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Ulster Senior Football Championship

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 18 min

Ulster Senior Football Championship
Current season or competition:
2024 Ulster Senior Football Championship
CodeGaelic football
Founded1888
RegionUlster (GAA)
TrophyAnglo-Celt Cup
No. of teams9
Title holders Donegal (11th title)
Most titles Cavan (40 titles)
SponsorsVodafone
Ulster Bank
Toyota

The Ulster Senior Football Championship is an inter-county and cross-border competition for Gaelic football teams in the Irish province of Ulster. It is organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and begins in April. The final is played in May, but, traditionally, was usually played on the third Sunday in July.

All nine Ulster counties participate. It is regarded as hardest to win of the four provincial football championships.[1][2] At a referee conference in January 2015, David Coldrick said about officiating in the competition: "Ulster makes or breaks you. It can be a graveyard. The games are different. There is an extra dimension and intensity, and you must be at your best. If you aren't prepared physically and mentally, the chances are you will be caught out. But when you are appointed for your first Ulster championship match, that's making progress".[3]

The winners receive the Anglo-Celt Cup, which was presented to the Ulster Council in 1925 by John F. O'Hanlon, who was editor of The Anglo-Celt newspaper based in Cavan.

Cavan have won the most championships (40). Donegal are the title holders, defeating Armagh on penalties in the 2024 final.

History

[edit]

Cavan are the most successful team in Ulster SFC history, having won the competition on 40 occasions.[4] Cavan maintain the record for consecutive appearances in Ulster Finals. During the 1930s and 1940s, they appeared in and won seven consecutive Ulster SFC titles. Fermanagh remain the only team not to have won an Ulster SFC title. The Ulster Senior Football Championship celebrated its 125th year in 2013.[5]

For many decades, winning the Ulster Senior Football Championship was considered as much as a team from Ulster could hope for, as the other provinces were usually much stronger and more competitive.

Before 1990, only Cavan in 1933, 1935, 1947, 1948 and 1952, and Down in 1960, 1961 and 1968, had won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title. In the 1990s however, a significant sea change took place, as the Ulster Champions won the All-Ireland in four consecutive years from 1991 to 1994. Since then Ulster has produced more All-Ireland winning teams than any other province.[6]

Currently the Ulster Senior Football Championship is considered one of the toughest provinces to compete in. Ulster teams have gained considerable dominance on the All-Ireland scene, having won three All-Irelands from four in the early 2000s, including in 2003 when for the first time ever, the All-Ireland football final was competed for by two teams from one province.[citation needed]

The Ulster SFC final is normally played on the third Sunday in July, usually at St Tiernach's Park in Clones. From 2004 until 2006, it was staged at Croke Park in Dublin.[7] The 2007 final—contested by Monaghan and Tyrone—marked a return to Clones, with Tyrone emerging victorious.[citation needed] The Athletic Grounds in Armagh hosted the 2020 final, as the fixture was played behind closed doors due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games.[8] The final was last played in Belfast in 1971.[9]

In the 2000s, Armagh were a dominant force in Ulster, winning six titles in eight years between 1999 and 2006. Donegal won consecutive Ulster SFC titles from the preliminary round in 2011 and 2012 (a feat achieved by no other county) and added the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 2012.[citation needed]

The 2019 final had the highest score for the winning team in the final (Donegal that year) since 1933 when Cavan won, and the second highest score ever. It also had the highest Ulster SFC final score for the losing team ever (Cavan on this occasion).[10]

Format

[edit]

Overview

[edit]

The Ulster Senior Football Championship is a single elimination tournament. Each team is afforded only one defeat before being eliminated from the championship. Pairings for matches are drawn at random and there is currently no seeding. Each match is played as a single leg. If a match is drawn there is a period of extra time, however, if both sides are still level at the end of extra time a replay takes place and so on until a winner is found.

Qualification for subsequent competitions

[edit]
  • The winner and runner-up of the championship qualify for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship group stage. The remaining seven Ulster teams may also qualify for the All-Ireland SFC group stage via the National Football League. Those who fail to do so qualify for the Tailteann Cup.
  • Note: Before the introduction of the qualifiers in 2001, the winners of the Ulster SFC went straight to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, along with the winners of the Leinster, Munster and Connacht Championships.

