By Shaun Casey
IN last season’s Division Four league campaign, Monaghan only picked up two points from their six outings, with a round three win over Warwickshire providing them with both points on the board.
It didn’t hinder their championship preparations however, as the Farney County progressed to the semi-finals of the Lory Meagher Cup, where their participation came to an end at the hands of New York.
There were a couple of close-run things in the league. On three occasions, Monaghan were five points adrift at the full-time whistle, with Fermanagh, Longford and Leitrim all edging them out.
First up this season is a home clash against Sligo on Saturday afternoon, in the comforts of Grattan Park, Inniskeen. It’s a pretty tough start for Monaghan, given that Sligo have just fallen out of the third division.
The Yeats County had a miserable league campaign in 2025, losing all six of their games, but their form improved in the championship, earning five points from their five Nickey Rackard Cup encounters.
It’s a competitive Division Four this season and Monaghan will be aiming for an upturn in results compared to 12 months ago. But there’s plenty of major battles coming up over the next few weeks and months.
Cavan also fell out of the third tier, due to their head-to-head record against Armagh and they reached Croke Park last year, competing in the Lory Meagher Cup final, but just came up short against New York.
Monaghan also face off against Lancashire, at Abbottstown in round two, before Longford and Leitrim visit Inniskeen in back-to-back meetings before they head to Birmingham to take on Warwickshire. They willfinish their campaign at Kingspan Breffni Park against their old rivals.
With three of their first four games on home soil, that should provide Monaghan with the perfect platform to make a good start and push for a better finish than last season, before they finish the league with two away day trips.
With their Ulster Club representatives, Castleblayney and Truagh, exiting their respective competitions fairly early, Arthur Hughes’ squad should be well rested heading into the new season.
If they can get off to a winning start, against a quality Sligo side this weekend, then Monaghan will be keen to push on. On the other side, their opponents will be eyeing up a swift return to Division Three and they’ll be targeting an opening day win triumph as well.
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