Wounded Kerry remain a step ahead of hungry chasing pack

The race for Sam Maguire begins today in Ruislip, the first of 56 games to be played in the All-Ireland football championship across 107 days.

In reality, more than half the field will be cut relatively early to focus on the Tailteann Cup and the expectation is that realistic ambitions of climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand lies with only a handful of counties.

Matters off the pitch will stoke plenty of debate too, with rules changes and format alterations part of the 2026 landscape.

Said rules are likely to be referred to as "new" as long as sufficient fog remains around the application of them.

The pre‑championship referees' seminar concluded that Cork should have been awarded a late 50-metre free as they chased down a Meath lead in the recent Division 2 final.

The silver lining for officials in the aftermath of the controversial finale is that a similar error would now seem unlikely to happen now during the dying embers of a championship clash.

The reverting back to the old hooter system means David Clifford's iconic All-Ireland final moment cannot be repeated, and grumbles around running the clock down will gather more pace the deeper into the season we go.

The format too has been tweaked after 92.8% of Congress delegates decided to end the All-Ireland SFC group phase, in place since 2023 .

The lack of jeopardy was the main detraction and a qualifier-style series awaits, where the eight provincial finalists and the next seven teams as per league ranking, along with the Tailteann Cup winners, drawn together in the first round for the Sam Maguire Cup.

The eight winners will face off against each other with the All-Ireland quarter-finals the prize on offer.

Setting sail into the new season, holders Kerry remain the favourites to come good again as Jack O'Connor sets his sights on a 40th All-Ireland title for the Kingdom.

Kerry supporters of a superstitious disposition might be a little spooked from the league final trimming at the hands of Donegal given all of five of O’Connor’s All-Ireland triumphs in the Kerry hotseat have been preceded by early season silverware.

Those not unduly concerned by such things will perhaps be troubled by purely matters on the pitch, with Donegal running riot at times at Croke Park.

That budding rivalry stems from the general consensus that only Armagh appear capable of mustering in on the turf of the 'big two'.

Jim McGuinness has had plenty of time to dwell on the shortcomings in last year’s All-Ireland final and the early season health check is positive.

Michael Langan and Finbarr Roarty are continuing their All-Star form, Caolan McColgan, Ryan McHugh, Jason McGee and Conor O’Donnell have been among some of the best performers in the league while the likes of Max Campbell and Shea Malone have demonstrated that the conveyor belt of talent is servicing McGuinness well.

The bookmakers have Kerry and Donegal out in front, with the immediate challenging pack comprising of 2024 champions Armagh, Connacht rivals Mayo and Galway and then Derry.

Ulster will serve as an early indicator to loftier ambitions.

Armagh's motivation for provincial success will be fuelled by three successive final defeats.

Two of them via a penalty shootout loss and then last year delivering a one-point defeat after extra-time.

The last two have come at the hands of Donegal, though such a scenario can’t play out again next month in Clones as the two sides will collide at the semi-final stage should they come through their respective tests in what is something of a lopsided draw.

This time two years ago Derry entered the championship as league champions and were expected to make a serious assault on Sam Maguire, but the reality since then has been vastly different.

Ciarán Meenagh has undoubtedly an impressive panel of players to choose from and their short price is based in part on such a favourable draw – victory over Antrim and then either Cavan or Monaghan would see them into an Ulster final.

Their last two Anglo Celt successes (2022 and 2023) came against Donegal and Armagh respectively, so there would be little baggage against the heavy-hitters should they progress.

If such a thing is possible in a preliminary quarter-final against Armagh, Tyrone come into the championship somewhat under the radar.

A most middling league campaign was punctuated by moments of Darragh Canavan brilliance, but the Red Hand are masters are upsetting the odds.

A win on Armagh soil would be a statement of intent.

Down, with early season silverware will be brimming with confidence, though a trip to Letterkenny is as tough an Ulster assignment as they could get.

Surprisingly, given a league campaign that yielded seven wins from eight and a points difference of +28, half the counties across the four divisions scored more points from two-pointers than the Mourne men managed (16).

Any chance of an upset may hinge on an improvement in that area.

Tribesmen seeking more than provincial silverware
Andy Moran’s first challenge as Mayo manager is to end Galway’s Connacht domination.

The Green and Red begin 2026 off Broadway, McGovern Park the venue for the opening game of the football championship.

Mayo have had previous scares in the preliminary round – Moran kicked 0-07 in James Horan’s first championship game as manager in 2011 when Mayo were taken to extra-time by the Exiles – but anything other than a comfortable win and a semi-final date with Roscommon, assuming they account for New York, would be a huge surprise.

Where and when Kobe McDonald - pictured above - gets his first taste of championship action remains to be seen, though with U-20 commitments either side of the London fixture, it won’t come in the English capital.

