2025 Ulster Senior Football Championship
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Province | Ulster |
| Year | 2025 |
| Trophy | Anglo-Celt Cup |
| Date | April – May 2025 |
| Teams | 9 |
| Defending champions | Donegal |
| Winners | |
| Champions | Donegal (12th win) |
| Manager | Jim McGuinness |
| Captain | Patrick McBrearty |
| Runners-up | |
| Runners-up | Armagh |
| Manager | Kieran McGeeney |
| Captain | Aidan Forker |
| Other | |
| Matches played | 8 |
| Total scored | 10–358 (388) |
| Top Scorer | Patrick McBrearty 1-18 |
| Website | Ulster GAA |
The 2025 Ulster Senior Football Championship was the 137th instalment of the annual Ulster Senior Football Championship organised by Ulster GAA. It was one of the four provincial competitions of the 2025 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. The draw for the championship was made on 12 October 2024.[1] Donegal retained their title by beating Armagh in the final on 10 May.[2]
Antrim v Armagh dispute
At the draw made in October 2024, Antrim was drawn first against defending All-Ireland champions Armagh, granting them home advantage; however, Ulster GAA stated that Antrim's proposed home ground Corrigan Park, with its capacity of less than 4,000 would be unsuitable to host the match.[3] Instead, Ulster GAA initially fixed the game for Páirc Esler,[4] the home ground of Down GAA, but a stadium located primarily in County Armagh.[5]
A campaign by Antrim GAA,[6] alongside support from the Gaelic Players Association,[7] which included a threatened boycott of the game, was ultimately successful, with Ulster GAA agreeing to host the game at the West Belfast venue.[8]
Draw
Bracket
| Preliminary round | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||
| 6 April, Ballybofey | ||||||||||||||
| Donegal | 1-25 | |||||||||||||
| 20 April, Clones | ||||||||||||||
| Derry | 1-15 | |||||||||||||
| Monaghan | 0-21 | |||||||||||||
| Donegal | 0-23 | |||||||||||||
| 27 April, Clones | ||||||||||||||
| Donegal | 1-19 | |||||||||||||
| Down | 0-16 | |||||||||||||
| 19 April, Enniskillen | ||||||||||||||
| Fermanagh | 0-23 | |||||||||||||
| Down | 2-19 | |||||||||||||
| 11 May, Clones | ||||||||||||||
| Donegal (a.e.t.) | 2-23 | |||||||||||||
| Armagh | 0-28 | |||||||||||||
| 12 April, Belfast | ||||||||||||||
| Antrim | 1-23 | |||||||||||||
| Armagh | 1-34 | |||||||||||||
| 26 April, Clones | ||||||||||||||
| Armagh | 0-23 | |||||||||||||
| Tyrone | 0-22 | |||||||||||||
| 13 April, Omagh | ||||||||||||||
| Tyrone | 1-24 | |||||||||||||
| Cavan | 0-20 | |||||||||||||
Preliminary round
| 6 April 2025 Preliminary round | Donegal | 1–25 – 1–15 | Derry | Ballybofey | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.00pm | Venue: MacCumhaill Park | ||||
| Gls: D. Ó Baoill Pts: D. Ó Baoill 4 (2 tp), P. McBrearty 7 (3 fs); P. Mogan, C. O’Donnell, S. O’Donnell C. Moore, M. Murphy (1f) 2 each; F. Roarty, R. McHugh, J. Brennan, O. Gallen, 1 each. |
Report | Gls: B. Rogers 5 (2 tp), S. McGuigan 4fs, L. Murray 2 (1f), C. Doherty 2 (1tp); P. McGrogan, N. Toner 1 each. Pts: D. Higgins 1 |
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare) Attendance: 15,023
|
Quarter-finals
| 12 April 2025 Quarter-final | Antrim | 1–23 – 1–34 | Armagh | Belfast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00pm | Venue: Corrigan Park | ||||
| Gls: R McQuillan 1 Pts: P McBride 9 (3tp, 1f), R McQuillan 5 (1tp), D McEnhill 4 (tp, tpf), M Byrne 2 ('45); M Jordan, E Quinn, R Boyle 1 each. |
Report | Gls: T McCormack 1 Pts: R Grugan 8 (1tpf, 4f), O O'Neill 6 (3tpf), C O'Neill 4; E Rafferty 3, (1tpf), R McQuillan 3; G McCabe and C McConville 2 each; T McCormack, A Murnin, D McMullan, A Forker, B McCambridge, J Hall 1 each. |
Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry)
|
| 13 April 2025 Quarter-final | Tyrone | 1–24 – 0–20 | Cavan | Omagh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.15pm | Venue: Healy Park | ||||
| Gls: C Kilpatrick (1) Pts: N Morgan 1 ('45); A Clarke, P Teague 1, N Devlin 1, M McKernan 1, K McGeary 3; B Kennedy 1; A Donaghy 1, P Harte 1, C Daly 1; D McCurry 7 (2f), C McShane 2, R Canavan 4 (4f) |
