The 2025 football championship throws-in this weekend with nine games taking place across four provinces and three countries.
The league finals are not yet a week in the rear-view mirror, and Easter remains more than a fortnight away, but by Sunday night the semi-final pairings for this year’s Munster and Connacht Senior Football Championships will be known.
The rhythm of Irish life is still trying to adjust to the GAA’s contemporary whirlwind intercounty season. There are just 16 weeks remaining now until the tent is packed up for another year, so it’s time to have a look at how the 2025 provincial championships are shaping up. Sure, it’ll all be over soon enough.
Leinster SFC
Roll of honour:
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Dublin – 63
Meath – 21
Kildare – 13
Wexford – 10
Offaly – 10
Louth – 8
Laois – 6
Kilkenny – 3
Carlow – 1
Longford – 1
Westmeath – 1
Teams & managers:
Dublin
Manager – Dessie Farrell
Last Leinster title – 2024
Louth
Manager – Ger Brennan
Last Leinster title – 1957
Meath
Manager – Robbie Brennan
Last Leinster title – 2010
Kildare
Manager – Brian Flanagan
Last Leinster title – 2000
Westmeath
Manager – Dermot McCabe
Last Leinster title – 2004
Offaly
Manager – Declan Kelly & Mickey Harte
Last Leinster title – 1997
Carlow
Manager – Joe Murphy
Last Leinster title – 1944
Longford
Manager – Mike Solan
Last Leinster title – 1968
Laois
Manager – Justin McNulty
Last Leinster title – 2003
Wicklow
Manager – Oisín McConville
Last Leinster title – None to date
Wexford
Manager – John Hegarty
Last Leinster title – 1945
The draw:
Dublin are aiming to win a 15th consecutive Delaney Cup – having claimed 19 of the last 20. Their path to another final sees Dessie Farrell’s men face either Wicklow or Longford in a quarter-final.
Dublin’s semi-final opponents (should they get there, of course) will be one of Offaly, Carlow or Meath. Interestingly, that game will be played at a provincial venue because for the first time in 30 years neither Leinster semi-final will be played at Croke Park.
League matters:
Dublin were the only team from Leinster in Division 1 this term and that will be unchanged for 2026. In Division 2, Meath finished third, Louth ended sixth while Westmeath were relegated.
Offaly and Kildare were both promoted from Division 3, with the Faithful County beating their neighbours in the divisional final last weekend. Wexford were promoted from Division 4, going through the group stages with a 100 per cent win record.
Who goes where:
Dublin will compete for Sam Maguire and are to be joined by Meath, who finished third in Division 2.
After that, it appears the opposite side of the draw will become a mini play-off for a place in the top tier championship where Kildare, Louth and Westmeath are expected to battle it out for a coveted Leinster final spot – which brings with it entry to the Sam Maguire.
Either way, the majority of Leinster teams will be playing in the Tailteann Cup.
Fixtures:
Preliminary Round
April 5th: Wexford v Laois
April 6th: Meath v Carlow; Longford v Wicklow
Quarter-finals
April 12th: Kildare v Westmeath
April 13th: Offaly v Carlow/Meath; Dublin v Wicklow/Longford; Louth v Wexford/Laois
Semi-finals
April 26th/27th: Offaly/Carlow/Meath v Dublin/Wicklow/Longford
April 26th/27th: Kildare/Westmeath v Louth/Wexford/Laois
FINAL
May 11th
Ulster SFC
Roll of honour:
Cavan – 40
Monaghan – 16
Tyrone – 16
Armagh – 14
Down – 12
Donegal – 11
Antrim – 10
Derry – 9
Fermanagh – 0
Teams & managers:
Cavan
Manager – Raymond Galligan
Last Ulster title – 2020
Monaghan
Manager – Gabriel Brannigan
Last Ulster SFC triumph – 2015
Tyrone
Manager – Malachy O’Rourke
Last Ulster SFC triumph – 2021
Armagh
Manager – Kieran McGeeney
Last Ulster SFC triumph – 2008
Down
Manager – Conor Laverty
Last Ulster SFC triumph – 1994
Donegal
Manager – Jim McGuinness
Last Ulster SFC triumph: 2024
Antrim
Manager – Andy McEntee
Last Ulster SFC triumph – 1951
Derry
Manager – Paddy Tally
Last Ulster title – 2023
Fermanagh
Manager – Kieran Donnelly
Last Ulster title – None to date
The draw:
In an evenly spread Ulster championship, champions Donegal, Derry and Monaghan are on one side, along with Fermanagh and Down.
Armagh – their venue controversy settled in favour of Antrim’s Corrigan Park – and Tyrone, along with Cavan, are on the other side.
League matters:
Ulster had just one league finalist, Division 2 winners Monaghan. The province also had four teams relegated: Tyrone and Derry from Division 1, Down from Division 2 and Antrim from Division 3.
