Gaelic Games

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Derry gave their promotion chances a real boost by handing Cork their first defeat in Division Two with a 1-31 to 0-14 victory at Celtic Park.

The Oak Leafers are now top of the second tier on scoring difference heading into the final two games of the campaign with Louth (away) and Cavan (home) to come, while Cork host Kildare before travelling to face Tyrone.

Ciaran Meenagh's side played against the wind in the first half and trailed eight points to five midway through the half, with Steven Sherlock using the elements to land two monster two-pointers.

The Oak Leaf county started to take control of the Cork kick-out, winning eight across the half to drag themselves back into the contest, and led 1-10 to 0-9 at the break.

Their dominance was reinforced by winning four opposition restarts in a row before the hooter to score 1-3 without reply, with Conor Glass threading through the eye of the needle to find Lachlan Murray to blast to the net with the final action of the half.

Ruairi Deane opened the second half before Derry put the game to bed with 10 unanswered scores including a two-pointer from Niall Loughlin, with all six of the home forwards registering scores.

Cork went over 12 minutes without troubling the scoreboard before Dara Sheedy stopped the rot.

Shane McGuigan, who finished with 0-9, landed a two-pointer to add gloss to a fourth victory in a row for the home side.

Odhran Crumley
BBC Sport NI Journalist

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Down coach Mickey Donnelly feels his side "probably still need a point" after their 1-18 to 1-15 victory over Fermanagh left his side all but promoted.

The Mourne County have won five from five in Division Three and look sure to make an immediate return to Division Two.

"Probably, well, you look at the games that are remaining, we probably still need a point," Donnelly told BBC Sport NI.

"If you lose both your games, your score difference is going to be affected anyway, so it would have been nice to have had a more comfortable victory, but it is what it is.

"We're sitting after five games with 10 points, we couldn't say that we wanted any more from those games, yet maybe the performance weren't 10 out of 10, but it's nice to be sitting at the top of the pack."

Securing promotion comes with the added incentive of trying to secure Sam Maguire football for later in the summer.

The promoted teams from the third tier are likely to play in the All-Ireland series, barring Clare shocking All-Ireland champions Kerry in the Munster semi-final.

After getting a taste of All-Ireland series football last summer, Down will be keen to get back to testing themselves against the best in the country.

"They're all massive games, playing those sorts of oppositions, it excites everyone. Not only us, but it excites the fans, it excites the parents of the lads who are involved and that's what creates a wave of emotion," he continued.

"You've got to walk before you can run, and ultimately, once hopefully we get out of Division Three that'll be a box ticked, then we've got to tick the box to get into the All-Ireland series, and that's where we want to be.

"We just feel we're in a much better place, whether or not that stands the test of time, or stands the test of scrutiny."

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Cavan's relegation fears worsened as they suffered a 1-22 to 1-12 defeat to Louth in Saturday's Division Two game at Breffni Park.

Ciaran Downey shone for the visitors, tallying 1-4, to propel the reigning Leinster champions into the promotion picture with two games left to play.

Cavan took an early lead, but Louth's win was built on an explosive 15-minute period in which they accumulated nine points.

Seemingly buoyed by their win over Tyrone last weekend, Gavin Devlin's men, with the wind at their backs, surged clear with seven successive scores.

Two-pointers from half-back Tadhg McDonell and another from a free by way of Sam Mulroy meant Cavan trailed 0-10 to 0-2 by the 18th minute.

Gerard Smith and Dara McVeety responded for the hosts, but the respite proved temporary as Downey finished soccer-style to the net and rounded off a superb move to open up an 11-point lead.

Further scores from downtown from Mulroy (free) and Paul Matthews just before the break left Louth 1-16 to 0-6 ahead at half-time.

Cavan took almost 15 minutes to open their account in the second half despite playing with the wind.

Instead, it was the away team who reeled off a string of points: McDonell, Ryan Burns, Downey, Conor Grime and Kieran McArdle all on target for singles.

Substitute Ciaran Brady (Corofin) ended the home side's drought when he palmed to the net, and Paddy Lynch kicked a two-point free to reduce the arrears to 1-21 to 1-8 for Dermot McCabe's men.

Lynch, first-half substitution Gearoid McKiernan (0-2, 1 free), and Cian Sheckleton tagged on further points, but a Louth win following their first-half scoring spree was never under threat.

Louth move onto six points while Cavan remain in seventh and facing the drop, with fellow strugglers Offaly and promotion-chasing Derry left to play.

Odhran Crumley
BBC Sport NI Journalist

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Down are all but promoted to Division Two thanks to a 1-18 to 1-15 victory over Fermanagh at Pairc Esler.

