Ulster Teams Make Big Impression So Far in 2025 Championship

Now that we have viewed all the main protagonists for this year’s All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, it’s clear at this stage of the Championship that the form teams and the sides making the most impression are teams from Ulster.

Kerry may have won the League, but Jack O’Connor’s men certainly didn’t look like potential All-Ireland champions with the way they struggled to get over Cork in their Munster Semi-Final. Galway have had two wins so far: a facile win over New York and a victory over a Roscommon side that did not show up against their Connacht rivals. A better judge of where Galway are should come in their Connacht Final against Mayo, who themselves have failed to impress in their wins over Sligo and Leitrim, on May 4th.

Ulster Competitiveness

As always, the 2025 Ulster Championship is an ultra-competitive competition, with only four teams left standing in the hunt for the Anglo-Celt Cup. Donegal will play down for a place in the 2025 decider, while Armagh will face Tyrone in a blockbuster semi-final for a spot in the 2025 Ulster Final. Of the 4 counties left, Donegal are the team that have made the biggest impression so far.

Donegal Look the Part

Jim McGuinness is in his second year of his second coming as Donegal boss and has moulded an exciting, clinical side that is probably rightly viewed by many as the favourites to lift Sam on July 27th. They ruthlessly took care of Derry in their opening match, beating the 2024 National League champions by 10 points. They then took on a Monaghan side fresh from winning the Division 2 League title against Roscommon. Donegal led for most of the game and always looked like winners in Clones, but they had to survive a late surge from Monaghan to earn their spot in another Ulster Semi-Final. McGuinness has built a squad full of pace, dynamism and scoring prowess.

Add to that the return of Michael Murphy, and all the ingredients appear to be there for a similar journey to their 2012 run when they were crowned All-Ireland champions. Tough challenges lie ahead for them, but at this stage, they are deservedly seen as favourites.

Armagh and Tyrone Building

Elsewhere in Ulster, two teams with both provincial and All-Ireland ambitions will clash in the other Ulster Semi-Final. Armagh, the reigning All-Ireland champions from 2024, will aim for another Ulster Final appearance when they take on long-time rivals Tyrone. Armagh were inconsistent in the first half of their opener against Antrim but impressed after the break. Remarkably, they started that game with just five players from their All-Ireland-winning side, a sign of strong squad depth that will please Kieran McGeeney. Rian O’Neill will be a major loss if unavailable later in the summer, but Armagh have grown accustomed to winning and remain a serious threat as they look to defend their All-Ireland title and secure their first Ulster crown since 2008.

Tyrone, despite relegation from Division 1 of the League, seem to be hitting form as the Ulster Championship heats up. In his debut season, Malachy O’Rourke has built an energetic squad featuring a top-class midfield pairing in Brian Kennedy and Con Kilpatrick, alongside scoring threats like the Canavan brothers, Darragh and Ruairi, and the ever-dangerous Darren McCurry. A key positive from their seven-point win over Cavan was the resurgence of Kieran McGeary. The 2021 All-Ireland winner and Footballer of the Year looked close to his best again, and if he and Peter Harte can consistently contribute with the other marquee players, Tyrone will be genuine contenders for the sport’s biggest prize in Gaelic Football.

Donegal are expected to overcome Down and reach the Ulster Final, while the Armagh–Tyrone showdown promises to be one of the highlights of the Championship. The sheer depth and competitiveness of Ulster football are evident, with Donegal, Tyrone, and Armagh all featuring among the leading favourites to lift the Sam Maguire at the end of July.

Conclusion

For so long Ulster was the shining light of provincial Gaelic Football, as the excitement and the competitiveness of the other provinces waned. Even with the new rules introduced this year, it still looks like Ulster is the place to be once again for the best drama and action during the 2025 Gaelic Football Championship.

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