Back in the big time

HAVING played Division One football for so long, Monaghan dropped out of the top tier for the 2025 season. With Gabriel Bannigan the new manager, he set his sights on a swift return to the top tier, and the Farney County did exactly that. Despite losing twice, to Meath and Ulster rivals Down, Monaghan still finished the league campaign at the top of the Division Two table, with promotion and a day out in Croke Park secured. That trip to Jones’ Road proved a fruitful one as Bannigan’s boys played some awesome stuff to see off Roscommon and claim their place in Division One as league champions. Having trailed by one at half-time, they produced a frantic second half performance, aided by a Jack McCarron goal, to win by ten in the end and climb the steps of the Hogan Stand. Now, it’s all about securing their Division One status once again, a mission that Monaghan have absolutely thrived on in recent years.

Dark days are over for Scotstown

IT may have taken them 36 years to finally do it, but Scotstown are Ulster champions for the fifth time in their history and Christmas will have an extra special feeling to it this year. There have been plenty of hard luck stories in the An Bhoth club over the past few years and they certainly rode their luck in 2025, but in the end, they got what they ultimately deserved. They needed extra time to beat Inniskeen, penalties to see off Newbridge and extra time again to beat Kilcoo. For the older players in their dressing room, like the heroic Rory Beggan, the talismanic Hughes brothers Darren and Kieran, along with captain Damien McArdle, the Ulster final was a dream come true and the club deserve to enjoy this one before turning their attentions to the All-Ireland series.

Bye bye blue

WHEN Monaghan meet up for preseason training, the McKenna Cup and eventually the National League, there will be a few regular faces missing from the dressing room. This time last year it looked like Conor McManus was going to be back in blue for the 2025 season but ultimately, that wasn’t the case. Next year, Gabriel Bannigan is set to be without another three leaders in Darren Hughes, Karl O’Connell and Kieran Duffy, who have all announced their retirement from the inter-county scene. All three still had plenty to offer at the top level, but time waits for no man. The trio have been amazing ambassadors for the Monaghan cause for well over a decade and walk off into the sunset with two Ulster titles in their back pockets. With those gaps in the squad, it’s up to the younger players to step up and fill the void and Bannigan will hope to find the odd gem during the upcoming McKenna Cup, but it’ll be tough to replace those boys.

Bottom of the pile

2025 was a tough year for the hurlers of the Farney County. Having won the Lory Meagher Cup back in 2023, their stay in the Nickey Rackard Cup was a short one and they were back competing in the fifth-tier championship for 2025. They headed into the campaign off the back of a really tough National League campaign, where they were anchored at the bottom of the Division Four table. A round four home win over Warwickshire proved to be the only points they picked up in the competition and finished one point behind Warwickshire and Fermanagh. They found some form in the Lory Meagher Cup, losing just one of their four outings, to finish in second place and reach the semi-finals. There, they lost out to eventual winners New York and missed out on another trip to Headquarters. Monaghan will hope to improve their league results in 2026 and push on to contest at Lory Meagher Cup level as well.

Ladies look to push on

HAVING lost the Ulster Intermediate final in 2024 at the hands of Down, Monaghan would have targeted provincial success this season. They looked to be on course to reach at least another final when they led by 11 points against near-neighbours Cavan. The Breffni Blues produced a heroic comeback however to turn the tables and book their place in the showpiece, eventually hammering Down in the decider to claim the title. Monaghan were left to lick their wounds but had an immediate shot at revenge in the opening round of the All-Ireland group stages, and they grabbed it with both hands, winning by three in the end. They made it all the way to the last four in the All-Ireland race, but Laois ended their hopes of reaching Croke Park. Monaghan will be targeting a good league campaign in the new year and as they demonstrated in 2025, an Ulster title certainly isn’t out of their reach.