Niall Gartland takes a look at the teams who will put their senior championship titles on the line in the coming months…

Antrim – Dunloy

DUNLOY’S footballers ended an 89-year wait for Antrim Senior Championship success. Their title-winning run gathered momentum with a narrow quarter-final victory over St Brigid’s before a dominant semi-final win against Portglenone. In the final they gained revenge on Cargin for an earlier group-stage defeat, producing a polished display to record a 3-12 to 2-8 victory.

Armagh – Madden

MADDEN made history with their first ever Armagh Senior Championship title. They won their final with plenty to spare against Cullyhanna on a scoreline of 0-20 to 0-9. Earlier in the campaign they saw off Armagh Harps and Maghery before dethroning Clann Eireann in the semi-finals. Mark Harte and Adrian O’Donnell’s side lost to Newbridge in the first round of Ulster but they won’t have been too disheartened about that.

Cavan – Kingscourt Stars

KINGSCOURT were full value for their 2-16 to 0-13 victory over Gowna in last year’s Cavan Senior Championship final, marking a first title at that level for the club in a full ten years – and it also achieved sweet redemption for a bruising loss to Gowna in the 2023 showdown. They showed massive resilience throughout the campaign, coming from six down against Crosserlough, reeling in a 12-point deficit against Ballyhaise and edging a titanic tussle against pre-match favourites Ramor in the last four.

Derry – Newbridge

NEWBRIDGE claimed their first Derry Senior Championship title in 35 years in 2024 but they didn’t have to wait anywhere near as long for their 12th ever championship success, retaining the John McLaughlin Cup with a hard-fought but deserved victory over Magherafelt at Celtic Park. They’d a decent crack at Ulster too, overcoming Dunloy in their Ulster opening before losing out to penalties against eventual champions Scotstown in the last four.

Donegal – Naomh Conaill

FOR the fourth time in five years, Naomh Conaill were crowned kings of Donegal with victory over Gaoth Dobhair on county final day. It was their younger players who arguably stood tallest when the chips were down in the knock-out stages, battling to hard-earned victories over Termon and Gaoth Dobhair. And it wasn’t simple in the final either – they trailed by seven at half time but staged a stunning comeback and sealed the deal in extra-time.

Down – Kilcoo

IT’S usually Kilcoo, isn’t it? They’ve been more-or-less ever-present in the Ulster Championship for well over a decade at this stage, and they secured a historic seventh successive Down title with a 1-17 to 1-11 victory over Carryduff. Of course it didn’t end there – Joe McMahon and Martin Corey’s side blazed a trail through Ulster before facing off against Scotstown in the Ulster final. They brought the game to extra-time with a strong second half but couldn’t finish the job, losing by 0-19 to 0-16.

Fermanagh – Erne Gaels

ERNE Gaels retained their title with a replay victory over Fermanagh though they certainly wouldn’t have taken it for granted as it was still only their fourth-ever time getting their hands on the New York Gold Cup. They also didn’t have it all their own way en route to back-to-back titles – they finished second in the group, defeated Ederney by a single point at the last-four, and then the big day against Derrygonnelly went the distance. In Ulster, they overcame Kingscourt in the first round before falling short against Kilcoo with a place in the final at stake.

Monaghan – Scotstown

IN years to come, Scotstown supporters will remember 2026 as the year they ended their long wait for Ulster Championship honours after years of near-misses. Perhaps their name was on the cup – Darren Hughes nailed a winning spot-kick in their semi-final against Newbridge, and then they showed their mettle in an extra-time victory over Kilcoo in the final. Of course, it wouldn’t have happened without first and foremost getting through Monaghan, and it wasn’t as straightforward as you might assume – they finished third in the group and also needed extra-time to overcome Inniskeen in the final.

Tyrone – Loughmacrory

2025 WILL go down in the annals of mid-Tyrone club Loughmacrory, who won the O’Neill Cup for the first time in their history. They had been making steady strides for a number of years, even before the likes of Eoin McElholm and Ruairi McCullagh were eligible for senior football, and it all came together magically in their surge to Tyrone Senior Championship honours. Their replay saga with parish rivals Carrickmore will live long in the memory, and then they carved out a one-point victory over a renowned Trillick team in the final.