By Shaun Casey

Tough title defence

RETAINING the Sam Maguire was always going to be a tricky task for the Orchard County. 1961 was the last time an Ulster team defended their All-Ireland crown successfully, although it looked possible at times throughout 2025. Having lost out in the Ulster final for the third year on the trot, this time to Donegal after extra time, Armagh bounced back in familiar fashion to top the group in the All-Ireland series with wins over Derry and Dublin. They tasted defeat in the final round against Galway, which was ultimately a dead rubber. They headed into the All-Ireland quarter-final against Kerry in good form but a 15-minute second half blitz from the Kingdom ended Armagh’s rein as All-Ireland champions. Kieran McGeeney is back for another season in charge, and they remain a top contender for the big prize but with Stefan Campbell and a few other experienced heads stepping away, 2026 could be a period of transition for Armagh.

Rampant Raparees

GETTING over the last-four hurdle to reach the county final for the first time since 1998 was a huge achievement for Madden, but on the biggest day of all, the Raparees rose to the occasion. They dethroned champions Clann Éireann in the semi-final with a blistering performance and gave an all-time great display to hammer Cullyhanna in the decider, winning 0-20 to 0-9. Darragh McMullen was outstanding for Mark Harte and Adrian O’Donnell’s men and gave a man-of-the-match display while Conor Grimley top-scored with 0-8. The prolonged celebrations were enjoyed, particularly for the Grimley Clan, with Ryan Grimley, Niall’s brother, also winning a championship title with Loughmacrory in Tyrone. Ulster didn’t go quite as planned however, as Newbridge proved too strong in the opening round, but for first-timers on the provincial stage, it was real bonus territory. Come 2026, Madden will have their eyes set on going back-to-back and with the age profile of their squad, they are certainly going to remain a force over the next decade.

Seventh heaven for Middletown

MIDDLETOWN remain the top dogs and the team to beat on the hurling scene in the Orchard County and having already created history last season, they took it one step further in 2025. Six in a row was a major accomplishment, the first time it had ever been done in the Senior Hurling Championship, and Middletown extended that record to seven on the bounce this season. Once again, they overpowered Keady in the showpiece, seeing off their old rivals in the final for the fifth consecutive year, coming good late on to get their hands on the Jimmy Carlisle Cup. Dean Gaffney was the main man in their 0-21 to 0-19 victory, rattling off an individual haul of 0-13. For the second year in a row, however, Middletown crashed out of the Ulster Championship in the first round, losing out to Castleblayney, and they’ll want to get back to winning ways on the provincial stage in 2026 if they can get out of Armagh.

All-Star quality

OISIN Conaty proved this year that he is much more than a one-season wonder. Having won an All-Ireland medal, an All-Star, Man of the Match in the All-Ireland final and Young Footballer of the Year in 2024, much was expected of the Tir na nÓg clubman this season. If anything, Conaty was possibly better in 2025, but just didn’t have the backup to go all the way this time around. He was simply outstanding in the Ulster final against Donegal, scoring 0-6 from open play, even though the Orchard County came up short on the day after extra time. Again, Conaty was in unstoppable form at Croke Park against the eventual All-Ireland champions Kerry, matching his tally from the provincial decider, but Armagh couldn’t withstand the Kingdom’s second half onslaught. Conaty joins an illustrious group of players that have worn the orange and white jersey to have won more than one All-Star and Orchard fans will already be looking forward to his performances in 2026.

All-Ireland heartache

THE Armagh Camogs have come extremely close to adding a third All-Ireland title to their record, but unfortunately, 2025 was another one that slipped away from their grasp. The Orchard County have competed in four All-Ireland deciders since 2020, when they last won it, but have lost out on the previous three occasions. They returned to Croke Park last August to take on Laois and PJ O’Mullan’s side just didn’t perform to their full potential on the day. Rachael Merry and Sinead Quinn carried big scoring threats up front but they couldn’t get their hands on the ball in the second half. Like the start of every season, Armagh will target 2026 as the year they can finally get over the line.