In recent years the Ulster football championship has been the most competitive in Ireland and with their famous preliminary round it’s always difficult to predict the finalists, never mind the winners. On Sunday, next the meeting of Armagh and Monaghan in St Tiernarch’s Park, Clones, will be the first final between these counties since 1938 when Monaghan won by three points. That final was played in the Athletic Grounds in Armagh City. St Tiernarch’s Park didn’t stage its first final until 1943.
Cavan are struggling in recent years, but the Breffni men’s record of 40 Ulster final wins will probably last longer than print media. Monaghan won the first-ever Ulster final in 1888 when they beat Cavan in a replay and the Farney County are in joint second in the Ulster roll of honor with Tyrone with 16 wins each. Armagh are in fourth place with 14 wins. The Orchard County do share one record with Cavan in that they have both lost 23 finals.
So a lot of history in Ulster football where the famous Anglo Celt Cup was first presented to Cavan after their win over Antrim in 1925. This will be Armagh’s fourth consecutive final, but they haven’t won a final since 2008 when they beat Fermanagh in a replay. However, manager Kieran McGeeney, who has been Armagh manger for 11 years, has done well via the back door route and Armagh beat Galway to win Sam Maguire for only the second time in their history in 2024.
Armagh will start as favorites on Sunday following their big win over Down in the semi-final. But Monaghan do possess a match winner in goalkeeper Rory Beggan. The Scotstown-born keeper who was close to joining NFL club Caroline Panthers as a kicker in 2024, is capable of winning games by kicking two-pointers from up to 50 metres.
WESTMEATH
IN RARE FINAL
Prior to Westmeath’s Leinster football semi-final against Kildare their Donegal-born manager Mark McHugh asked his players: ‘‘Do you want to be playing Dublin or Leitrim.’’ The reference to Leitrim meant if they didn’t beat Kildare it would the Tailteann Cup with a possible game against Leitrim. Westmeath needed extra time, but they got by the Lilywhites to qualify for what will only be their 6th Leinster final when they play at Croke Park on Sunday next.
The Lake County suffered heavy defeats to Dublin in the 2015 and 2016 Leinster finals, but their most memorable day in Croke Park came in 2004 when they beat Laois in a replay to win the Delaney Cup for the first time. Twenty two years ago Westmeath were managed by Kerry’s Paidi O Sé and Laois were managed by O Sé’s former Kerry manager Mick O’Dwyer. Both managers have since died. McHugh has done well with Westmeath, they were favorites to gain promotion from Division Three, but lost an important game to Wexford. Then in the Leinster championship after overcoming Longford they pulled off one of the surprises of the season when beating the much fancied Meath in the quarter-finals.
After a poor performance against Wicklow, where they won by only two points, Dublin were not really fancied to beat Louth in the semi-final, but they did so by double scores. Manager Ger Brennan is still suspended and with Con O’Callaghan and a few more big names due back after injury I think Dublin will clock up their 64th Leinster win.