Progression

[edit]
Teams entering in this round Teams advancing from previous round
Preliminary round (2 teams)
  • Two teams drawn at random
Quarter-finals

(8 teams)

  • Seven teams drawn at random
  • Winner from the preliminary-round
Semi-finals

(4 teams)

  • 4 winners from the quarter-finals
Final

(2 teams)

  • 2 winners from the semi-finals

Teams

[edit]
The province of Ulster is located in the north of Ireland.

The Ulster SFC is contested by the nine traditional counties in the Irish province of Ulster. The province comprises the six counties of Northern Ireland, plus the counties of Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. It is the only provincial championship with most participating teams being from Northern Ireland.

2025 Championship

[edit]

Nine counties will compete in the 2025 Ulster Senior Football Championship:

County team Location Stadium Position in 2024 Championship Ulster SFC titles Last Ulster SFC title All-Ireland SFC titles Last All-Ireland SFC title
Antrim Belfast Corrigan Park Quarter-finalist 10 1951 0 —
Armagh Armagh Athletic Grounds Runner-up 14 2008 1 2024
Cavan Cavan Breffni Park Quarter-finalist 40 2020 5 1952
Derry Derry Celtic Park Quarter-finalist 9 2023 1 1993
Donegal Ballybofey MacCumhaill Park Winner 11 2024 2 2012
Down Newry Páirc Esler Semi-finalist 12 1994 5 1994
Fermanagh Enniskillen Brewster Park Quarter-finalist 0 — 0 —
Monaghan Clones St Tiernach's Park Preliminary round exit 16 2015 0 —
Tyrone Omagh Healy Park Semi-finalist 16 2021 4 2021

Personnel and kits

[edit]
County team Manager Captain(s) Sponsors
Antrim Andy McEntee[11] Peter Healy[12][13] Fibrus
Armagh Kieran McGeeney Aidan Forker[14] Simply Fruit
Cavan Raymond Galligan Padraig Faulkner & Ciarán Brady Kingspan Group
Derry Mickey Harte Conor Glass Errigal Contracts
Donegal Jim McGuinness Paddy McBrearty Circet
Down Conor Laverty[15] Pierce Laverty EOS IT Solutions
Fermanagh Kieran Donnelly Eoin Donnelly Tracey Concrete
Monaghan Vinny Corey[16][17] Ryan Wylie All Boro Floor Services
Tyrone Malachy o Rourke Pádraig Hampsey[18][19] McAleer & Rushe Ltd