Darragh Beirne – also unavailable for London owing to his U-20 duties - and Cian McHale are among those to stake claims for starting spots on the back of lively spring performances, while Rob Hennelly and Cillian O’Connor’s return to the fold balances the injection of youth with serious pedigree.

Matty Ruane and Tommy Conroy’s return to fitness – the pair missed the league through injury – is a boon and regardless of how Connacht pans out, the litmus test for Moran will be how the team perform coming down the stretch in tight matches, something that has eluded the side in the last few seasons.

Roscommon will feel that they have as good a chance as Mayo at downing the Tribesmen, though their last Connacht title came in 2019 and have only reached one final in the intervening period.

Mark Dowd’s men begin their campaign in Gaelic Park, but Castlebar on 26 April will have been circled by their followers from the moment the draw was made last November.

A fifth Connacht title on the spin is unlikely to result in Galway manager Pádraic Joyce leading mass celebrations, with Tribes supporters pondering whether their team is a serious contender or perhaps on the start of a decline.

Paul Conroy, Liam Silke and Seán Fitzgerald are others that have been eased back in, though the flip side is that Joyce has dug deep into the talent within the county.

He used 27 players in the first three rounds of the league alone, with Fionn McDonagh, Ciarán Mulhern and Shane McGrath shining brightest among the nine debutants.

Joyce, who extended his stay in the Galway hotseat until 2028 , set out his stall from the start about returning the county to the All-Ireland winner’s enclosure for the first time since his playing days, but so far has two contrasting defeats to his name.

Taking that next step could depend on the medical bulletins as much as form.

Louth and Meath the new Leinster standard bearers?

For what feels like the first time in a generation, there is genuine intrigue and competition surrounding the Leinster championship.

This weekend’s action sees half a dozen sides in action, though Tailteann Cup rather than the All-Ireland series would seem to be the most likely final destination for the majority of those involved.

Ger Brennan has overseen a league campaign that failed to suggest the Dubs are going to bring something significantly different to the party in 2026.

His mantra throughout was unearthing players, but aside from the opening 35 minutes against Armagh and impressively seeing off Roscommon at the Hyde in a masterclass of playing against the wind, relegation capped off a campaign where there the glass for Dublin fans used to stocking the trophy cabinet appears half empty.

Unless the Dubs pick up serious momentum, Louth and Meath seem most likely to duke it out for the Delaney Cup.

On opposite sides of the draw, a repeat of last year’s Leinster final is very much a possibility, the Wee County looking to push on from claiming a first provincial title in 68 years in 2025.

The Royals, who have effectively swapped places with the Dubs in Division 1 next year, will have plenty to say about that.

Championship victories over Dublin, Kerry and Galway en route to an All-Ireland semi-final was a memorable first year in charge for Robbie Brennan.

The early season form suggests the Royals are adding to that body of work.

A settled defence, a Jack Flynn-inspired midfield and an attack containing Jack O’Connor, Ruairí Kinsella and Jordan Morris will test any side.

With Division 3 Westmeath or Division 4 Longford awaiting in the quarter-final, and a potential semi-final against Kildare, Laois or Offaly, three sides that will be playing Division 3 football next year, the path looks clear for another final date at Croke Park.

Cork threatening the Munster status quo
Speaking ahead of last year’s provincial campaign that yielded an 86th title, Jack O’Connor refuted the suggestion from Marty Morrissey that a procession through Munster was not best preparation for a tilt at Sam.

"I’m not too sure about a doddle now, Marty.

That seems to be a perception by you and the press," he said.

"The facts are, two years ago we had a very tough battle with Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, there was only two points in it.

Last year there was only three points in it in Killarney."
O’Connor’s statement felt even more valid when extra-time was required to see off the Rebels last April, Joe O’Connor’s goal swinging the contest in the visitors’ favour on Leeside.

Clare had no answers to Kerry power in the final, but a potential Kerry-Cork final in Killarney could see a more competitive decider at least.

Cork’s last championship win in Fitzgerald Stadium came 31 years ago, but promotion to Division 1 was another step in the right direction for John Cleary.

A statement victory would go a long way to fuelling the notion that the Rebels are a coming force after a series of lows in the last decade.

Kerry's sobering loss to Donegal will be quickly consigned to history - at the very least until the teams cross paths again - and the performances of Armin Heinrich and Tomás Kennedy suggests competition for places will be even greater this time around.

With Gavin White, Paudie Clifford and Paul Geaney all returning, O'Connor will be hopeful the most recent trip to GAA HQ was merely a blip as championship preparations ramp up.

This weekend, Cork host Limerick in their Munster opener for the third consecutive season, while any fears of complaceny for Tipperary when they host Waterford will be tempered by the fact that their only championship defeat to the Déise in the last 35 years came in 2024.

Watch Armagh v Tyrone in the Ulster Football Championship on Sunday from 4pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.

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