Ulster Senior Football Championship

The Ulster Senior Football Championship is a GAA inter-county competition for gaelic football teams in the Irish province of Ulster. It is organised by the Ulster Council and begins in early May. The final is usually played on the third Sunday in July.

Ulster Senior Football Championship
Current season or competition:
2019 Ulster Senior Football Championship
CodeGaelic football
Founded1888
RegionUlster (GAA)
TrophyAnglo-Celt Cup
No. of teams9
Title holders Donegal (10th title)
Most titles Cavan (39 titles)
SponsorsVodafone
Ulster Bank
Toyota

All nine Ulster counties participate. It is regarded as hardest to win of the four provincial football championships.[1][2]

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 are the most successful team in Ulster Championship history, having won the competition on 39 occasions. Down in the 1960s and Donegal in the 2010s share a record of competing in six consecutive finals.[3] Fermanagh remain the only team not to have won an Ulster title. The Ulster Senior Football Championship celebrated its 125th year in 2013.[4]

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 1991–1994. Since then Ulster has produced more All-Ireland winning teams than any other province.[5]

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.

The Ulster football 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.[6] The 2007 final—contested by Monaghan and Tyrone—marked a return to Clones, with Tyrone emerging victorious.

In the 2000s, Armagh were a dominant force in Ulster, winning six titles in eight years between 1999 and 2006. Donegal won consecutive Ulster 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.

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 final score for the losing team ever (Cavan on this occasion).[7]

Teams
The province of Ulster is located in the north of Ireland.

The Ulster championship 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.

Team Colours Sponsor Manager Captain Most recent success
All-Ireland Provincial
Antrim Saffron and white Creagh Concrete Lenny Harbison Aodhán Gallagher
1951
Armagh Orange and white Simply Fruit Kieran McGeeney Rory Grugan
2002
2008
Cavan Royal blue and white Kingspan Group Mickey Graham Raymond Galligan
1952
1997
Derry Red and white H&A Mechanical Services Rory Gallagher Chrissy McKaigue
1993
1998
Donegal Gold and green KN Group Declan Bonner Michael Murphy
2012
2019
Down Red and black EOS IT Solutions Paddy Tally Darran O'Hagan
1994
1994
Fermanagh Green and white Tracey Concrete Ryan McMenamin Eoin Donnelly
Monaghan White and blue Investec Seamus McEnaney Colin Walshe
2015
Tyrone White and Red Tyrone Fabrications Mickey Harte Mattie Donnelly
2008
2017

Format

The Ulster Senior Football Championship is a straight knock-out competition. Seven of the nine teams are drawn in the quarter-finals, while the other two teams contest a preliminary match to determine the final quarter-final place. The winners of the championship enter the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship at the quarter-final group stage, while the other eight teams compete in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

Before the introduction of the qualifiers in 2001, the winners of the Ulster Championship went straight to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland Championship, along with the winners of the Leinster, Munster and Connacht Championships.

Team progress since 2001

Below is a record of each county's performance since the introduction of the qualifier system to the All-Ireland series in 2001. From 2020, the All-Ireland series will be tiered.

Key
Winner
Final
Semi Final
Quarter Final / Super 8s
Qualifier Rounds 1-4 / Tommy Murphy Cup
Championship2001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182018
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

List of winners by county

A golden background denotes years in which the Ulster champions also won the All-Ireland Championship.

Team Wins Years won
1 Cavan 39 1891, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1915, 1918, 1919, 1920, 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
2 Tyrone 17 1896, 1897,1956, 1957, 1973, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017
3 Monaghan 16 1888, 1906, 1914, 1916, 1917, 1921, 1922, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1938, 1979, 1985, 1988, 2013, 2015
4 Armagh 14 1890, 1903, 1950, 1953, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
5 Down 12 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1981, 1991, 1994
6 Donegal 10 1972, 1974, 1983, 1990, 1992, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019
7 Antrim 9 1901–02, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1946, 1951
8 Derry 7 1958, 1970, 1975, 1976, 1987, 1993, 1998
9 Fermanagh 0 Finalists: 1914, 1935, 1945, 1982, 2008, 2018