Report | Pts: O Kiernan 3 (1tp), D McVeety 8 (1tpf, 1tp, 1f); C Madden 3 (1tpf), S McEvoy 4 (3f), R Donohue 1, R O’Neill 1O Kiernan 3 (1tp), D McVeety 8 (1tpf, 1tp, 1f); C Madden 3 (1tpf), S McEvoy 4 (3f), R Donohue 1, R O’Neill 1 |
Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan) Attendance: 6,791[9]
|
| 19 April 2025 Quarter-final | Fermanagh | 0-23 – 2-19 | Down | Enniskillen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue: Brewster Park | |||||
| Report[10] | Referee: J Henry (Mayo) Attendance: 4,157
|
| 20 April 2025 Quarter-final | Monaghan | 0–21 – 0–23 | Donegal | Clones | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue: St Tiernach's Park | |||||
| Report[11] | Attendance: 16,120
|
Semi-finals
| 26 April 2025 Semi-final | Armagh | 0-23 – 0–22 | Tyrone | Clones | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16:45 | Venue: St Tiernach’s Park | ||||
| Report[12] | Referee: David Gough (Meath) Attendance: 21,288
|
| 27 April 2025 Semi-final | Down | 0–16 – 1–19 | Donegal | Clones | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:00 | Venue: St Tiernach’s Park | ||||
| Report[13] | Attendance: 9,221 TV: BBC[14]
|
Final
| 10 May 2025 Final | Armagh | 0–28 – 2–23 | Donegal | Clones | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17:25 | Venue: St Tiernach's Park | ||||
| Gls: E Rafferty (0-03,1’45, 1tpf); R McQuillan (0-03), J Og Burns (0-01); C O’Neill (0-01), B Crealey (0-01); O Conaty (0-06); A Murnin (0-01), O O’Neill (0-07, 1tp, 1tpf). | Report | Gls: H McFadden (0-01); C Moore (1-01); C Thompson (0-04, 2tp), M Langan (0-02); D O Baoill (0-01), H McFadden (1-00), S O’Donnell; P McBrearty (0-03, 3f), M Murphy (0-03), O Gallen (0-04). | Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare) Attendance: 28,788 [15]
|
See also
- Newbridge or Nowhere: a similar dispute over venues during the 2018 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
References
- ^ Lynch, Kieran (12 October 2024). "Ulster SFC Championship 2025 draw: Armagh to meet Antrim, whilst Down face Fermanagh". Newry Reporter. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Ulster SFC Final: Donegal win extra-time thriller". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
- ^ Watters, Andy (7 February 2025). "Corrigan Park not fit to host Armagh game says Ulster GAA". The Irish News. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Antrim come out fighting after Ulster GAA switch venue for Armagh fixture". RTÉ News. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
Ulster GAA this evening opted to switch the game to Páirc Esler in Newry.
- ^ Smyth, Faolan (29 January 2014). "Down County Board Put Their GAA Stadium In The Wrong County". Balls.ie. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ "Statement from Antrim GAA". Antrim GAA. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
- ^ Madden, Jack (6 March 2025). "GPA back Antrim statement and urges Ulster GAA to reconsider staging Antrim v Armagh at Newry's Páirc Esler". The Irish News. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ Bogue, Declan (24 March 2025). "'Corrigan or Nowhere' wins the day for Antrim as Ulster Council back down". The42.ie. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ "Tyrone set up Ulster semi with Armagh after Cavan win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
- ^ "Down escape stern Fermanagh test to advance to Ulster semi-final". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
- ^ "Donegal squeeze through as Monaghan revival falls just short". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
- ^ "Armagh overcome Tyrone by the narrowest of margins in Clones classic". Newry Reporter. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Ulster SFC Semi Final: Donegal advance to provincial final". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ Hannigan, Mary (27 April 2025). "TV View: Cork sparkle and Meath shock on day of many underpants". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 28 April 2025.
- ^ Lynch, Kieran. "Armagh endure more Ulster Final pain losing out to Donegal after extra-time". Newry Reporter. Retrieved 11 May 2025.