As Tailteann Cup holders, Down are guaranteed a place vying for Sam Maguire, regardless of relegation. Cavan just missed out promotion from Division 2 on the last day of the group fixtures.
Who goes where:
Ulster have the highest Sam Maguire representation of all the provinces, as Donegal, Armagh, Tyrone, Derry, Cavan and Down are guaranteed Tier 1 championship football this summer.
Just two of the nine counties – Antrim and Fermanagh – are likely to be playing Tailteann Cup, and both need to beat one of the other seven to reach the provincial final and escape Tier 2.
Fixtures:
Preliminary Round
April 6th: Donegal v Derry
Quarter-finals
April 12th: Antrim v Armagh
April 13th: Tyrone v Cavan
April 19th: Fermanagh v Down
April 20th: Donegal/Derry v Monaghan
Semi-finals
April 26th: Antrim/Armagh v Tyrone/Cavan
April 27th: Fermanagh/Down v Donegal/Derry/Monaghan
Final
May 10th/11th
Munster SFC
Roll of honour:
Kerry – 85
Cork – 37
Tipperary – 10
Clare – 2
Limerick – 1
Waterford – 1
Teams & managers:
Kerry
Manager – Jack O’Connor
Last Munster title – 2024
Cork
Manager – John Cleary
Last Munster title – 2012
Tipperary
Manager – Philly Ryan
Last Munster title – 2020
Clare
Manager – Peter Keane
Last Munster title – 1992
Limerick
Manager – Jimmy Lee
Last Munster title – 1896
Waterford
Manager – Paul Shankey
Last Munster title – 1898
The draw:
Cork and Kerry are on the same side and should the Rebels overcome Limerick this Saturday, Munster’s big two would meet in a Páirc Úi Chaoimh semi-final.
Clare, Tipperary and Waterford are all on the other side of the draw, meaning one of that trio will secure a place in the All-Ireland series.
League matters:
Munster contains two of this year’s four divisional league winners – Limerick claimed the Division 4 title while Kerry were crowned Division 1 champions.
Cork struggled in Division 2 but finished with back-to-back wins over Louth and Cavan to end the campaign in fifth place.
Tipperary were fifth in Division 4 while in the same division Waterford managed just one victory as they finished bottom of the table.
Who goes where:
Kerry are guaranteed a spot in the All-Ireland series while Cork’s fifth-place finish in Division 2 should be enough to see them qualify for the Sam Maguire competition – though any surprise finalists in the other provinces would see the Rebels at risk of dropping to the Tailteann Cup.
For Tipperary, Clare, Limerick and Waterford, only a provincial final spot would see them play in the top flight.
Fixtures:
Quarter-finals
April 5th: Cork v Limerick, Tipperary v Waterford
Semi-finals
April 19th: Clare v Tipperary/Waterford; Kerry v Cork/Limerick
Final
May 4th
Connacht SFC
Roll of honour:
Galway – 50
Mayo – 47
Roscommon – 24
Sligo – 3
Leitrim – 2
London – 0
New York – 0
Teams & managers:
Galway
Manager – Pádraic Joyce
Last Connacht title – 2024
Mayo
Manager – Kevin McStay
Last Connacht title – 2021
Roscommon
Manager – Davy Burke
Last Connacht title – 2019
Sligo
Manager – Tony McEntee
Last Connacht title – 2007
Leitrim
Manager – Steven Poacher
Last Connacht title – 1994
London
Manager – Michael Maher
Last Connacht title – None to date
New York
Manager – Ronan McGinley
Last Connacht title – None to date
The draw:
Although Mayo have the burden of playing Sligo within a week of losing the AFL Division One final, they are on the easier side of the draw – facing woebegone Leitrim – if they can survive Sunday, as Galway and Roscommon are scheduled to meet in the other semi-final.
League matters:
Connacht had two league finalists, neither of whom were successful. Mayo lost in Division 1 to Kerry and Division 2 winners Monaghan beat Roscommon, who maintained their yo-yo trajectory with a fifth promotion to the top flight in 11 years.
The province also had just one team relegated, albeit with a resounding thud, as poor old Leitrim lost six fixtures and conceded the seventh in Division 3.
Who goes where:
Connacht created a furore two years ago when one side of the draw featured only Division 4 teams, which ultimately got Sligo among the Sam Maguire hopefuls.
It’s more evenly divided this time, with Tier 1 counties Galway/Roscommon and Mayo on separate sides.
Sligo have reached the Tailteann Cup semi-finals on both previous occasions they contested it and should be joined this year by Leitrim, London and New York.
Fixtures:
Quarter-finals
April 5th: London v Roscommon
April 6th: Mayo v Sligo, New York v Galway
Semi-finals
April 19th/20th: London/Roscommon v New York/Galway, Mayo v Sligo v Leitrim
Final
May 3rd/4th