Laois' unlikely win over Westmeath means that Conor Laverty's side, who have won all five of their Division Three fixtures, have all but secured promotion with two games to spare.

The result also means that Down are virtually guaranteed to play Sam Maguire football this summer, barring Clare shocking the All-Ireland champions Kerry in the Munster semi-final.

Fermanagh will need to win both of their final two fixtures, Laois (home) and Limerick (away) to have any chance of avoiding relegation, and a first spell in the Division Four since 2011.

Declan Bonner's side were second best for the opening half with Down's Pat Havern enjoying a fruitful spell with five points.

The Mournemen found the net after 21 minutes through Odhran Murdock. After Shaun McCarron gifted possession away to Murdock deep in his own half, Miceal Rooney forced a fine save from Sean McNally before Burren's Murdock fired the rebound to the net.

It gave Down a comprehensive 1-10 to 0-7 lead at half-time, with the Ernesiders fortunate to trail by only six at the break.

They came out fighting at the start of the second half as four unanswered points, including a two point effort from Darragh McGurn, cut the deficit to three points.

Havern, Callum Rogers and Liam Kerr restored Down's lead, before a black card for McGurn with five left to play looked to compounded the visitors woes.

Ronan McCaffrey gave his side a lifeline with a well taken goal as the game entered five minutes of additional time.

Eamon Brown received a late black card for the Mourne men as McGurn returned to action, but Down held on to seal the victory.

Down: Ronan Burns; Peter Fegan, Pierce Laverty, Callum Rogers (0-2); Shane Annett, Ryan Magill, Daniel Guinness; Odhran Murdock (1-2), Ryan McEvoy; Adam Crimmins (0-4), Ceilum Doherty (0-1), Miceal Rooney; Tom Close, Pat Havern (0-7 2f), John McGeough.

Subs: Eamon Brown (0-1 1m) for M Rooney (29), Liam Kerr (0-1 1f) for J McGeough (51), Barry O'Hagan for T Close (60), Ruairi O'Hare for P Havern (67)

Fermanagh: Sean McNally; Jonathan Cassidy, Oisin Smyth, Luke Flanagan (0-1); Shane McGullion, Ronan McCaffrey (1-1), Josh Largo Elis; Brandon Horan, Darragh McGurn (0-5 1x2pt); Joe McDade, Shaun McCarron, Aogan Kelm; Cian O'Brien (0-1 1f), Garvan Jones (0-2 2f), Conor Love (0-2).

Subs: Declan McCusker (0-1) for S McCarron (22), Ciaran Corrigan (0-1) for A Kelm (34), Mattie McDermott (0-1) for C O'Brien (46), Conor McGee for B Horan (54), Conor O'Hanlon for C Love (67)

Referee: Sean Lonergan (Tipperary)

Niall Keenan
BBC Sport NI contributor

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Antrim made it back-to-back wins in Division Four of the Football league as they recorded an impressive 2-18 to 1-14 victory over Oisin McConville's Wicklow at Portglenone.

A first-half blitz that yielded 2-6 set the Saffrons on their way, with Pat Shivers and Ryan McQuillan both hitting the net.

Wicklow had to wait 28 minutes before registered their first score and a Dominic McEnhill two-pointer, his second of the game, before the break meant Antrim led healthily 2-8 to 0-4 at half-time.

Mark Doran's men picked up where they left off at the start of the second half. McQuillan, Conor Hand and two scores from Marc Jordan extended their advantage.

The visitors then staged a mini-revival during 10 minutes in which they produced 1-5 without reply.

Padraig O'Toole bagged a major while goalkeeper Mark Jackson stroked over a trademark two-point free.

Antrim goalkeeper John McNabb scored a point of his own from a dead ball to keep the away side at arm's length.

The Cargin man lumped over three frees, one for an orange flag, to leave the Saffs 2-16 to 1-10 in front heading down the stretch.

Jackson from another dead ball, and Christopher O'Brien both landed points from beyond the arc in the closing stages, but the Antrim victory was never really in doubt.

Doran's side move up to sixth and with games to come against Waterford and London, eight points is very much attainable.

As for McConville and Wicklow, they will be hoping for a couple of results to go their way tomorrow in order for promotion to still be in their hands.

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A motion to extend the GAA's inter-county season from 2027 was withdrawn before going to a vote at the association's Annual Congress at Croke Park on Saturday.

Motion 14 recommended that the All-Ireland finals should be concluded by the 32nd Sunday of the calendar year, with the hurling final played on the final Sunday in July and the football decider shifting to the second week of August.

