Michael McMullan looks at the counties who’ve been in Division One of the NFL over the last decade

Kerry (10)

NOT since 2002, with a mixture of Divisions 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B, have the Kingdom been out of the top fight. They’ve won the competition on 23 occasions to cement their status as the top county alongside their All-Ireland pedigree. They are the only county to have been in the top flight over the last decade.

Dublin (9)

DUBLIN have won the league 14 times and the only time they’ve been out of the top flight was in 2023 when they last got their hands on the Sam Maguire Cup. It was Jack McCarron’s late score that relegated the Dubs in Clones in the final game of the league in 2022. They bounced back the following year to secure promotion on the way to the All-Ireland.

Monaghan (9)

THE Farney County bowed out of Division One at the end of last season. Before that, only Kerry had been in the top division longer. It’s a testament to the development in Monaghan that they were constantly challenging for Ulster titles and able to stage escape acts to keep them in the top flight. McCarron’s point that sunk Dublin kept Monaghan up until last season.

Tyrone (9)

THE Red Hands have been another consistent name in the Division One table but have only won it twice, in 2002 and 2003. Tyrone’s only season in Division Two was in 2016 after their draw against Kerry in the final round in 2015 wasn’t enough to save them. A two-point win in Omagh would’ve send Kerry down with Derry instead. An unbeaten season saw them promoted with Cavan the following season.

Mayo (9)

MAYO have been another county at the top of the pile. Their only relegation in the last decade came on the last day of the 2020 season. Tyrone’s three goals edged them by a single point in Castlebar and Monaghan survived courtesy of their draw with Meath in Clones on the same day. Mayo were league champions the in 2023 but failed to carry the form into the championship.

Donegal (8)

THEY dropped from the top flight in 2018 and 2023 before bouncing back on both occasions. Last year, they won the Ulster title from Division Two and were a whisker from an All-Ireland final. With a host of players missing, they had dropped out but have now pulled together to become one of the forces in the game. Their only title came under Brian McIver in 2007.

Galway (7)

THE five-time winners began the decade with two seasons in Division Two until they were promoted with Kildare in 2017 where they remained until 2021. That was a different year, when Covid split Division One into North and South with Galway relegated with Roscommon. Both sides were promoted the following season with Derry missing out, the only county not to get promoted on 11 points.

Roscommon (6)

THE Rossies have been labelled the yo-yo team and were tipped as the side to make the climb back up again this season after being relegated at the end of 2024. You have to go back to 1970 for Roscommon’s only league title. They were in Division One for 2023 and 2024. There were two consecutive years in Division One at the start of the decade. The rest was up and down. They’ll hope that continues.

Armagh (4)

LIKE Dublin the 12 months before them, Armagh went all the way to lift the Sam Maguire Cup from Division Two. The difference was they lost the final to Donegal and were also on the wrong side of an Ulster final penalty shootout. The first half the decade was spent between Divisions Two and Three. It’s been a winding road; it’s been a progressive one.

Kildare (2)

THE Lilywhites began the decade where they sit – in Division Three. It’s been a rollercoaster in between. They’ve never won Division One but have only been there twice. The last time was in 2022. They’re odds-on favourites to get back to the second tier. Then they can set their stall out again.

Derry (2)

THE Oakleafers are one of two counties to have spanned all four divisions in the decade. They fell to the third tier before Sligo relegated them to the bottom run in 2018. After getting back to Division Three, Rory Gallagher steered them back to the top flight and two Ulster titles. Derry were last year’s league champions and are now in a relegation battle.

Cavan (2)

THE Breffni blues have also been to all four divisions over the last 10 years. There were two years in the top division but they’ve spent five in the second tier where they currently sit. They were in the top Division in 2017 and 2019 but unable to stay there.

Down, Meath and Cork (1)

CORK and Down were relegated from Division One together in 2016 and have yet to return. The Royals were last there in 2020 but unlike the other two, they’ve never dropped below Division Two.

Photo caption

GET IN…Jack McCarron’s penalty was a key score as Monaghan survived in Division One with their 2022 final day win over Dublin in Clones