List of finals

[edit]
Year Date Winner Runner-up Venue Winning captain Winning margin
County team Score County team Score
1887 No championship
1888 Monaghan 0-2, 0-3 (R) Cavan 0-2, 0-1 (R)
1889 No championship
1890 Armagh 2-8 Tyrone 1-2
1891 Cavan 1-11 Armagh 0-0
1892–1900 No championship
1901–02 * Antrim 3-5 Armagh 2-5
1903 Armagh 2-2 Antrim 1-4
1904 Cavan 0-5, 0-5 (R1), 0-8 (R2) Armagh 0-5, 0-5 (R1), 0-4 (R2)
1905 Cavan 0-7 Monaghan 0-3
1906 Monaghan 2-10 Antrim 1-2
1907 No record
1908 Antrim 1-8 Cavan 0-4
1909 Antrim 1-9 Cavan 0-5
1910 Antrim 3-4 Cavan 0-1
1911 Antrim 2-8 Cavan 0-4
1912 Antrim 2-2 Armagh 0-1
1913 Antrim 2-1 Monaghan 1-2
1914 Monaghan 2-4 Fermanagh 0-2
1915 Cavan 3-2, 0-4 (R) Monaghan 2-5, 0-3 (R)
1916 Monaghan 2-3 Cavan 0-2
1917 Monaghan 4-2 Armagh 0-4
1918 Cavan 3-2 Antrim 0-0
1919 Cavan 5-6 Antrim 0-2
1920 Cavan 4-6 Armagh 1-4
1921 Monaghan 2-2 Derry 1-1
1922[note 1] Monaghan 2-3, 3-4 (R) Cavan 2-3, 3-3 (R)
1923 Cavan 5-10 Monaghan 1-1
1924 Cavan 1-3, 2-3 (R) Monaghan 0-6, 1-3 (R)
1925 Cavan 2-3, 3-6 (R) Antrim 3-0, 0-1 (R)
1926 Cavan 5-3 Antrim 0-6
1927 Monaghan 3-5 Armagh 2-5
1928 Cavan 2-6 Armagh 1-4
1929 Monaghan 1-4, 1-10 (R) Cavan 1-4, 0-7 (R)
1930 Monaghan 4-3 Cavan 1-5
1931 Cavan 0-8 Armagh 2-1
1932 Cavan 2-4 Armagh 0-2
1933 Cavan 6-13 Tyrone 1-2
1934 Cavan 3-8 Armagh 0-2
1935 Cavan 2-6 Fermanagh 2-1
1936 Cavan 1-7 Monaghan 0-7
1937 Cavan 0-13 Armagh 0-3
1938 Monaghan 2-5 Armagh 2-2
1939 Cavan 2-3, 2-3 (R)* Armagh 1-3, 1-4 (R)
1940 Cavan 4-10 Down 1-5
1941 Cavan 3-9 Tyrone 0-5
1942 Cavan 5-11 Down 1-3
1943 Cavan 2-3 Monaghan 0-5
1944 Cavan 1-9 Monaghan 1-6
1945 Cavan 4-10 Fermanagh 1-4
1946 Antrim 2-8 Cavan 1-7
1947 Cavan 3-4 Antrim 1-6
1948 Cavan 2-12 Antrim 2-4
1949 Cavan 1-7 Armagh 1-6
1950 Armagh 1-11 Cavan 1-7
1951 Antrim 1-7 Cavan 2-3
1952 Cavan 1-8 Monaghan 0-8
1953 Armagh 1-6 Cavan 0-5
1954 Cavan 2-10 Armagh 2-5
1955 Cavan 0-11 Derry 0-8
1956 Tyrone 3-5 Cavan 0-4
1957 Tyrone 1-9 Derry 0-10
1958 Derry 1-11 Down 2-4
1959 Down 2-16 Cavan 0-7
1960 Down 3-7 Cavan 1-8
1961 Down 2-10 Armagh 1-10
1962 Cavan 3-6 Down 0-5
1963 Down 2-11 Donegal 1-4
1964 Cavan 2-10 Down 1-10
1965 Down 3-5 Cavan 1-8
1966 Down 1-7 Donegal 0-8
1967 Cavan 2-12 Down 0-8
1968 Down 0-16 Cavan 1-8
1969 Cavan 2-13 Down 2-6
1970 Derry 2-13 Antrim 1-12
1971 Down 4-15 Derry 4-11
1972 Donegal 2-13 Tyrone 1-11
1973 Tyrone 3-13 Down 1-11
1974 Donegal 1-14, 3-9 (R) Down 2-11, 1-12 (R)
