Rise and shine, it’s county final time

THERE is an exciting and busy weekend of action across Ulster with county titles down for decision.

Here is a county-by-county glance at the fixtures.

Monday’s Gaelic Lives podcast will take a look at all the key stories.

ANTRIM

SENIOR FOOTBALL FINAL
Rossa v St Brigid’s
Sunday, Corrigan Park, 3pm
LAST year’s finalists will look on as two newbies dance on the season’s biggest stage. It is a first appearance for St Brigid’s who were founded in 1998. Their win over champions Dunloy radiates their credentials. Rossa beat a Cargin team who show some excellent form. There will be a magical story on Sunday but which side of the city will be celebrating. It could be an historic day for St Brigid’s.
Verdict: St Brigid’s

INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL FINAL
Naomh Éanna v Aldergrove
Saturday, Dunsilly, 7pm
NAOMH Éanna have enjoyed a very consistent season that yielded a league title and an unbeaten journey to Saturday’s decider. Aldergrove have been hungry for goal. John Rafferty’s side are also on form and will be a dangerous opponent for Naomh Éanna. It has the makings of a high-scoring encounter.
Verdict: Naomh Éanna

JUNIOR FOOTBALL FINAL
Rasharkin v Éire Óg
Friday, Dunsilly, 7pm
RASHARKIN won the league and have been contenders for the double ever since. They had to dig deep to see off Pearses in the group stages but now stand at the final hurdle. Éire Óg lost both games in the league when they clashed but their semi-final win over Ardoyne will sharpen the Rasharkin focus. They must keep their eyes wide open.
Verdict: Rasharkin

ARMAGH

SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Killeavy v Crossmaglen
Sunday, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, 3pm
KILLEAVY are in the final for the first time since 1988 and hoping to win the title for the first time since 1948. Crossmaglen stand in their way, and the Rangers have been in flying form since the championship entered the knockout stages. Both sides favour attacking football so it should be a great final for the neutral, but Crossmaglen’s firepower could prove too strong in the end.
Verdict: Crossmaglen

INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
St Peter’s v Keady
Saturday, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, 3.45pm
THE prize on offer is the Atty Hearty Cup and a spot in senior football for 2027. St Peter’s are just down from senior last season and have been the frontrunners for the championship from the start of the campaign, but are without talisman Niall McConville, while Keady haven’t featured at the top level in years and are missing Tomas Galvin and James King.
Verdict: St Peter’s

JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Ballyhegan v Collegeland
Saturday, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, 6pm
BALLYHEGAN have lost just one game this season and have already got the Division 3A league title under their belt. There’s a tasty rivalry between the two clubs and Collegeland will have absolutely no fear of facing off against Chris Rafferty’s side. It should go right down to the wire, but Ballyhegan look to be too strong for their neighbours.
Verdict: Ballyhegan

CAVAN

SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Gowna v Kingscourt
Sunday, Kingspan Breffni, 4pm
THE big one in Cavan in a repeart of last year’s final pairing. Kingscourt are defending champions, Gowna have also been there and done that. It’s hard to ignore just how impressive Gowna were in their semi-final win over Crosserlough, but it could easily go either way.
Verdict: Gowna

DERRY

SENIOR CAMOGIE FINAL
Swatragh v Bellaghy
Sunday, Sleacht Néill, 2pm
THE last time Bellaghy won the title, they ended Swatragh’s staggering run of silverware. The Tones beat Lavey last year to make their breakthrough and have been unbeaten on the way to this season’s decider. Swatragh are the current league champions and go in as favourites. They will have to match the fresh energy bring to Sunday but they will be fancied to take home the Martin Mulholland Cup.
Verdict: Swatragh

DONEGAL

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Naomh Conaill v St Eunan’s
Sunday, Ballybofey, 3.30pm
BOTH were high up the title conversations before a ball was kicked. Naomh Conaill dug deep against Glenswilly before emerging after extra-time. St Eunan’s are under the management of Kieran Donnelly this season. Both teams are littered with county players and it makes for an excellent game. A hard one to call but the champions will be a tough nut to crack.
Verdict: Naomh Conaill

DOWN

SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Portaferry v Ballygalget
Sunday, Páirc Esler, Newry, 4pm
PORTAFERRY are sixty minutes away from completing the drive for five, which will be the first in the clubs history. Ballygalget stand in their way and their chasing their first titles since 2017. It’s the third season on the trot that these two sides have clashed at this stage of the competition, and Portaferry have won the previous two encounters.
Verdict: Portaferry

INTERMEDIATE HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Newry Shamrocks v Clonduff
Saturday, Páirc Esler, Newry, 5.30pm
THERE are two new teams in the Intermediate final with Newry Shamrock’s facing Clonduff in the decider. The Shamrocks last contested the showpiece back in 2021, when they won the crown, but Clonduff, who will be buoyed but the footballers historic win last Sunday, have never won the Intermediate Hurling Championship.
Verdict: Newry Shamrocks

JUNIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Warrenpoint v Castlewellan
Friday, Páirc Esler, Newry, 7.30pm
LAST year’s champions Castlewellan are back in the decider and Warrenpoint stand between them and securing back-to-back titles. Castlewellan beat Kilclief convincingly the last day out in a repeat of the 2025 decider while Warrenpoint were too strong for East Belfast and Friday could prove to be a high scoring affair.
Verdict: Castlewellan

FERMANAGH

JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Maguiresbridge v Newtownbutler
Sunday, Lisnaskea, 2pm
NEWTOWNBUTLER won comfortably when these two teams met just a few weeks ago. It’s difficult therefore to make a case for anything other than a Newtownbutler victory.
Verdict: Newtownbutler

MONAGHAN

SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Truagh v Scotstown
Sunday, Clones, 3.30pm
IT’S a repeat of the 2021 final, which Scotstown won by six-points. David McCauge’s men have won three of the four county titles since then while Truagh have spent some time in the intermediate ranks but are now back competing for the Mick Duffy Cup and will hope to get their hands on the trophy for the first time since in their history.
Verdict: Scotstown

TYRONE

SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Errigal Ciaran v Edendork
Sunday, Healy Park, 4.30pm
EDENDORK are appearing in their first ever Tyrone Senior Championship final while Errigal Ciaran are bidding for their third title in five years. Finals aren’t won on paper and Edendork have been excellent en route to Sunday, but the hunch is that they have too many fires to put out with Shea McDermott, Darragh Canavan and Peter Harte all in top, top form against Loughmacrory at the semi-final stage. An interesting encouter awaits.
Verdict: Errigal Ciaran

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL REPLAY
Pomeroy v Rock
Saturday, Dungannon, 5pm
POMEROY will be missing Frank Burns, who was sent off late on in the drawn encounter (subject to a successful appeal). They also picked up a couple of injuries, so perhaps the pendulum is swinging towards a first ever Intermediate Championship title for the Rock. Who will learn the most from the drawn game? Time will tell…
Verdict: Rock