Camogs across the province turn focus to championship

Niall Gartland runs an eye over the five Ulster counties that will compete in upcoming provincial and All-Ireland championships:

Antrim

Manager: Elaine Dowds

Captain: Caitriona Graham

AMBITIONS will be high in the Antrim camp ahead of their looming championship campaigns – and rightly so. Despite suffering relegation from Division 1A, it was a really commendable showing overall from the Antrim senior camogs, the highlight being an outstanding win on the road against Cork. They take on Derry in the Ulster Senior Championship semi-final on April 25, and once their provincial campaign is done and dusted, they’ll turn their eyes to the Intermediate Championship – a tournament they will firmly believe they can win. They take on Derry, Kerry and Down in a sequence of group stage matches and their strong performances against the very best in the business in Division 1A suggest that they can make it all the way to All-Ireland final day on August 9 at Croke Park. With Elaine Dowds in charge on the sidelines, the Saffrons are captained by goalkeeper Caitriona Graham, while further out the pitch there is plenty of scoring threat from the likes of Nicole McAtamney, Maeve Kelly and Róisín McCormack. Cliona Griffin has also been a real find.

Derry

Manager: Micky Henry

Captain: Niamh Quinn

IN an article published at the outset of the season, Seamus McAleenan wrote that “Derry’s problems since Covid are illustrated by the constant change in management and in the playing pool.” It’s true that players from the more seasoned clubs in the county tend to prioritise their club duties, but that’s the hand that new manager Micky Henry has been dealt and they produced some decent performances in Division Two, finishing mid-table. They’ve a very tough assignment against Derry in the semi-finals of Ulster, and there’s an Ulster tint to their Intermediate Championship campaign – they take on Derry and Down before facing an in-form Kerry team in their final group stage match.

Down

Manager: Domhnall Nugent

Captain: Beth Fitzpatrick and Clare McGilligan

DOMNHALL Nugent is in his second year at the helm of the Down camogs, and they’ll be hoping to fare at least a little better in the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship, having bowed out at the semi-final stage in 2025 at the hands of Kerry. They had a tricky enough league campaign, and after their fifth consecutive season in Division One, found themselves relegated on scoring difference. They’ll be fancied to plot a path past Armagh in the Ulster Senior Championship semi-final on April 25 – though it’s certainly no gimme – and if that comes to pass they’ll take on Antrim or Derry in the final. In the group stages of the Intermediate Championship they’ll take on Kerry away from home before home encounters with Ulster rivals Derry and Antrim.

Armagh

Manager: PJ O’Mullan

Captain: Rachael Trainor

FOR now, the championship can wait. Armagh’s energies are presently charged on this weekend’s Division 3A final against Roscommon with promotion to Division Two on the line for both teams. After that, they’ll have a crack against Down in the Ulster Senior Championship semi-final before they set their sights on redemption in the All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship. They’ve suffered hurt on the big stage on a few occasions since the turn of the decade and last year suffered a 2-15 to 0-12 defeat to Laois at Croke Park. They certainly have the ability to go all the way and on paper look like the strongest team in the competition.

Tyrone

Manager: Paul O’Grady

Captain: Eimear Colton and Reagan Fay

TYRONE continue to make strides and did very well in Division 3A of the league, finishing third out of five and narrowly missing out on a place in the league final. With Paul O’Grady again in charge, they have plenty of youthful talent coming through the ranks and they’ve also been boosted by the return of a really talented forward, Lara Devlin, who saw action on the final day of the league after recovering from an ACL. They don’t have an Ulster Championship to play for, so all their eggs are in the All-Ireland Junior Championship basket with four ties against Roscommon, Wicklow, Armagh and Kildare in the pipeline. They do face a lengthy lay-off with their first match against Roscommon scheduled for the final weekend of May.