Gaelic Games

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The meeting of Dublin and Ulster champions Donegal will form one half of a Croke Park double-header on the opening day of the 2026 Football League campaign on Saturday, 24 January.

The Division One match will have a 17:00 GMT throw-in, with the Division Two encounter between Meath and Derry starting two hours earlier at GAA headquarters at 15:00.

Former Louth manager Ger Brennan will take charge of the Dubs for the first time in a competitive context in their match against Jim McGuinness' 2025 All-Ireland losing finalists.

Tyrone are also in action on 24 January, facing Kildare in a Division Two fixture at Healy Park at 18:00, while Down take on Clare at Pairc Esler at the same time in Division Three.

The remaining Ulster counties open their campaigns on Sunday 25 January, with Monaghan playing Armagh at Clones in Division One at 14:00, the same time as All-Ireland champion Kerry host Roscommon at Killarney.

Galway entertain Mayo at Salthill in the weekend's other Division One match-up at the slightly earlier time of 13:45.

In Division Two, Cavan are away to Cork with a 13:30 throw-in, while in Division Three Fermanagh are at home to Wexford at Brewster Park at 13:00 and in Division Four, Antrim play Carlow at Toomebridge (14:00).

Among the highlights of the second weekend of fixtures is an Ulster derby between Derry and Tyrone in Division Two and a re-match of the All-Ireland final between Donegal and Kerry at Ballyshannon.

Antrim's hurlers begin their Division 1B campaign away to Wexford on 24 January, the same day as Down travel to Carlow.

The GAA's Master Fixtures schedule, published on Wednesday, revealed that the Football League finals will take place on the weekend of 28-29 March, with the provincial football championships commencing on the weekend of 11-12 April.

As has been the case in recent years, the All-Ireland football final will be played on the final Sunday of July, with the All-Ireland hurling final one week earlier on 19 July.

GAA Master Fixtures Schedule for 2026, external

Odhran Crumley
BBC Sport NI Journalist

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Armagh and Tyrone will get the 2026 inter-county season up and running as they face off on Friday, 2 January at the Athletic Grounds in the Dr McKenna Cup.

The bitter rivals will collide in a unique Friday-night fixture under the Orchard County lights on 2 January for a 1900 GMT throw-in.

The game will serve as a precursor to their Ulster SFC preliminary-round showdown, as the sides cannot meet in the National League after Tyrone's relegation to Division Two.

On a blockbuster opening weekend of the Dr McKenna Cup, which is returning after a one-year absence, holders Derry will travel to O'Donnell Park in Letterkenny to face Donegal on Sunday, 4 January, in a repeat of the 2023 decider.

The Tir Chonaill county will play their McKenna Cup and National League fixtures away from Ballybofey due to upgrade works on the pitch at MacCumhaill Park.

Cavan and Monaghan will also meet at Breffni Park on the opening weekend, and the sides will also meet in the Ulster SFC quarter-final later in the year.

In round three Antrim will host All-Ireland finalists Donegal at Cargin GAC.

All three rounds of group games will take place across seven days,and the semi-final is scheduled for Wednesday, 14 January and the final will take place on Saturday, 17 January.

The schedule will be tight for counties as the Allianz Football League commences one week after the Dr McKenna Cup final, on Saturday 24 January.

2026 Dr McKenna Cup fixtures in full

Round One: Friday 2 January: Armagh v Tyrone (Athletic Grounds, 19:00 GMT), Saturday 3 January: Cavan v Monaghan (Breffni Park, 18:00), Sunday 4 January: Donegal v Derry (Letterkenny 13:30).

Round Two: Wednesday 7 January, 19:30 GMT: Down v Armagh (Pairc Esler), Fermanagh v Cavan (Tempo), Derry v Antrim (Owenbeg).

Round Three: Sunday 11 January, 13:30 GMT: Tyrone v Down (Tyrone venue), Monaghan v Fermanagh (Castleblayney), Antrim v Donegal (Cargin).

Semi-finals - Wednesday 14 January.

Final - Saturday 17 January.

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Armagh will face Tyrone in the preliminary round of the 2026 Ulster Championship, while holders Donegal are potential semi-final opponents.

Kieran McGeeney's side, who have lost three Ulster finals in a row, will have to battle past Tyrone in a tantalising provincial opener.

The sides played out a thrilling semi-final in last year's Ulster Championship as Armagh ran out one-point winners.

Armagh last won the Anglo Celt Cup in 2008 while Tyrone last triumphed in 2021.

The winner of that tie will face Fermanagh in the quarter-finals, while Donegal or Down will then await in the last four.

Jim McGuinness' Donegal have defeated Armagh in the past two deciders and are aiming to become the first county to win the Ulster final three times in a row since the Orchard County's treble 20 years ago.

On the top half of the draw, Derry will be heavy favourites against Antrim in their quarter-final and the winner will take on Monaghan or Cavan, who were paired together in an intriguing derby, in the last four.

Dates for the fixtures will be announced by the GAA in due course.

Ulster Championship

Preliminary round: Armagh v Tyrone.

