PREVIEW: League silverware in sight for Armagh

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ARMAGH

Manager: Kieran McGeeney

2024 season: 2nd in Division 2

Last season will be hard to top for the Orchard County, as they won the Sam Maguire Cup for just the second time in the county’s history.

However, in his eleventh year in charge, manager Kieran McGeeney will certainly be hungry for more success and silverware, and carrying the title of ‘All-Ireland champions’ into 2025, his team have every reason to believe that they can win the Division 1 crown.

It will be far from easy, but Armagh did defeat fellow top-tier sides Derry, Kerry and Galway en route to glory last season and indeed only lost once in normal time all year – losing 0-16 to 0-15 against Donegal in the Division 2 final.

Everyone will be trying to figure out a strategy to thrive in Gaelic football’s new rule-set, but Armagh may be one county who are set-up better than most.

Having to keep three forward players in the opposition’s half at all times allows for quick counter attacks, and any combination of Armagh’s deadly forwards can do damage, with lightning-fast Conor Turbitt, Oisin Conaty and Stefan Campbell able to carry the ball at speed, whilst Andrew Murnin will do a fair share of damage if left in a one on one at full forward.

That same rule means that teams will be more exposed at the back, but with tough tackling defenders Aaron McKay and Paddy Burns coming off strong campaigns, and elite man marker Barry McCambridge nominated for Footballer of the Year honours, Armagh will still believe that they have a good enough defensive structure in place to thwart whatever comes their way.

Kick-outs will have to travel beyond the 40-metre arc, which encourages high fielding but with players such as Niall Grimley and Ben Crealey in midfield, Armagh will once again feel covered in this area.

The new rule which prevents the goalkeeper from receiving possession inside their own half encourages them to get into the attacking half and provide a ‘plus-one’ which is a role Ethan Rafferty has excelled in before – that’s if he can get his place in the team back off of Blaine Hughes, who was unlucky not to win an All Star for his displays in 2024.

Rafferty is also a player who figures to thrive in terms of taking ‘two-pointers’ for scores kicked from beyond the 40-metre arc. He won’t be alone in that category as Armagh have plenty of long-range score-takers including Grimley, Aidan Forker and Oisin O’Neill.

What way the Division 1 table ends up is anyone’s guess, but Armagh have as much reason to be confident heading into the new season as any other side, and if they can get off to a good start with results in their opening games against Galway and Tyrone, they will be in the mix to go all the way.

Prediction: Winners

DERRY

Manager: Paddy Tally

2024 season: 1st in Division 1

Derry got their 2024 season off to a flying start as they stormed to six wins in seven games, before defeating Dublin on penalties to win the crown for the seventh time in the county’s history.

However, things went downhill from there, as they would go on to lose four times during the Championship, against Donegal, Galway, Armagh and Kerry respectively, with each margin of defeat by at least five points.

Having won the Ulster title and reached the semi-finals of the All-Ireland SFC in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Oak Leaf County’s supporters have high hopes that their team are capable of winning the Sam Maguire.

But they took a big step backwards in 2024, and following Mickey Harte stepping down as manager in July, it took them four months before appointing Paddy Tally in November.

Derry’s team is full of quality, but with such little time for Tally to get his feet under the table, the retirement of legendary corner back Chrissy McKaigue, and the lingering disappointment from their 2024 Championship campaign, Derry could be in for a relegation battle to kick off 2025.

Prediction: 8th

DONEGAL

Manager: Jim McGuinness

2024 season: 1st in Division 2

Following an extremely impressive season in 2024, Donegal are a team who many people have tipped to go all the way to glory in 2025.

Their 2022 and 2023 seasons brought disappointment, as they failed to reach the last eight of the All-Ireland SFC in either year and were relegated from Division 1.

However, the return of manager Jim McGuinness quickly changed their fortunes and they enjoyed a fruitful 2024 season, winning the Division 2 title and the Ulster Championship, before losing to Galway by a point in the All-Ireland Semi-final.

With Armagh – who Donegal had already beaten in the league and provincial finals – awaiting, the Tir Chonaill men may well have fancied another crack at the Orchard County. But despite exceeding their pre-season expectations, there was a feeling of what might have been for Donegal last year.

In 2025, everyone is keenly awaiting to see how McGuinness sets his team up within the new set of rules and the return of legendary forward Michael Murphy out of retirement is a huge shot in the arm.

But with their sights set on a run at the Sam Maguire, Donegal may be content with a mid-table finish, saving their best football for the summer months.

Prediction: 4th

DUBLIN

Manager: Dessie Farrell

2024 season: 2nd in Division 1

Dublin famously won six All-Ireland SFC titles in a row between 2015 and 2020, and whilst they did recapture their crown in 2023, their era of dominance has come to an end. The race for Sam Maguire has been blown wide open in recent years, with Tyrone, Kerry and Armagh also getting their hands on the crown, whilst Galway have reached two finals.