1975 Derry 1-16 Down 2-6
1976 Derry 1-8, 0-22 (R) Cavan 1-8, 1-16 (R)
1977 Armagh 3-10 Derry 1-5
1978 Down 2-19 Cavan 2-12
1979 Monaghan 1-15 Donegal 0-11
1980 Armagh 4-10 Tyrone 4-7
1981 Down 3-12 Armagh 1-10
1982 Armagh 0-10 Fermanagh 1-4
1983 Donegal 1-14 Cavan 1-11
1984 Tyrone 0-15 Armagh 1-7
1985 Monaghan 2-9 Derry 0-8
1986 Tyrone 1-11 Down 0-10 Eugene McKenna
1987 Derry 0-11 Armagh 0-9
1988 Monaghan 1-10 Tyrone 0-11
1989 Tyrone 0-11, 2-13 (R) Donegal 0-11, 0-7 (R)
1990 Donegal 0-15 Armagh 0-14 Anthony Molloy 1
1991 Down 1-15 Donegal 0-10 Paddy O'Rourke 8
1992 Donegal 0-14 Derry 1-9 Anthony Molloy 2
1993 Derry 0-8 Donegal 0-6 Henry Downey 2
1994 Down 1-17 Tyrone 1-11 D. J. Kane 6
1995 Tyrone 2-13 Cavan 0-10 Ciarán Corr 9
1996 Tyrone 1-9 Down 0-9 3
1997 Cavan 1-14 Derry 0-16 1
1998 Derry 1-7 Donegal 0-8 2
1999 Armagh 3-12 Down 0-10 Jarlath Burns 11
2000 Armagh 1-12 Derry 1-11 Kieran McGeeney 1
2001 Tyrone 1-13 Cavan 1-11 2
2002 Armagh 1-14 Donegal 1-10 Kieran McGeeney 4
2003 Tyrone 1-17, 0-23 (R) Down 4-8, 1-5 (R) Peter Canavan 15 (R)
2004 Armagh 3-15 Donegal 0-11 Kieran McGeeney 13
2005 Armagh 2-8, 0-13 (R) Tyrone 0-14, 0-11 (R) Kieran McGeeney 2 (R)
2006 Armagh 1-9 Donegal 0-9 3
2007 Tyrone 1-15 Monaghan 1-13 2
2008 Armagh 2-8, 1-11 (R) Fermanagh 1-11, 0-8 (R) 6 (R)
2009 Tyrone 1-18 Antrim 0-15 6
2010 Tyrone 1-14 Monaghan 0-7 10
2011 Donegal 1-11 Derry 0-8 Michael Murphy 6
2012 Donegal 2-18 Down 0-13 Michael Murphy 11
2013[20] Monaghan 0-13 Donegal 0-7 6
2014[21] 20 July Donegal 0-15 Monaghan 1-9 St Tiernach's Park Michael Murphy 3
2015 19 July Monaghan 0-11 Donegal 0-10 St Tiernach's Park Conor McManus 1
2016 17 July Tyrone 0-13 Donegal 0-11 St Tiernach's Park Seán Cavanagh 2
2017 16 July Tyrone 2-17 Down 0-15 St Tiernach's Park Seán Cavanagh 8
2018 24 June Donegal 2-18 Fermanagh 0-12 St Tiernach's Park Michael Murphy 12
2019 23 June Donegal 1-24 Cavan 2-16 St Tiernach's Park Michael Murphy 8
2020 22 November Cavan 1-13 Donegal 0-12 Athletic Grounds Raymond Galligan 4
2021 31 July Tyrone 0-16 Monaghan 0-15 Croke Park Pádraig Hampsey 1
2022 29 May Derry 1-16 Donegal 1-14 St Tiernach's Park Chrissy McKaigue 2
2023 14 May Derry 1-15 (a.e.t.)
(3–1 p) 		Armagh 0-18 (a.e.t.)
(3–1 p) 		St Tiernach's Park Conor Glass Penalties
2024 12 May Donegal 0-20 (a.e.t.)
(6–5 p) 		Armagh 0-20 (a.e.t.)
(6–5 p) 		St Tiernach's Park Patrick McBrearty Penalties


