Armagh
Manager: Kieran McGeeney (12th season).
Main man: Oisín Conaty.
2025 league: A win over Derry in their last game saved Armagh from relegation. They finished level on seven points with Tyrone, but Armagh’s win over the Red Hands earlier in the campaign meant McGeeney’s men were placed in sixth on the head-to-head metric with Tyrone relegated in seventh.
Last Division One title: 2005.
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Outlook: Rian O’Neill is currently not involved with the squad while several players – including Stefan Campbell, Jemar Hall and Niall Grimley – have stepped away.
Opening fixture: v Monaghan, Sunday, St Tiernach’s Park, Clones, 2pm.
Prediction: Mid-table.
Donegal
Manager: Jim McGuinness (3rd season, 2nd term).
Main man: Michael Murphy.
2025 league: It was a strange campaign for Donegal. With a league final place in their grasp, they instead opted to slip down through the gears in the latter stages of the group games to avoid securing a place in the decider as the final was scheduled just one week before their Ulster SFC opener.
Last Division One title: 2007.
Outlook: Patrick McBrearty has retired while Ciarán Thompson continues his recovery from the cruciate knee ligament tear suffered during last year’s All-Ireland final. The target for Donegal this year is simple – Sam or bust.
Opening fixture: v Dublin, Saturday, Croke Park, 5pm.
Prediction: Mid-table.
Dublin
Manager: Ger Brennan (1st season).
Main man: Con O’Callaghan.
2025 league: A defeat to Tyrone at Omagh in the last round of games denied Dublin a place in the final. They finished with eight points after four wins and three losses.
Last Division One title: 2021 (shared with Kerry).
Outlook: Dublin fielded what was essentially a third-string team in the O’Byrne Cup. John Small has retired while Brian Fenton will not be returning to the fold so Brennan might be facing a period of rebuilding as he tries to unearth new talent while still remaining competitive at the business end of competitions – a tricky balancing act.
Opening fixture: v Donegal, Saturday, Croke Park, 5pm.
Prediction: Mid-table.
Galway
Manager: Pádraic Joyce (7th season).
Main man: Seán Kelly.
2025 league: Mixed bag for the Tribesmen last season, who took only one point from their last three games to miss out on a place in the final on scoring difference.
Last Division One title: 1981.
Outlook: This feels like a make or break season for Joyce with Galway. He has been there since the 2020 campaign but the Holy Grail of wresting Sam Maguire back west has remained out of reach. Galway fans have spent the winter reciting the Tribe prayer – please God grant Seán Kelly, Shane Walsh and Damien Comer an injury-free year.
Opening fixture: v Mayo, Sunday, Pearse Stadium, 1.45pm.
Prediction: League finalists.
Kerry
Manager: Jack O’Connor (5th season, 3rd term).
Main man: David Clifford.
2025 league: League champions. Kerry stumbled into the Division One final almost by default as those around them played pass the parcel in a bid to avoid the decider.
Last Division One title: 2025.
Outlook: Securing back-to-back All-Ireland titles is Kerry’s prime ambition this year but an opening day league win over Roscommon would set their league campaign up and running nicely. The addition of Kieran Donaghy to the backroom team should bring a fresh spark of energy.
Opening fixture: v Roscommon, Sunday, Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney, 2pm.
Prediction: League finalists.
Mayo
Manager: Andy Moran (1st season).
Main man: Paddy Durcan.
2025 league: Mayo finished top of Division One to progress to the league final, but they lost the Croke Park decider to Kerry.
Last Division One title: 2023.
Outlook: Andy Moran has recalled Rob Hennelly, Cillian O’Connor and James Carr to the Mayo squad, though much of the excitement in the county surrounds the potential of Leaving Cert student Kobe McDonald. Paddy Tally brings huge experience to Moran’s backroom team.
Opening fixture: v Galway, Sunday, Pearse Stadium, 1.45pm.
Prediction: Should challenge for a top two finish.
Monaghan
Manager: Gabriel Bannigan (2nd season).
Main man: Rory Beggan.
2025 league: Monaghan gained immediate promotion back to the top flight by finishing first in the Division Two table with five wins and two losses. They also beat Roscommon in the Division Two final.
Last Division One title: 1985.
Outlook: Karl O’Connell, Darren Hughes and Kieran Duffy have all retired. Indeed, from Monaghan’s 2013 Ulster final winning team, only Beggan now remains. They could find themselves in a battle to avoid dropping back down to the second tier.
Opening fixture: v Armagh, Sunday, St Tiernach’s Park, Clones, 2pm.
Prediction: Relegation.
Roscommon
Manager: Mark Dowd (1st season).
Main man: Enda Smith.
2025 league: Promoted to Division One. Roscommon finished second in Division Two after winning four games, losing two and drawing one. They lost the divisional final to Monaghan.
Last Division One title: 1979.
Outlook: Mark Dowd enters his first year as Roscommon manager on the back of losing experienced players Ciaráin Murtagh, Donie Smith and Niall Daly to retirement. Roscommon are also likely to be without all or most of their St Brigid’s contingent for the opening stages of the league. A trip to Kerry this week looks like an ominous opener.
Opening fixture: v Kerry, Sunday, Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney, 2pm.
Prediction: Relegation.
[ Not only was Dingle’s name on the cup, how it had to be won was also ordainedOpens in new window ]