Quarter-finals: Derry v Antrim, Monaghan v Cavan, Donegal v Down, Fermanagh v Armagh/Tyrone.

Semi-finals: Derry/ Antrim v Monaghan/Cavan, Donegal/Down v Fermanagh/Armagh/Tyrone.

Leinster Championship

Round One: Carlow v Wicklow, Westmeath v Longford, Offaly v Laois.

Quarter-finals: Kildare v Offaly/Laois, Meath v Westmeath/Longford, Louth v Wexford, Dublin v Carlow/Wicklow.

Semi-finals: Kildare/Offaly/Laois v Meath/Westmeath/Longford, Louth/Wexford v Dublin/Carlow/Wicklow.

Connacht Championship

Quarter-finals: New York v Roscommon, London v Mayo, Sligo v Leitrim.

Semi-finals: London/Mayo v New York

Munster Championship

Quarter-finals: Tipperary v Waterford, Limerick v Cork

Semi-finals: Tipperary/Waterford v Lmerick v Cork, Clare v Kerry

Image source, LGFA

The Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) has confirmed Lyn Savage as its new chief executive officer.

Savage will replace long-serving Helen O'Rourke on 9 March, 2026.

Former Louth player Savage is currently the LGFA's national development manager, having previously served as national development officer.

She has also previously worked with Dublin GAA.

"Lyn brings a wealth of experience, deep knowledge of our game, and a long-standing commitment to the development of women's sport," said LGFA president Trina Murray.

"Throughout her career, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic insight, and a genuine dedication to supporting players, volunteers, staff, and communities across the country and in our International units.

"We are confident she will continue to strengthen the foundations of the LGFA and guide the organisation into its next chapter.

"As we welcome Lyn, we also honour Helen O'Rourke's 28 years of service. Her leadership has built the strong, committed, and united team that will carry the organisation forward, providing a solid foundation for this next phase."

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There will be a repeat of the 2024 Dr McKenna Cup final as Tuesday's draw saw holders Derry and Ulster champions Donegal matched in the same group.

The pre-season competition returns in January after a one-season hiatus with the full schedule of fixtures to be confirmed in the coming days.

Derry scored a 0-12 to 0-6 win over Jim McGuinness' men in the final and both sides are joined by Antrim in Group C.

In Group A, Kieran McGeeney's Armagh have been drawn alongside neighbours Tyrone and Down, while in Group B, there is another derby in prospect with Cavan and Monaghan in the same section alongside Fermanagh.

Ulster GAA confirmed the competition's return in September for what will be the 100th anniversary of the Dr McKenna Cup.

Last year, it was estimated the Ulster Council lost upwards of £300,000 in gate receipts with the competition shelved on the basis of player welfare, but the pre-season competitions across the provinces have been given the green light to return.

2026 Dr McKenna Cup draw

Group A: Armagh, Down, Tyrone

Group B: Cavan, Fermanagh, Monaghan

Group C: Antrim, Derry, Donegal

Image source, Getty Images

Fermanagh's Blaithin Bogue is one of five former Gaelic footballers named on the All-Australian AFLW team of 2025.

Bogue made the switch to Australian Rules side North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos in late 2023, but would make her long-awaited debut in August following a 2024 spent battling injury and readjusting to life in Australia.

However, from her debut against Geelong Cats in August, the 25-year-old kicked 21 goals in 12 matches, helping steer North Melbourne into this Saturday's Grand Final against Brisbane Lions.

Of the 21 players honoured, Bogue picked up one of the five interchange players on the team, with former Donegal player Niamh McLoughlin also named in that position.

McLoughlin, co-captain at Gold Coast Suns, is another Australian Rules convert, with the 32-year-old making the switch last year and also earns her first selection on the All-Australian team.

Dublin's Jennifer Dunne - who will face Bogue in Saturday's Grand Final - has been selected as one of the five defenders alongside Mayo's Dayna Finn, while in the forwards, Galway's Áine McDonagh has been selected.

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Kilcoo manager Martin Corey says his side are "happy" to be in the Ulster Club football final after their 4-12 to 1-10 victory over Erne Gaels at the Athletic Grounds.

Paul Devlin and Eugene Branagan found the net in the first period before Shealan Johnston and Ceilum Doherty scored goals after the restart.

The Femanagh side couldn't spark a late comeback after two two-pointed efforts from Ryan Lyons and a late goal from Seamus Ryder and ended up finishing with 14 players after Shane Rooney was sent-off in second-half injury time.

"Happy to be there," Corey replied when asked how it felt for Kilcoo to make their fifth Ulster Club football fine in six years.

"Our objective coming here today was to try and win the game and get back into the last two.

"We didn't plan to play the way we did, particularly in the first half but it is something to work on for the next day."

Corey's side will either face Derry champions Newbridge or Monaghan champions Scotstown in the final with those two sides playing on Sunday, November 23, in Omagh.

Kilcoo were last year's runners up but will be hoping to lift the trophy after this year's final which will take place on the weekend of 6-7 December.

"We will go to the game and watch it [the second semi-final]," Corey continued.

"It is two very good teams and both teams will be chasing silverware, so we need to do the work next week, try to get the bodies recovered and get ready."