Notes
  • 1887 No Ulster SFC
  • 1888 Ulster Senior Football Championship Inniskeen Grattans of (Monaghan) v Maghera MacFinns of (Cavan) game went to a replay.
  • 1889 No Ulster SFC
  • 1890 Armagh Harps, (Armagh) v Owen Roe O'Neill's (Tyrone)
  • 1891 Cavan Slashers (Cavan) v Armagh Harps (Armagh) game abandoned Smithboro Co Monaghan game replayed Cavan 1-11 Armagh 0-00
  • 1892–1900 No championship. Cavan played in Leinster Senior Football Championship in 1895.
  • 1900 Antrim were to have represented Ulster but gave walkover to Galway.
  • 1901–1902 the championship was played over two seasons and only counts as one Ulster SFC title.
  • 1907 No official final result in records
  • 1939 Game abandoned – replay ordered
  • 2020 No crowd attendance due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games

Team records and statistics

[edit]
Main article: Ulster Senior Football Championship records and statistics

Roll of honour

[edit]

Legend

[edit]
  • Golden background – Ulster SFC winner or runner-up also won the All-Ireland SFC that year.

Performance by team

[edit]
County team Title(s) Runner-up Years won Years runner-up
Cavan[22] 40 23 1891, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1915, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1922,[note 2] 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1997, 2020 1888, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1916, 1922, 1929, 1930, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1968, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1995, 2001, 2019
Monaghan[23] 16 12 1888, 1906, 1914, 1916, 1917, 1921, 1922,[note 3] 1927, 1929, 1930, 1938, 1979, 1985, 1988, 2013, 2015 1905, 1913, 1923, 1924, 1936, 1943, 1944, 1952, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2021
Tyrone[24] 16 7 1956, 1957, 1973, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2021 1890, 1941, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1994, 2005
Armagh[25] 14 22 1890, 1902, 1950, 1953, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 1891, 1901–02, 1904, 1912, 1917, 1920, 1927, 1928, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1938, 1939, 1949, 1954, 1961, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1990, 2023, 2024
Down[26] 12 15 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1981, 1991, 1994 1940, 1942, 1958, 1962, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1986, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2012, 2017
Donegal[27] 11 14 1972, 1974, 1983, 1990, 1992, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2024 1963, 1966, 1979, 1991, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2022
Antrim[28] 10 9 1900, 1901, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1946, 1951 1903, 1906, 1918, 1919, 1925, 1926, 1947, 1948, 2009
Derry[29] 9 10 1958, 1970, 1975, 1976, 1987, 1993, 1998, 2022, 2023 1921, 1955, 1957, 1971, 1977, 1985, 1992, 1997, 2000, 2011
Fermanagh[30] 0 6 1914, 1935, 1945, 1982, 2008, 2018

Team progress: 2001–2019

[edit]

Below is a record of each county's performance following the introduction of the qualifier system to the All-Ireland series in 2001. Before 2001 only the Ulster SFC title winner contested the All-Ireland SFC. Qualifiers did not occur from 2020–2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games. They are no longer held, with weaker teams, such as Cavan, Fermanagh and Antrim, moving aside, to instead play in the Tailteann Cup.

Key

[edit]
Winner
Finalist
Semi-finalist
Quarter-finalist / Super 8s
Qualifier Rounds 1–4 / Tommy Murphy Cup
Team 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Antrim Q2 Q1 Q2 Q1 Q1 Q1 TM TM Q4 Q1 Q3 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q2 Q2 Q1 Q1 Q2
Armagh Q3 W F QF SF QF Q1 QF Q1 Q3 Q3 Q1 Q3 QF Q2 Q1 QF Q4 Q3
Cavan Q4 Q1 Q2 Q2 Q4 Q1 Q1 Q1 Q2 Q2 Q1 Q2 QF Q2 Q2 Q3 Q2 Q3 Q4
Derry SF Q3 Q2 SF Q3 Q3 QF Q1 Q3 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q3 Q1 Q3 Q4 Q2 Q1 Q2
Donegal Q2 QF SF Q4 Q2 QF Q3 Q2 QF Q1 SF W QF F QF QF Q4 S8s S8s
Down Q1 Q1 Q4 Q2 Q2 Q1 Q1 Q3 Q3 F Q4 QF Q2 Q3 Q1 Q1 Q4 Q2 Q2
Fermanagh Q1 Q3 QF SF Q1 Q4 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q1 Q1 Q2 Q1 QF Q2 Q1 Q4 Q1
Monaghan Q2 Q1 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q2 QF Q4 Q2 Q4 Q1 Q2 QF QF QF Q2 QF SF Q2
Tyrone QF Q4 W QF W Q2 QF W SF QF QF Q3 SF Q2 SF QF SF F SF

By semi-final appearances (since 2016)

[edit]

Bold indicates years team reached the final.