The All-Ireland finals, which were traditionally staged in September, have been played in July since 2022.

However, the motion - fronted by former GAA director general Paraic Duffy - was withdrawn by GAA president Jarlath Burns shortly before Congress was disrupted by protesters.

"We're two codes and two levels - club and county," said Burns.

"It is always going to be a series of compromises. The fact that so many people spoke against it was very definitive. We will withdraw it."

The motion was expected to be heavily defeated if it had reached a vote.

This year's hurling final is set to be played on 19 July with the football showpiece to follow on 26 July.

Another withdrawn motion centred on players only being eligible to represent their county if they had played eight league of championship games for their club in the previous year.

Elsewhere, a motion to drop the All-Ireland hurling preliminary quarter-finals was passed with 94.1% voting in favour, while a motion calling for the All-Ireland minor football and hurling finals to act as curtain-raisers to the senior deciders was defeated.

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Derek Kent has been elected to become the 42nd president of the GAA following Friday's vote at Croke Park.

The Wexford native will take over from Jarlath Burns when the Armagh man's three-year tenure ends next year.

Kent was elected on 169 of the 227 votes cast, seeing off Tipperary's Ger Ryan and Sligo's John Murphy to surpass the quota of 139 on the first count.

A member of the Taghmon-Camross club, Kent served as chair of the Wexford County Board from 2017 until 2020 before a three-year term as chair of the Leinster Council from 2023 until just last month, while he also chaired the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee under previous president Larry McCarthy

"It's a great honour to be here tonight and I want to thank you all sincerely," the president-elect told GAA Congress in his acceptance speech.

"I will always do the right thing for the GAA and the first right thing I will do is to thank two great friends. And when I say friends, they have been really true, honest friends, both Ger and John.

"They are both gentlemen who have the GAA at heart and know the real meaning of the GAA."

Kent become the third GAA President from Wexford and first since Michael Kehoe's tenure ended in 1952.

David Mohan
BBC Sport NI journalist

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Tyrone manager Malachy O'Rourke says Darragh Canavan will be "a big loss" for the remainder of the league as the Red Hands seek to "fight our way out" of a relegation battle in Division Two.

His side's 1-15 to 0-13 defeat by Louth in Ardee leaves them with three points from four games, level with Kildare and one point above Cavan in the drop zone.

At the outset of the campaign, Tyrone were regarded as one of the favourites for promotion and while they are not out of the running with three games to go, finishing in the top two seems like a long shot.

The task is made tougher with Canavan setting off for a month in Australia and O'Rourke is not downplaying the prospect of finishing the league campaign without the star forward.

"It (Louth defeat) puts us back down in the relegation battle, something we didn't want, but that's where we find ourselves, and we're just going to have to fight our way out of it," O'Rourke said.

"A quality player like Darragh is going to be a big loss, and obviously, we could do without it, but we have to go on with what we have.

"With everyone else, it's a case of just really digging in and understanding that we have to produce performances and see how things go from there."

Tyrone host bottom of the table Offaly in Dungannon on Saturday (18:00 GMT, live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport NI website) and O'Rourke expects a "massive battle" against a team co-managed by Mickey Harte who delivered three All-Ireland titles during his managerial tenure with the Red Hands.

The current incumbent feels there is enough belief within the squad to park the Louth defeat and respond this week.

"After a loss like this, it's obviously hard with a week's turnaround to pick them up," he added.

"There's a lot of experience in there, and a lot of character in there. Hopefully, we'll be able to pick them up this week, but it's a tough loss."

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Antrim beat 2025 All-Ireland finalists Cork 2-10 by 1-11 in Division 1A after second-half goals from Nicola McAtamney and Aimee Ferris at MTU Cork.

The result is Antrim's first victory this campaign as Cork's wait for their first win in Division 1A this season continues.

The visitors made a bright start to the game and took an early 0-6 to 0-1 lead after two frees from McAtamney, Eobha McAllister and Janey McIntosh with Hayley Ryan registering Cork's only early free.

The home side responded with scores from Orlaith Cremin and Emma Murphy which tightened the game before two more frees from McAtamney gave Antrim a 0-8 to 0-5 lead at the break.

After the restart, McAtamney and Orlaith Cahalane traded goals as Cork took the lead for the first time in the 48th minute.

However, Ferris scored for Antrim three minutes later and they pulled further ahead thanks to frees from McAtamney and McAllister.

Despite points Cahalane and Millie Condon late in the game, Cork couldn't complete a dramatic comeback before the final whistle.