County glory up for grabs

County glory up for grabs

15 October 2025

IT is decision time in Down as the three county champions are set to be crowned in an action-packed weekend at Páirc Esler.

With the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Championships reaching their deciders, a number of local teams have their sights fixed on glory at the Newry venue.

All eyes will be on the county’s showpiece event on Sunday, as Kilcoo and Carryduff go to battle in the Senior Championship final.

As ever, the Magpies will be hot favourites, bidding to extend their run to a seventh consecutive title and add a 23rd Frank O’Hare cup to their ever-growing collection. 

However, in a game littered with county stars, on both sides of the pitch, an upset could well be on the cards, with Carryduff aiming for a maiden senior triumph.

Martin Corey’s Kilcoo have been riding heir luck of late, overcoming dogged challenges from Loughinisland and Clonduff by the skin of their teeth.

They swapped the lead repeatedly in their meeting with the Island, hitting late scores to squeak to a two-point win, before surviving a late Hilltown free to hold on for the narrowest of margins.

Carryduff enjoyed a more comfortable route to this weekend’s main event, breezing past Ballyholland in the quarters and taking advantage of a wasteful Burren in the final four.

It remains to be seen whether they can topple the Kilcoo dynasty, but one thing is for certain, the all-star clash promises to be enthralling.

The junior final will signal lights, camera, action on Friday night, offering a mouthwatering clash between neighbours Ardglass and Kiclief Ben Dearg.

Ardglass will enter the derby clash as favourites, having overturned a seven-point deficit to hand their rivals a 2-12 to 1-11 defeat on their own patch earlier in the competition. 

Goals from Jack and Pabhraig O’Shea pulled off the comeback heist that day, and the Seasiders could be in safe hands if those two are firing on all cylinders in the final.

Captain Caolain O’Shea is another vital cog in an Ardglass machine that has been well oiled to this point, guiding his team through the competition unbeaten.

The skipper has occupied his leadership role with conviction this term, combining work-rate with tactical awareness and an eye for scores, forming the heartbeat of the team with his cousin and midfield partner, Jack.

With the experience of Liam Kearney and Malachy Crangle, the defensive capabilities of Antoin O’Shea and Corey Mason and the skill of Jamie McDarby and Shea Dorrian, Ardglass seemingly have discovered the recipe for success.

With that said, they will have to be on top form to stem the tide of a Kilclief side that is not only eyeing silverware, but also in pursuit of revenge.

The Ben Dearg team have already starred in an underdog show, leaving spectators with mouths agape when they stunned Bright, who were tipped to go all the way, with a free-scoring victory in the semi-finals, and they are hungry for more.

Their belief was spawned in the quarters, where they fought tooth and nail to eject Glasdrumman from the competition.

Riding the coattails of that coup, their sheer fire-power in front of goal was a sight to behold against their Bright rivals, bagging a haul of goals courtesy of Fionn McFall (2), Callum Shields, Conall Magee.

Now, fuelled by avenging their club’s Junior Camogie final defeat to Aghaderg, the Kiclief footballers are intent on kick-starting the 2025 Ben Dearg trophy collection, ahead of their clubmates’ Junior Hurling final next week.

The Intermediate Football Championship will be decided this Saturday, with Annaclone and Saval fighting for honours in another potentially pulsating affair. 

Annaclone face a quick turnaround from their previous outing, requiring a semi-final replay to see off Clann na Banna and seal their place in the finale last Thursday.

In contrast, Saval advanced to the decider at the first time of asking, beating St John’s at the start of the month.

The Newry side also hold an extra ace up their sleeve, in the form of Down GAA’s sharp-shooter, the inevitable Pat Havern — a man who is deadly from two-point range and could be the difference-maker here.

Excitement is reaching fever-pitch ahead of the championship weekend, and there is now only a few days’ wait to discover the kings of the county.