Team No. Years in semi-finals
Donegal 7 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Monaghan 6 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023
Tyrone 4 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021
Cavan 4 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022
Down 4 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023
Armagh 4 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023
Derry 2 2022, 2023
Fermanagh 1 2018
Antrim 0 —

Post-COVID team results

[edit]

Legend

  • 1st – Winner
  • 2nd – Runner-up
  • SF/QF/PR – Semi-finalist / Quarter-finalist / Preliminary round exit

For each year, the number of competing teams is shown (in brackets).

Team 2023 (9) 2024 (9) Years
Antrim PR 2
Armagh 2nd 2
Cavan QF 2
Derry 1st 2
Donegal QF 2
Down SF 2
Fermanagh QF 2
Monaghan SF 2
Tyrone QF 2

Consecutive titles

[edit]

Septuple

[edit]
  • Cavan (1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937)
  • Cavan (1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945)

Sextuple

[edit]
  • Antrim (1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913)

Quintuple

[edit]
  • Cavan (1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926)

Treble

[edit]
  • Cavan (1903, 1904, 1905)
  • Cavan (1918, 1919, 1920)
  • Cavan (1947, 1948, 1949)
  • Down (1959, 1960, 1961)
  • Armagh (2004, 2005, 2006)

Double

[edit]

Titles by decade

[edit]

The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Ulster SFC titles, is as follows:

  • 1880s: 1 for Monaghan (1888)
  • 1890s: 1 for Armagh (1890), Cavan (1891)
  • 1900s: 3 for Antrim (01, 08, 09)
  • 1910s: 4 for Antrim (10, 11, 12, 13)
  • 1920s: 6 for Cavan (20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28)
  • 1930s: 8 for Cavan (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39)
  • 1940s: 9 for Cavan (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49)
  • 1950s: 3 for Cavan (52, 54, 55)
  • 1960s: 6 for Down (60, 61, 63, 65, 66, 68)
  • 1970s: 3 for Derry (70, 75, 76)
  • 1980s: 3 for Tyrone (84, 86, 89)
  • 1990s: 2 for Donegal (90, 92), Down (91, 94), Tyrone (95, 96), Derry (93, 98)
  • 2000s: 6 for Armagh (00, 02, 04, 05, 06, 08)
  • 2010s: 5 for Donegal (11, 12, 14, 18, 19)
  • 2020s: 2 for Derry (22, 23)

Team debuts

[edit]
Year Debutants Total
1888 Cavan, Monaghan 2
1889 None 0
1890 Antrim, Armagh, Tyrone 3
1891–1902 None 0
1903 Fermanagh 1
1904 Derry, Down 2
1905 None 0
1906 Donegal 1
1907– None 0
Total 9

Other records

[edit]

Final success rate

[edit]

No county teams have appeared in the final, being victorious on all occasions.

On the opposite end of the scale, one team has appeared in the final, losing on each occasion:

  • Fermanagh (1914, 1935, 1945, 1982, 2008, 2018)

Winning other trophies

[edit]

Although not an officially recognised achievement, a number of teams have achieved the distinction of winning the Ulster SFC, the All-Ireland SFC and the National Football League all in the same season.

Gaps

[edit]
  • Longest gaps between successive Ulster SFC titles:
  • Longest gaps between successive Ulster SFC finals:

Active gaps

[edit]
  • Longest active gaps since an Ulster SFC title:
  • Longest active gap since an Ulster SFC final appearance:

Player records

[edit]
  • On 9 July 2006, Oisín McConville became the record point scorer in the history of the Ulster Senior Football Championship in that year's final at Croke Park.[31]

All-time top scorers: Ulster players

[edit]

As of 3 June 2008, according to the BBC.[32] Updated list (2012)

Rank Player County Tally Total score Championship years
1 Paddy Bradley Derry 17–201 252 2000–2012
2 Michael Murphy Donegal 4–223 239 2007-2022
3 Oisín McConville Armagh 11–197 230 1997–2008
4 Peter Canavan Tyrone 9–191 218 1989–2005
5 Paddy Doherty Down 15–159 204 1954–1971
6 Peter Donohoe Cavan 17–133 184 1945–1955
7 Seán O'Neill Down 17–125 176 1959–1975
8 Charlie Gallagher Cavan 10–142 172 1955–1969
9 Steven McDonnell Armagh 15–111 156 2000–2011
10 Seán O'Connell Derry 11–118 151 1957–1975

Notes:

  • Includes Ulster SFC, All-Ireland SFC and SFC Qualifiers.

