to Gabriel Bannigan’s squad, particularly given the amount of talent and quality they were missing through the league, and will have his eyes set on a big 2026, starting with a good old fashion derby dust up with Cavan in round one.

Captain:

Micheál Bannigan

Bannigan remains one of the leading lights in the Monaghan team and a real go-to presence in the forward line. Even when things were going wrong in their Division One league campaign, Bannigan was still bombing up and down the field, showing fight and spirit and leading by example. The experience that has exited the Monaghan changing room in the last couple of years is serious, with Darren Hughes, Karl O’Connell and Kieran Duffy all retiring at the end of last season, with Conor McManus going the year before, so the Farney men need Bannigan and the likes to stand up now more than ever.

Manager:

Gabriel Bannigan

This time last year, Bannigan’s first in the bainisteoir bib, evening was rosy in the Monaghan garden. They’d just captured the Division Two league title and looked to be in a really good place heading into the championship. Twelve months on, injuries and retirements really hampered their chances of staying up in the top tier and they fell through the trapdoor without picking up a point. But Bannigan did give game time to plenty of fresh faces, and he’ll believe that will set them up for a tilt at the Ulster Championship, beginning with the visit of old rivals Cavan in the quarter-final.