List of finals by year
Year Winner Score Opponent Score
2019 Donegal 1-24 Cavan 2-16
2018 Donegal 2-18 Fermanagh 0-12
2017 Tyrone 2-17 Down 0-15
2016 Tyrone 0-13 Donegal 0-11
2015 Monaghan 0-11 Donegal 0-10
2014[8] Donegal 0-15 Monaghan 1-09
2013[9] Monaghan 0-13 Donegal 0-07
2012 Donegal 2-18 Down 0-13
2011 Donegal 1-11 Derry 0-08
2010 Tyrone 1-14 Monaghan 0-07
2009 Tyrone 1-18 Antrim 0-15
2008 Armagh 2-08, 1-11 (R) Fermanagh 1-11, 0-08 (R)
2007 Tyrone 1-15 Monaghan 1-13
2006 Armagh 1-09 Donegal 0-09
2005 Armagh 2-08, 0-13 (R) Tyrone 0-14, 0-11 (R)
2004 Armagh 3-15 Donegal 0-11
2003 Tyrone 1-17, 0-23 (R) Down 4-08, 1-05 (R)
2002 Armagh 1-14 Donegal 1-10
2001 Tyrone 1-13 Cavan 1-11
2000 Armagh 1-12 Derry 1-11
1999 Armagh 3-12 Down 0-10
1998 Derry 1-07 Donegal 0-08
1997 Cavan 1-14 Derry 0-16
1996 Tyrone 1-09 Down 0-09
1995 Tyrone 2-13 Cavan 0-10
1994 Down 1-17 Tyrone 1-11
1993 Derry 0-08 Donegal 0-06
1992 Donegal 0-14 Derry 1-09
1991 Down 1-15 Donegal 0-10
1990 Donegal 0-15 Armagh 0-14
1989 Tyrone 0-11, 2-13 (R) Donegal 0-11, 0-07 (R)
1988 Monaghan 1-10 Tyrone 0-11
1987 Derry 0-11 Armagh 0-09
1986 Tyrone 1-11 Down 0-10
1985 Monaghan 2-09 Derry 0-08
1984 Tyrone 0-15 Armagh 1-07
1983 Donegal 1-14 Cavan 1-11
1982 Armagh 0-10 Fermanagh 1-04
1981 Down 3-12 Armagh 1-10
1980 Armagh 4-10 Tyrone 4-07
1979 Monaghan 1-15 Donegal 0-11
1978 Down 2-19 Cavan 2-12
1977 Armagh 3-10 Derry 1-05
1976 Derry 1-08, 0-22 (R) Cavan 1-08, 1-16 (R)
1975 Derry 1-16 Down 2-06
1974 Donegal 1-14, 3-09 (R) Down 2-11, 1-12 (R)
1973 Tyrone 3-13 Down 1-11
1972 Donegal 2-13 Tyrone 1-11
1971 Down 4-15 Derry 4-11
1970 Derry 2-13 Antrim 1-12
1969 Cavan 2-13 Down 2-06
1968 Down 0-16 Cavan 1-08
1967 Cavan 2-12 Down 0-08
1966 Down 1-07 Donegal 0-08
1965 Down 3-05 Cavan 1-08
1964 Cavan 2-10 Down 1-10
1963 Down 2-11 Donegal 1-04
1962 Cavan 3-06 Down 0-05
1961 Down 2-10 Armagh 1-10
1960 Down 3-07 Cavan 1-08
1959 Down 2-16 Cavan 0-07
1958 Derry 1-11 Down 2-04
1957 Tyrone 1-09 Derry 0-10
1956 Tyrone 3-05 Cavan 0-04
1955 Cavan 0-11 Derry 0-08
1954 Cavan 2-10 Armagh 2-05
1953 Armagh 1-06 Cavan 0-05
1952 Cavan 1-08 Monaghan 0-08
1951 Antrim 1-07 Cavan 2-03
1950 Armagh 1-11 Cavan 1-07
1949 Cavan 1-07 Armagh 1-06
1948 Cavan 2-12 Antrim 2-04
1947 Cavan 3-04 Antrim 1-06
1946 Antrim 2-08 Cavan 1-07
1945 Cavan 4-10 Fermanagh 1-04
1944 Cavan 1-09 Monaghan 1-06
1943 Cavan 2-03 Monaghan 0-05
1942 Cavan 5-11 Down 1-03
1941 Cavan 3-09 Tyrone 0-05
1940 Cavan 4-10 Down 1-05
1939 Cavan 2-03, 2-03 (R)* Armagh 1-03, 1-04 (R)
1938 Monaghan 2-05 Armagh 2-02
1937 Cavan 0-13 Armagh 0-03
1936 Cavan 1-07 Monaghan 0-07
1935 Cavan 2-06 Fermanagh 2-01
1934 Cavan 3-08 Armagh 0-02
1933 Cavan 6-13 Tyrone 1-02
1932 Cavan 2-04 Armagh 0-02
1931 Cavan 0-08 Armagh 2-01
1930 Monaghan 4-03 Cavan 1-05
1929 Monaghan 1-04, 1-10 (R) Cavan 1-04, 0-07 (R)
1928 Cavan 2-06 Armagh 1-04
1927 Monaghan 3-05 Armagh 2-05
1926 Cavan 5-03 Antrim 0-06
1925 Cavan 2-03, 3-06 (R) Antrim 3-00, 0-01 (R)
1924 Cavan 1-03, 2-03 (R) Monaghan 0-06, 1-03 (R)
1923 Cavan 5-10 Monaghan 1-01
1922 Monaghan 2-03, 3-04 (R) Cavan 2-03, 3-03 (R)
1921 Monaghan 2-02 Derry 1-01
1920 Cavan 4-06 Armagh 1-04
1919 Cavan 5-06 Antrim 0-02
1918 Cavan 3-02 Antrim 0-00
1917 Monaghan 4-02 Armagh 0-04
1916 Monaghan 2-03 Cavan 0-02
1915 Cavan 3-02, 0-04 (R) Monaghan 2-05, 0-03 (R)
1914 Monaghan 2-04 Fermanagh 0-02
1913 Antrim 2-01 Monaghan 1-02
1912 Antrim 2-02 Armagh 0-01
1911 Antrim 2-08 Cavan 0-04
1910 Antrim 3-04 Cavan 0-01
1909 Antrim 1-09 Cavan 0-05
1908 Antrim 1-08 Cavan 0-04
1907 No championship
1906 Monaghan 2-10 Antrim 1-02
1905 Cavan 0-07 Monaghan 0-03
1904 Cavan 0-05, 0-05 (R1), 0-08 (R2) Armagh 0-05, 0-05 (R1), 0-04 (R2)
1903 Armagh 2-02 Antrim 1-04
1901–02 * Antrim 3-05 Armagh 2-05
1900 No championship
1899
1898
1897
1896
1895
1894
1893
1892
1891 Cavan 1-11 Armagh 0-00
1890 Armagh 2-08 Tyrone 1-02
1889 No championship
1888 Monaghan 0-02, 0-03 (R) Cavan 0-02, 0-01 (R)
1887 No championship