All-time top goalscorers: Ulster players

[edit]

As of 15 June 2008, according to the Sunday Tribune.[33]

Rank Player County Number of goals Championship years
1= Steven McDonnell Armagh 17 1999–2011
1= Peter Donohoe Cavan 17 1945–1955
1= Seán O'Neill Down 17 1959–1975
4 Paddy Doherty Down 15 1954–1971
5= Paddy Bradley ** Derry 13 2000–2012
5= Ger Houlahan Armagh 13 1984–2000
5= James McCartan Snr Down 13 1958–1967
5= Brendan Coulter * Down 13 2000–2014
9= Joe Stafford Cavan 12 1943–1949
9= Enda Muldoon Derry 12 1997–2011
9= Jason Reilly Cavan 12 1997–2008
12= Seán O'Connell Derry 11 1957–1975
12= PT Treacy Fermanagh 11 1960–1973
12= Oisín McConville Armagh 11 1997–2008

Notes:

  • Includes Ulster SFC, All-Ireland SFC and SFC Qualifiers.
  • Since the records have been done, Brendan Coulter has become the top goal scorer with 18.
    • Paddy Bradley scored 4 more goals and finished on 17.

Ulster SFC top scorers: by year

[edit]

* Scores only include Ulster SFC. All-Ireland SFC and SFC Qualifiers are not included.

Managers

[edit]
See also: List of Gaelic football managers

Managers in the Ulster SFC are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and sourcing of players from the club championships. Their influence varies from county-to-county and is related to the individual county boards. From 2018, all inter-county head coaches must be Award 2 qualified. The manager is assisted by a team of two or three selectors and an extensive backroom team consisting of various coaches. Prior to the development of the concept of a manager in the 1970s, teams were usually managed by a team of selectors with one member acting as chairman.

Winning managers (1983–present)

[edit]
# Manager(s) Winning team(s) Titles(s) Winning years
1 Mickey Harte Tyrone 6 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017
2 Jim McGuinness Donegal 4 2011, 2012, 2014, 2024
Art McRory Tyrone 4 1984, 1995*, 1996*, 2001*
Joe Kernan Armagh 4 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006
5 Brian McEniff Donegal 3 1983, 1990, 1992
Eugene McKenna Tyrone 3 1995*, 1996*, 2001*
7 Seán McCague Monaghan 2 1985, 1989
Pete McGrath Down 2 1991, 1994
Brian McAlinden
Brian Canavan 		Armagh 2 1999, 2000
Malachy O'Rourke Monaghan 2 2013, 2015
Declan Bonner Donegal 2 2018, 2019
12 John Donnelly Tyrone 1 1986
Eamonn Coleman Derry 1 1993
Martin McHugh Cavan 1 1997
Brian Mullins Derry 1 1998
Peter McDonnell Armagh 1 2008
Mickey Graham Cavan 1 2020
Feargal Logan, Brian Dooher Tyrone 1 2021
Rory Gallagher Derry 1 2022
Ciaran Meenagh Derry 1 2023

Notes

[edit]

* = joint managers

Media coverage

[edit]

In the late 1990s, matches were broadcast in Northern Ireland by UTV, before moving to BBC Northern Ireland.

