There are mixed feelings about this year’s Ulster Championship competition. I am a cheerleader for the competition. Other provincial events are one-sided but I like the balance in Ulster, as there are few teams that can win, admittedly its been a Tyrone, Donegal and Monaghan carve up of late, but I think that other teams can cause shocks from time to time. Yet this year we can’t get a spin up to Celtic Park for Derry’s game. That’s a downside. But what we do have is a straight knockout which should make for the most exciting competition for years, and an opportunity for a team to get momentum and perhaps cause a shock. I’m hoping it is Derry, but it’ll probably be Armagh.

RONAN SCOTT

First things first – yes Donegal are going for their third Ulster title in-a-row and yes I’ve penned a match report predicting that they’ll overcome Tyrone on Sunday. But the more I think about it, the more hope I’m giving Tyrone. Declan Bonner has plenty of skillful players at his disposal, and they’re favourites to beat Tyrone for a reason, but they still have it all to prove if they’re to achieve anything like the success they tasted over a four-year period in the early noughties. In my eyes they need to reach an All-Ireland semi-final at the very least this year, but obviously that won’t be easy in the backdoor format. It’s funny that Tyrone have done better at All-Ireland level in recent years but are underdogs for this game, so there is pressure on Donegal here.

Niall Gartland

Armagh will play in Division One next year for the first time since 2012, an excellent achievement for Kieran McGeeney’s side. They were in the third tier when he took over in 2015 so the manager deserves credit. What ‘Geezer’ can’t escape is a very poor Ulster record. Last year’s win over Down was their sole victory, so it’s massively important that they leave Celtic Park with their desired outcome this weekend. It’s a tough challenge, but one they must have the answers for.

NIALL MCCOY

We are all probably used to no fans in stadiums at this stage, but I think it will probably really hit home when watching the big Ulster derbies between Monaghan and Cavan and Donegal and Tyrone this weekend. These games should be played in tougher circumstances with players getting the ear ate off them by the crowd and rival fans arguing with each other in the stand. Instead we will hear the players’ shouts, the managerial instructions and big scores will be greeted by a roar of 15 subs. It’s not right, and we’re depending on the players to bring the intensity to give these derbies a proper feel.

NIALL MCCOY

In last week’s edition of Gaelic Life Craobh Rua Camloch mentioned how the Tain League had helped their club so much over the recent years. They said that organised games for underage teams against many different opponents really helped to bring their club on. It made me wonder how those competitions will be affected by Covid. At the moment, we’d usually be looking towards previewing the Ulster Minor Tournament at St Paul’s. And then in the new year Creggan’s u-21 tournament. They and the Tain leagues provide important experiences for young player and benefit clubs in the long term. Without them how will club teams be affected? Hopefully they only have to miss one year.

RONAN SCOTT

BOTH the Antrim camogs and footballers had to travel to ‘neutral’ venues at the weekend (i.e. somewhere that isn’t in the six counties’ to keep Carlow and Waterford happy. I found the whole thing bizarre; firstly, how on earth is travelling to a quiet place like Portglenone any more risky than, say, playing in Croke Park (I doubt the Waterfood footballers would have turned that one down). The whole thing stank of a partitionist mentality – almost as if the North is in a different continent entirely. Thank God, therefore, that Antrim came out on top in both games, but I’m sure it’s still left a sour taste in the mouth. A really bizarre turn of events and I’m glad it backfired on both accounts, and I always felt the footballers in particularly were a bit disingenuinous as my guess is that they also didn’t want to hassle of a long day on the road.

NIALL GARTLAND