Gaelic Games

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Armagh will begin the defence of their Ladies National Football League Division One title with an away contest against All-Ireland champions Kerry on 25 January.

Armagh beat Kerry 2-12 to 2-9 in this season's Division One final in early April but the Kingdom avenged that defeat by earning a 1-8 to 0-7 win in the All-Ireland semi-final in July when key forward Aimee Mackin was an absentee for the Orchard County.

After earning promotion this year, Tyrone will open their Division One campaign by hosting Meath on 26 January.

The Division One meeting of Armagh and Tyrone will take place in round two.

After suffering relegation this year, Donegal's Division Two opener will be away to Clare on 26 January.

Donegal's Division Two opponents will include this year's beaten All-Ireland Finalists Galway, Cork and Monaghan.

Following their relegation from Division Two this year, Cavan will compete in a Division Three that also includes Down while Antrim, Derry and Fermanagh will be among the Division Four hopefuls.

All four divisions will have eight teams with the top two in all bar Division Four meeting in the respective finals.

Division Four semi-finals will take place on 30 March with the Divisions One and Two finals at Croke Park on 12 April and the Divisions Three and Four deciders taking place the following day.

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Seven-time All-Ireland winner Brian Fenton has called time on his Dublin career.

The 31-year-old has had a glittering inter-county career after making his debut in 2015 and is widely regarded as one of the game's greatest ever midfielders.

He was part of the Dubs side that won the Sam Maguire six years in a row between 2015-2020 and went unbeaten for a record 45 championship games.

Fenton also collected 10 Leinster Senior Championship medals and retires having never lost a game in the competition.

The midfielder picked up four National Football League titles too and was twice named Footballer of the Year in 2018 and 2020 as well as winning six All-Stars.

His last game for Dublin proved to be the All-Ireland quarter-final loss against Galway in July.

Dublin County Board Chairperson Michael Seavers said in a statement on Fenton's retirement: "Brian was an integral figure in the incredible success enjoyed by Dublin over the past decade.

"He is a hugely talented footballer and fan favourite who will forever be considered one of the greatest players to grace the field in a blue jersey.

"We thank Brian for his unwavering commitment to Dublin football."

Fenton's retirement follows James McCarthy's decision to step away from Dessie Farrell's panel ahead of the 2025 season earlier this month.

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Derry's Brendan Rogers says the Oak Leaf players are "very happy" with Paddy Tally's appointment as senior football manager.

Tally was last week confirmed as Mickey Harte's replacement, bringing to an end the county's four-month search for a new boss.

"We're very happy in Paddy," Rogers said, speaking after helping Slaughtneil reach the Ulster Club hurling final with a thrilling victory over Cushendall on Saturday.

"Maybe when it [the search] went on a bit people were saying 'get somebody, get somebody' but no.

"Full credit to the [county] committee they'd went in and sourced Paddy. They went after people they knew were high quality. Paddy's high quality.

"He's coached in four All-Ireland finals, won two of them ands played in an All-Ireland final in '95 with Tyrone and he's won a Sigerson [Cup] as a manager so it's brilliant to have someone of that quality about."

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Three Armagh players have won their first Ladies Football All-Stars after an impressive season for the Orchard county.

Defenders Grace Ferguson and Lauren McConville, as well as forward Aoife McCoy, have been recognised for their roles in Armagh's National League Division One triumph and run to the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Armagh had earned eight nominations but Anna Carr, Clodagh McCambridge, Cait Towe, Caroline O'Hanlon and Blaithin Mackin did not make the final 15.

All-Ireland champions Kerry topped the All-Stars with seven: goalkeeper Ciara Butler, defenders Kayleigh Cronin and Aishling O’Connell, midfielder Anna Galvin, and forward trio Niamh Carmody, Danielle O’Leary and Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh.

Beaten All-Ireland finalists Galway earned four All-Stars - Kate Geraghty, Nicola Ward, Ailbhe Davoren and Olivia Divilly - while Cork's Katie Quirke is included at full-forward.

Galway defender Nicola Ward also won player of the year, holding Kerry’s Kayleigh Cronin and Armagh captain McConville.

Leitrim’s Michelle Guckian won intermediate player of the year while Fermanagh’s Eimear Smyth claimed the junior award.

