Gaelic Games

Odhran Crumley
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Inpho

Scotstown manager David McCague is hoping his side can make home advantage count in the quarter-final of the Ulster Club Football Championship.

The Monaghan champions are set to welcome Donegal winners Naomh Conaill to Clones on Sunday, 9 November (13:30 GMT), a venue that has become a second home to the Scotstown men in recent years.

"The home advantage I think is an advantage in this competition, but you have to make it so," McCague told BBC Sport NI.

"The only way you make it so is through your performance, and I suppose that'll be the challenge for us to get ourselves ready for another performance."

Scotstown picked up their third consecutive county title with an extra-time win over Inniskeen, and McCague believes the manner of the victory will stand to his side heading into the provincial arena.

"There was an awful lot of similarities in the county final with what our experience in the Ulster Championship has been over the last few years in terms of the conditions, the physicality of it, the collisions, the intensity of it," McCague admitted.

"I suppose it hung on moments, and thankfully those moments fell our way, but it could have been so different. In the grand scheme of things, it has given us a really good test and challenge, which we knew it would."

'Hard work at youth level can bring senior success'

A few lesser known names will make the step into the provincial arena, after Loughmacrory and Madden won their first ever titles in Tyrone and Armagh respectively, while Dunloy claimed the Antrim championship for the first time in 89 years.

However, Scotstown are one of the more seasoned campaigners heading into this years Ulster campaign having competed in the last 13 Monaghan finals, winning 10 of those, and McCague has acknowledged a potential changing of the guard.

"I think that clubs are beginning to realise that if you put in the work and the effort at grassroots, in terms of coaching structures, that these rewards are there," McCague said.

"Loughmacrory are a case in point, they've got a fantastic coaching culture within the club, and that's borne out over a long number of years, and they're finding the reward for it now.

"Again, that's been our experience as well. We went 20 years without winning a championship until we redoubled our efforts in our coaching structures, and we're still reaping the rewards. There's lessons there for every club, that these titles are on offer if you sow the seed."

Odhran Crumley
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Inpho

Kilcoo manager Martin Corey believes "any team can win" the Ulster Club Football Championship ahead of Saturday's quarter-final with Loughmacrory.

The Magpies will enter into the provincial arena for the 13th time in 14 years, after they beat Carryduff to win a seventh Down title in a row.

"They probably are the most experienced team in it, and you can't hide away from that, but it's not something that comes into conversations and not something that we would talk about," Corey admitted to BBC Sport NI.

"As I say to everybody, we just focus on the next training session, the next game and that will always be our approach."

The Down champions have featured in four of the last five Ulster finals, winning two, but will hope to make amends for last year's decider when they lost to Tyrone champions Errigal Ciaran after extra-time.

"They're just a different bunch, they're just so hungry. It's something that you never understand until you're actually involved with them," Corey added.

"They are very workmanlike, their workmanship on the field at training is just incredible and that then follows through into the game."

Kilcoo's run provides a stark contrast to their opponents, who picked up the Tyrone title for the first time in their history by beating Trillick by a single point at Healy Park.

"To never win a senior championship and to do what they've done, it's just incredible and to take out a quality team like Trillick, they really turned heads," said Corey, who watched the game from the stands.

"Both teams were tactically very well set up, but it was just that quality and energy they had and that was probably the difference."

Monaghan native Corey leads a club into the Ulster club arena for the first time, but is well aware of the size of challenge that awaits his charges.

"I always find Ulster football, county and club at a different level. It's just so intense.

"To me it is at a different level. That's not saying that it's a better standard of football or anything. It's just any team can win it and every team wants to win."

Image source, Inpho

Kerry's four-time All-Ireland winner Kieran Donaghy has linked up with his native county's backroom team ahead of the 2026 season after leaving Armagh.

The three-time All-Star spent five seasons in manager Kieran McGeeney's set-up, helping the Orchard county win the 2024 All-Ireland title before stepping away in July

Former full-forward Donaghy, who retired in 2018, joins Kerry ahead of the Kingdom's All-Ireland defence next year.

He will work alongside manager Jack O'Connor, who signed a new deal in August after strongly hinting that his third spell in charge was coming to an end in the aftermath of their All-Ireland final win over Donegal.

Donaghy played under O'Connor during the latter's first two stints as boss.