It’s the dawn of a new day for the Dubs, as two of the county’s best-ever players – Brian Fenton and James McCarthy – hung up their boots at the end of the 2024 season.

With those players retiring, alongside goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton aged 43 and full back Michael Fitzsimons turning 36 in April, the onus will be on Dessie Farrell to blood some new faces into his team during the league.

However, with each game coming against top-quality opposition that may be hard to do. Whilst Dublin have too much quality to be relegated like they were in 2022, they are in a period of transition and might have to make-do with a mid-table finish.

Prediction: 5th

KERRY

Manager: Jack O’Connor

2024 season: 3rd in Division 1

Kerry remain one of the very best teams in the land will go into 2025 still hurting from how their season came to an end last year.

With the Dubs knocked out in the quarter-finals, Kerry were the bookmakers favourites to win the Sam Maguire heading into the last four, but they were stunned by Armagh in Croke Park, losing 1-18 to 1-16 after extra-time.

Having won the Footballer of the Year award in both 2022 and 2023, David Clifford had a ‘quiet’ year by his own extremely high standards, and it figures that he won’t let that happen again in 2025. David, alongside his brother Paudie and Sean O’Shea, is part of as frightening a forward line for opposition teams as you will find anywhere in the country.

The Kingdom have had six months to go away and lick their wounds, and they will be coming back with a vengeance this season. Expect Kerry to be in the mix to win Division 1 come the end of March.

Prediction: 2nd

GALWAY

Manager: Padraic Joyce

2024 season: 6th in Division 1

Galway’s season was a slow burn in 2024, as they picked up just two wins from their seven league games, before Sligo gave them a mighty scare in the Connacht Championship.

However, victory over Mayo in the provincial decider really kickstarted their season, and they went on to reach the All-Ireland final despite injury concerns to three of their key players: Shane Walsh, Damien Comer and Sean Kelly.

Having eliminated Dublin in dramatic circumstances in the quarter-final and with Kerry dumped out by Armagh, the Tribesmen were presented with a great chance to win the Sam Maguire, but came out on the wrong side of a nail-biting final against the Orchard County by a solitary point.

Having also received silver medals in 2022, manager Padraic Joyce’s task over the last six months will have been to lift the spirits of his players and prepare them to go again.

Luckily for Galway, they will need no extra motivation heading into their league opener – a home tie against Armagh, the very side who pipped them to glory in late July.

The Connacht champions will be chomping at the bit to get started this weekend, with the likes of Walsh and Comer – who underperformed by their own high standards in the All-Ireland final – keen to show everybody what they’re about, whilst Footballer of the Year winner Paul Conroy and nominee John Maher will be hoping to build upon excellent 2024 campaigns.

Galway will be pushing towards the top of the table and it will be to nobody’s surprise if they are playing in Croke Park on March 30th.

Prediction: 3rd

MAYO

Manager: Kevin McStay

2024 season: 4th in Division 1

Mayo lack the star-power their team possessed during their run of reaching six All-Ireland finals in 10 years between 2012 and 2021, and they may be looking at a relegation battle in this year’s league campaign.

Kevin McStay’s team have been excellent in the league in recent years, winning the competition in 2023 after finishing as runners-up the year before.

However, at the end of the 2024 season Cillian O’Connor was the latest player from their impressive 2010’s team to hang up his boots.

Mayo still pack plenty of quality with Ryan O’Donoghue amongst the best forwards in Ireland, whilst Aidan O’Shea appears to only be getting better with age.

However, the 2025 Division 1 is packed with great teams, and two of them have to relegated. Mayo – who haven’t reached the All-Ireland Semi-finals since 2021 – may just be one of those teams.

Prediction: 7th

TYRONE

Manager: Malachy O’Rourke

2024 season: 5th in Division 1

Like Mayo, Tyrone haven’t been in the final four of the All-Ireland in each of the last three seasons, as they have undergone a period of transition.

However, their young team are going to blossom sooner or later and new manager Malachy O’Rourke may be the right man to get Tyrone contending once again.

With arguably the most in-form forward in Gaelic football right now Darragh Canavan, alongside his brother Ruairi, fans of the Red Hand have a lot to look forward to in the coming years.

However, with Errigal Ciaran reaching the All-Ireland SFC Club final, their Tyrone contingent may miss the opening rounds of the league.

Prediction: 6th

FIXTURES

Saturday January 25 (5.15pm)

At Pearse Stadium: Galway v Armagh

Saturday February 1 (6pm)

At The Box-It Athletic Grounds: Armagh v Tyrone

Sunday February 16 (3.45pm)

At MacCumhaill Park: Donegal v Armagh

Saturday February 22 (5pm)

At The Box-It Athletic Grounds: Armagh v Mayo

Saturday March 1 (7.35pm)

At The Box-It Athletic Grounds: Armagh v Dublin

Saturday March 15 (5.30pm)

At Austin Stack Park: Kerry v Armagh

Sunday March 23 (3.45pm)

At The Box-It Athletic Grounds: Armagh v Derry