Ladies Football All-Stars 2024: Ciara Butler (Kerry); Grace Ferguson (Armagh), Kayleigh Cronin (Kerry), Kate Geraghty (Galway); Aishling O’Connell (Kerry), Nicola Ward (Galway), Lauren McConville (Armagh); Anna Galvin (Kerry), Ailbhe Davoren (Galway); Niamh Carmody (Kerry), Aoife McCoy (Armagh), Olivia Divilly (Galway); Danielle O’Leary (Kerry), Katie Quirke (Cork), Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh (Kerry).

New Antrim hurling boss Davy Fitzgerald said he hopes to discuss an inter-county return with 36-year-old forward Neil McManus after watching the Cushendall man star for his club in an epic Ulster Club Hurling Championship semi-final defeat to Slaughtneil on Saturday.

Read the report of the game here.

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Antrim hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald says Darren Gleeson is a "fighter" after the former Saffrons boss announced his cancer diagnosis.

Gleeson announced on Saturday that he had to step down as Laois manager to "undergo treatment for cancer.

The 43-year-old left his role as Antrim manager in July after five years in charge and was ratified as Laois boss the following month.

"I know Darren pretty well. He has an illness, but he's a fighter," said his Antrim successor Fitzgerald.

"I absolutely know that Darren will buckle down and do whatever he needs to do.

"Darren will fight like anything, and I'm sure we'll see Darren back on the sideline in the future because that's the type of guy that he is."

'My heart goes out to him'

Gleeson is a former Tipperary goalkeeper and won two All-Ireland titles and six Munster Championships as a player.

He said the cancer was diagnosed following "a recent accident in which my upper arm was broken unexpectedly".

"It is essential, based on the medical advice I have received, that I fully focus in the months ahead on my treatment and recovery," he added.

"Unfortunately, it is therefore not possible to continue the busy and responsible role of being an inter-county manager."

Neil McManus, who captained the Saffrons under Gleeson , said "everyone in Antrim wishes Darren the absolute best".

Gleeson guided the Ulster county to the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2020 and 2022 and also helped the Saffrons to promotion to the top tier of hurling by winning Division Two in 2020.

"It is a horrific time for him and his family, and I just wish him a speedy recovery", McManus added.

"What he gave to Antrim GAA was massive, it really was. Probably only the people who were inside his dressing room will understand that fully.

"My heart goes out to Darren and his family, and we wish him a very speedy recovery."

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Slaughtneil forward Brendan Rogers says the Derry champions needed to be at their best to beat Cushendall in a thrilling Ulster Club SHC semi-final on Saturday night.

The game at the Athletic Grounds went to extra-time before Slaughtneil secured a 1-36 to 3-25 victory.

"You know what you get with Cushendall - a battle every time, good hurling, it's physical and you have to be at your best to beat them," said Rogers, who was named man-of-the-match.

"We had a lot of scores. When you score 37 times and it's still tight at the end of the game you know you're in a battle and that's full credit to Cushendall."

Slaughtneil led by three points in the dying seconds but Neil McManus bagged his third goal to send the match into extra-time.

The Derry men held their nerve and moved clear to earn to a five-point success over the holders.

It was a victory which came after a series of disappointments at the hands of the Antrim team.

"For this group, maybe because we haven't beaten Cushendall in the Ulster Championship - we've played them about four times and had extra-time twice.

"So I suppose for this group to get over that line was one we had to do and we only set our sights on winning the game."

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Kilcoo manager Karl Lacey praised his team's attitude after defeating Crosserlough 0-15 to 1-10 in the Ulster Club SFC quarter-final at Pairc Esler.

The 2022 All-Ireland champions were pushed all the way by the Cavan underdogs but edged through at the end to seal a spot in the last four.

"Crosserlough are good team with good footballers - we knew we were up against it," said Lacey.

"We were just glad to get in at half-time a point up and regroup. Crosserlough came out again and left everything behind, fair play to them.

"I'm just delighted we showed the character that was required to get the job done, to get over the line and get ourselves in the next round."

Lacey was also happy with the impact by second-half substitute Conor Laverty with the Down manager scoring a point to help see Kilcoo over the line.

"If there's anyone in Kilcoo who didn't want to lose tonight it was Conor Laverty.

"Conor's been brilliant and he's been training really well. He put his hand up and deserves the game-time that he got. He has that experience and he's a leader."

Lacey was an All-Ireland title winner with Donegal in 2012 and played alongside star forward Michael Murphy.

Murphy has come out of inter-county retirement to return to Donegal and Lacey is happy to see his former team-mate back.

"It's been well documented in the last couple of days how much this means for the county.

"Michael would have considered everything before making his decision - as a Donegal supporter it's great to see Michael Murphy play again."