"Jack O'Connor Kerry senior football team manager has confirmed the addition of former player Kieran Donaghy to the backroom team for next season," read a short statement from Kerry.

"Kieran's welcome involvement further enhances an already strong support team. We wish them the best of luck for 2026."

Odhran Crumley
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Inpho

Limerick's five-time All-Ireland winning captain Declan Hannon has retired from the inter-county game.

Hannon retires as the most decorated captain in hurling history, lifting five Liam MacCarthy Cups, alongside seven Munster titles, and two league wins.

The Adare club-man began his inter-county career in 2010, reverting from the half-forward line, to establish himself as one of the games great number sixes.

Hannon was prominent as Limerick beat Cork in the 2018 All-Ireland Final, ending a 45-year drought, before collecting four Celtic Cross medals in a row from 2020 to 2023.

Injuries have curtailed the 32-year-old's time on the pitch over the past few seasons, but Hannon did feature as a second-half substitute in Limerick's shock quarter-final defeat by Dublin at Croke Park in June.

"It has been one of the greatest honours of my life to wear the Limerick jersey, to represent my county, and share the highest of highs with people I love," said three-time All-Star Hannon.

"Hurling has been a major part of my life since I was a child. It tested me, it humbled me, and it gave me moments I will carry in my heart forever.

"I want to thank my club Adare GAA and the Adare community, all the coaches and teammates from underage up to senior level, your guidance and encouragement shaped the path ahead.

"I will never forget returning home to the village in 2018. That feeling will live with me always."

Image source, Getty Images

Monaghan's two-time Ulster Championship winner Kieran Duffy has called time on his inter-county career.

The defender made his championship debut in 2010 and started Monaghan's Ulster SFC final wins in 2013 and 2015.

The Latton club-man follows Darren Hughes and Karl O'Connell in drawing the curtain on his county career.

"Representing Monaghan GAA down through the years has always been a great privilege and honour," said Duffy, who captained the county during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

"I've been incredibly lucky to have played with great teammates, shared memories, had the laughs, ups and downs and made lifelong friendships."

Monaghan boss Gabriel Bannigan admits he hoped Duffy would return to the panel for the 2026 season.

"I was hoping Kieran would return for another season, he performed very well in Latton's championship campaign, and I thought he might give it one more season, but Kieran is 35 next March and I completely respect his decision," said Bannigan.

"He knows his body better than anyone else and I wish him every success in everything he does in the future.

"All Monaghan Gaels will be forever grateful for the dedication Kieran gave our county team over so many years."

Monaghan will return to Division One next year after earning promotion from the second-tier. Their 2025 championship campaign was ended by Donegal, who beat them in the Ulster and All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Image source, Inpho

With a seventh-straight Down football title, Paul Devlin said "it's nice to see that people want Kilcoo to fall" as they scored a 1-17 to 1-11 win over Carryduff on Sunday.

The Magpies saved their best performance for last with Devlin's goal from a first half penalty giving them a bit of breathing space and they saw it out in the second period despite a Carryduff rally.

Kilcoo survived a much closer call in the semi-final against Clonduff when a potential two-point winner sailed wide, but they have been here before and their know-how on the big day once again shone through.

Although accepting some neutrals would enjoy a changing of the guard, Devlin insists outside opinons matter little and "when people don't like you, there's always a good reason behind it".

"This one is sweet with how the game played out and the build-up where we were doubted in this year's championship," he told BBC Sport NI.

"It just shows the character of this team. Big teams play well in big games and we have that experience to put in those big performances.

"We know the group of players we have. It's just noise outside, but it's the hard yards that people don't see. It's nice to see that people want Kilcoo to fall in Down, but I always say good players play well in finals and that was a total team performance today."

Devlin thumped his 22nd-minute penalty down the middle and although a risky decision, it was one he felt was correct.

"It was a big moment in the game and it needed to go in, so I didn't want to put it in the corner and the keeper has a chance if diving," he added.

"I just thought I wanted to hit it hard and it he saves it or taps it into the net, at least there is power behind it."

Devlin's thoughts were echoed by manager Carey who felt their path to the final stood to them.

"We didn't care what anybody said," he said.

"We were looking at the opposition, really good teams. Clonduff, we had to beat twice and that's not easy, we had Loughinisland - two good teams - and that stood us in good stead.

"Them games, they find out things about you and they find weaknesses in your game, but as long as you keep winning you get to fix them and today we got our win from that."