Notes:

  • 1939 game abandoned – replay ordered
  • 1907 No official final result in records
  • 1901-1902 championship was played over two seasons and only counts as one Ulster Title
  • 1900 Antrim were to have represented Ulster but gave walkover to Galway.
  • 1892–1900 No championship. Cavan played in Leinster Senior Football Championship in 1895.
  • 1891 Cavan Slashers, (Cavan) v Armagh Harps, (Armagh) game Abandoned Smithboro Co Monaghan game replayed Cavan 1-11 Armagh 0-00
  • 1890 Armagh Harps, (Armagh) v Owen Roe O'Neill's (Tyrone)
  • 1889 No Ulster championship
  • 1888 Ulster Senior Football Championship Inniskeen Grattans of (Monaghan) v Maghera McGinns of (Cavan) game went to a Replay
  • 1887 No Ulster championship

Managers
See also: List of Gaelic football managers

Managers in the Ulster Championship 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)
Manager Team Wins Winning years
Mickey Harte Tyrone 7 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017
Joe Kernan Armagh 4 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006
Brian McEniff Donegal 3 1983, 1990, 1992
Art McRory Armagh 2 1984, 1995, 1996
Jim McGuinness Donegal 3 2011, 2012, 2014
Seán McCague Monaghan 2 1985, 1989
Pete McGrath Down 2 1991, 1994
Eugene McKenna Armagh 2 1995, 1996
Brian McAlinden
Brian Canavan		 Armagh 2 1999, 2000
Malachy O'Rourke Monaghan 2 2013, 2015
Declan Bonner Donegal 2 2018, 2019
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

Scoring records

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.[10]

All-time top Ulster scorers

As of 3 June 2008 according to the BBC.[11] Updated list (2012)

Rank Player County Tally Total score Championship years
1 Paddy Bradley Derry 17–201 252 2000–2012
2 Oisin McConville Armagh 11–197 230 1997–2008
3 Peter Canavan Tyrone 9–191 218 1989–2005
4 Paddy Doherty Down 15–159 204 1954–1971
5 Peter Donohoe Cavan 17–133 184 1945–1955
6 Seán O'Neill Down 17–125 176 1959–1975
7 Charlie Gallagher Cavan 10–142 172 1955–1969
8 Steven McDonnell Armagh 15–111 156 2000–2011
9 Seán O'Connell Derry 11–118 151 1957–1975
10 Ronan Carolan Cavan 2–138 144 1987–1998

Notes:

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

All-time top Ulster goalscorers

As of 15 June 2008, according to the Sunday Tribune.[12]

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 Sr 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 Championship, All-Ireland Championship and 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 top scorers by year

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

Belfast, County Antrim Derry, County Londonderry Clones, County Monaghan Omagh, County Tyrone Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
Casement Park Celtic Park St. Tiernach's Park Healy Park Brewster Park
Capacity: 0 Capacity: 15,000 Capacity: 37,000 Capacity: 18,500 Capacity: 16,000
The Anglo-Celt Cup, which is awarded to the Ulster champions

Broadcasters

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

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See also

References
  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. "Ulster SFC semi-final replay: Donegal 0-17 Monaghan 2-10". BBC Sport. 2 July 2016. Donegal were bidding for a sixth consecutive appearance in the showpiece decider, emulating the feat of the Down sides of the 1960s
  4. "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.
  5. 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.
  6. "Ulster open to Croke Park final again". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  7. According to Mark Sidebottom, who presented BBC's live coverage of the game, in the post-match discussion. 23 June 2019.
  8. "Ominous signs as Donegal make it three from four". Irish Examiner. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  9. "Relentless Monaghan turntables on Donegal". Irish Examiner. 22 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  10. "Donegal 0-09 1-09 Armagh". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 July 2006. Retrieved 9 July 2006.
  11. "Ulster's hot-shots". BBC Online. 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  12. Shannon, Kieran; Leo McGeough (2008-06-15). "When Sunday Comes – Stevie from Killeavy: Ulster's top predator". Sunday Tribune.
  13. "Ulster GAA". ulster.gaa.ie.
  14. "Ulster GAA". ulster.gaa.ie.
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