Venues

[edit]
Belfast Derry Clones, County Monaghan Omagh, County Tyrone Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
Casement Park Celtic Park St Tiernach's Park Healy Park Brewster Park
Capacity: 31,661 Capacity: 15,000 Capacity: 29,000 Capacity: 18,500 Capacity: 16,000

Stadia and locations

[edit]
County team Location Province Stadium Capacity
Antrim Belfast Ulster Corrigan Park 3,700
Armagh Armagh Ulster Athletic Grounds 18,500
Cavan Cavan Ulster Breffni Park 25,030
Derry Derry Ulster Celtic Park 18,500
Donegal Ballybofey Ulster MacCumhaill Park 17,500
Down Newry Ulster Páirc Esler 20,000
Fermanagh Enniskillen Ulster Brewster Park 18,000
Monaghan Clones Ulster St Tiernach's Park 29,000
Tyrone Omagh Ulster Healy Park 17,636

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Ulster GAA gives the 1922 title to both Cavan and Monaghan.
  2. ^ Ulster GAA gives the 1922 title to both Cavan and Monaghan. If removed from Cavan it would leave the county with 39 titles. But 2020 is given as the county's 40th win.
  3. ^ Ulster GAA gives the 1922 title to both Cavan and Monaghan.

References

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  1. ^ "Ulster the hardest province to win - Harte". The Irish Times. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  2. ^ Scott, Ronan (28 November 2008). "Ulster 'best' says Sean Og". Gaelic Life. p. 5.
  3. ^ "Coldrick: I should have given Conor Maginn the black card". Independent.ie. 11 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Counties/Cavan". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Summer begins with the Ulster GAA Championships". 1 May 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013. 2013 marks the 125th Anniversary of the Ulster Football Championship and the Ulster Museum in Botanic Gardens was transformed into an exhibition of Ulster's finest memories over those 125 years.
  6. ^ Moran, Seán (26 May 2013). "Donegal hoping to avoid being fifth All-Ireland champions in 20 years to fall at first hurdle in Ulster: Uneasy lies the head that wears the northern crown". The Irish Times. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Ulster open to Croke Park final again". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  8. ^ "Athletic Grounds to host Ulster SFC final". Hogan Stand. 15 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  9. ^ Lawlor, Damian (15 October 2020). "Casement rebuild can bring 'major' events to Ireland". rte.ie. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  10. ^ According to Mark Sidebottom, who presented BBC's live coverage of the game, in the post-match discussion. 23 June 2019.
  11. ^ "'It probably surprises me as much as anybody else'". Hogan Stand. 12 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Healy handed Antrim football captaincy". Hogan Stand. 14 May 2021.
  13. ^ "McGinley departure a surprise to Antrim players, says captain Healy". Hogan Stand. 2 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Forker handed Armagh captaincy ahead of Louth visit". hoganstand.com. 26 January 2024.
  15. ^ O'Brien, Kevin (8 August 2022). "Down appoint Conor Laverty as manager". The42.ie.
  16. ^ "Vinny Corey ratified as new Monaghan manager". RTÉ. 22 September 2022.
  17. ^ "Vinny Corey: Former Farney defender succeeds Seamus McEnaney as Monaghan boss". BBC. 22 September 2022.
  18. ^ "Team news: Hampsey is new Red Hands captain". Hogan Stand. 14 May 2021.
  19. ^ "Pádraig Hampsey is new Tyrone captain – but no sign of Cathal McShane comeback just yet". Irish Independent. 14 May 2021.
  20. ^ "Relentless Monaghan turntables on Donegal". Irish Examiner. 22 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  21. ^ "Ominous signs as Donegal make it three from four". Irish Examiner. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  22. ^ "Cavan — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  23. ^ "Monaghan — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  24. ^ "Tyrone — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  25. ^ "Armagh — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  26. ^ "Down — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  27. ^ "Donegal — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  28. ^ "Antrim — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  29. ^ "Derry — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  30. ^ "Fermanagh — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  31. ^ "Donegal 0-09 1-09 Armagh". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 July 2006. Retrieved 9 July 2006.
  32. ^ "Ulster's hot-shots". BBC Online. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  33. ^ Shannon, Kieran; Leo McGeough (15 June 2008). "When Sunday Comes – Stevie from Killeavy: Ulster's top predator". Sunday Tribune.
  34. ^ "Ulster GAA". ulster.gaa.ie.
  35. ^ "Ulster GAA". ulster.gaa.ie.
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