Ulster Club football heavyweights still standing tall as 2024 provincial series approaches

County final season is fast approaching which means the Ulster Club Championships are also swiftly coming into view with the first games in the provincial series scheduled for the end of October.

Much of the attention will be on the Ulster Club SFC especially with the province producing two of the last three All-Ireland champions, namely Kilcoo (2021) and current holders Glen.

The aforementioned sides could very well be back in the mix, although the Watty Graham’s have a few more hurdles to clear than most due to the protracted nature of the Derry Championship.

Read next: Five challenges facing Kieran McGeeney as Armagh set out to retain their All-Ireland crown in 2025

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Still, eight out of the nine teams who contested the 2023 Ulster Club SFC remain in contention for county honours in 2024.

Only Donegal champions Glenties have fallen with St Eunan’s and Dungloe set to contest the Donegal decider next weekend.

Kilcoo will face Burren in a repeat of last year’s Down SFC final while Cargin bid for a hat-trick of Antrim titles at the expense of Portglenone.

The finalists in Armagh, Cavan, Fermanagh and Tyrone will be known after this weekend while Monaghan and Derry are at the quarter-final stages.

Here’s a rundown of the lay of the land in each Ulster county as things stand. . .

Antrim

Just two teams remain standing in the race for the Padraig McNamee Cup and holders Cargin are bidding for a hat-trick of titles in 2024.

The Toome outfit edged out St Brigid’s in a low-scoring semi-final thanks to a late goal from Paul McCann.

They’ll face neighbours Portglenone, who are making their first Antrim SFC final appearance since 2009, after Casement’s claimed a facile 11-point win over Lámh Dhearg in the last four.

Upcoming fixtures

Antrim SFC final: Cargin v Portglenone (Sunday, October 13, Venue & time TBC)

Armagh

All four of last season’s semi-finalists are back for another crack this season, albeit the last four pairings are difference.

Holders Crossmaglen take on 2021 winners Clann Éireann in a blockbuster semi-final on Sunday while last season’s beaten finalists Clan na Gael face Madden on Saturday.

Cross needed a last-gasp point from Odhran Kieran to defeat Cullyhanna in the semi-final, but the south Armagh outfit have a knack of peaking at the right time of the season and have been boosted by the return of former Armagh star Jamie Clarke in recent weeks.

Upcoming fixtures

Armagh SFC semi-finals

Clan na Gael vs Madden (Saturday, October 5, Box-It Athletic Grounds, 5.30pm)

Crossmaglen vs Clann Éireann (Sunday, October 6, Box-It Athletic Grounds, 5pm)

Cavan

Six different clubs have won the Cavan SFC in the last decade, but current holders Gowna are going for a hat-trick of titles in 2024.

You have to go back to Cavan Gaels in the early noughties for the last time any one team dominated the Cavan SFC in such a manner with Gowa also losing out to Ramor United after a replay in 2021.

The sides clash in a mouth-watering semi-final at Breffni Park this Sunday while Crosserlough and Cavan Gaels, winners as recently as 2020 and 2017 respectively, meet at the same venue on Saturday.

Upcoming fixtures

Cavan SFC semi-finals

Cavan Gaels vs Crosserlough (Saturday, October 5, Breffni Park, 7.15pm)

Gowna vs Ramor United (Sunday, October 6, Breffni Park, 3pm)

Derry

The big guns safety negotiated the group phrase of the Derry SFC with the quarter-finals scheduled for this weekend as the knockout action finally gets under way.

Defending Derry, Ulster and All-Ireland champions Glen remain the team to beat and there will be extra focus on the Maghera men in the coming weeks with Malachy O’Rourke appointed as the new Tyrone boss.

He’ll take up the role once Glen’s season is finished and recent seasons suggest that might not be for a few weeks yet.

Upcoming fixtures

Derry SFC quarter-finals

Glen vs Lavey (Saturday, October 5, Owenbeg, 5.15pm)

Newbridge vs Bellaghy (Saturday, October 5, Owenbeg, 7pm)

Slaughtneil vs Ballinascreen (Sunday, October 6, Owenbeg, 4.45pm)

Magherafelt vs Dungiven (Sunday, October 6, Owenbeg, 6.30pm)

Donegal

The only 2023 champion to lose their crown in Ulster club football this season thus far has been Glenties.

Having won four of the last five Donegal SFC titles and lost to St Eunan’s in the 2021 final, Naomh Conaill bowed out at the quarter-final stage after losing out to the Letterkenny outfit.

St Eunan’s claimed another one-point win in the last four against 2018 champions Gweedore and will be favourites to claim the title at the expense of a Dungloe side who’ve qualified for their first Donegal SFC final since 1964.

Upcoming fixtures

Donegal SFC final: St Eunan’s vs Dungloe (Sunday, October 13, Time & Venue TBC)

Down

No football team has dominated their county Championship in Ulster quite like Kilcoo. The Magpies have won 12 of their last 13 renewals and will try and make it 13 from 14 against the only other team to win the Down SFC in that time - Burren.

St Mary’s won the Frank O’Hare Cup in 2018 and were beaten finalists in 2021 and against last season.

Burren lost last year’s final 2-12 to 0-9 following a pre-match dispute regarding the appointment of Paul Faloon while Michael Moore will take charge of this season’s decider.

Upcoming fixtures

Down SFC final: Kilcoo vs Burren (Sunday, October 13, Páirc Esler, time TBC)

Fermanagh

The Fermanagh SFC is down to the last four and the the defending champions Derrygonnelly are up against Erne Gaels this weekend in what is a repeat of last season’s county final.

The Harps claimed a 2-8 to 0-9 victory in Brewster Park to lift the New York Cup for the seventh time in nine seasons.

Belleek will be hoping to overturn a one-point defeat from the group stages while Enniskillen Gaels, champions in 2022, take on 2020 winners Ederney in the other semi-final.

Upcoming fixtures

Fermanagh SFC semi-finals

Ederney vs Enniskillen Gaels (Sunday, October 6 Tempo, 1.30pm)

Derrygonnelly vs Erne Gaels (Sunday, October 6, Kinawley, 4.30pm)

Monaghan

No team from Monaghan has won the Ulster Club series since Castleblayney in 1991, but Scotstown came close to breaking that duct when suffering a narrow two-point defeat to eventual All-Ireland champions Glen in the provincial final last season.

An Bhoth are safely through to the semi-finals and await the winners of this weekend’s quarter-final meeting between Corduff and Inniskeen.

Clontibret, minus the injured Conor McManus, will face either Latton or Ballybay in the last four.

Upcoming fixtures

Monaghan SFC quarter-finals

Inniskeen vs Corduff (Saturday, October 5, Carrickmacross, 4.30pm)

Ballybay vs Latton (Sunday, October 6, Clontibret, 4.30pm)

Tyrone

The only knockout Championship in the country, this year's renewal of the Tyrone SFC has already produced some thrilling games and some shock results.

However, the last four teams remaining have all lifted the O’Neill Cup in recent seasons including three of the last four winners while Killyclogher’s most recent win was in 2016.

St Mary’s face 2023 winners Errigal Ciaran in the last four while holders Trillick face 2020 champions Dungannon in what is a repeat of that season’s county final with the Clarke’s winning after a penalty shootout.

Trillick are bidding to become the first team since Carrickmore in 2005 to retain the O’Neill Cup.

Upcoming fixtures

Tyrone SFC semi-finals

Trillick vs Dungannon (Friday, October 4, O’Neills Healy Park, 7.30pm)

Errigal Ciaran vs Killyclogher (Sunday, October 6, O’Neills Healy Park, 7pm)

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