By Michael McMullan KIERAN McGeeney has retained six of the team who lost to Tyrone on Friday night for Wednesday night’s Dr McKenna Cup visit of Down. Goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty is one of the changes and is listed as an outfield substitute with Blaine Hughes and Shea Magill handed the goalkeeper jerseys. Aaron McKay, Oisin […]
By Michael McMullan MARK Doran has named his first Antrim team for Wednesday’s Dr McKenna Cup clash with Derry in Owenbeg. He has listed four players from the team that exited the Tailteann Cup at the hands of Wexford in the last game of 2025. Paddy McBride, Marc Jordan, Adam Loughran and Eoghan McCabe are […]
By Niall Gartland THE enthusiasm and energy of Declan Bonner is a very positive omen for Fermanagh football, according to one of his right-hand men, Aidan McCarron. Both Bonner and McCarron have been at the coalface of Fermanagh club football in recent seasons – albeit on opposition dug-outs – and now they’ve joined forces at […]
By Ryan Ferry CIARÁN Moore says the Dr McKenna Cup was ‘a great benefit’ to him when finding his feet at senior inter-county level and it will present an opportunity to a cohort of promising young stars once again this January, starting with a meeting against Derry in O’Donnell Park on Sunday afternoon. Moore made […]
By Niall Gartland A FRIDAY night clash under lights against their old rivals across the Blackwater is an ideal way to get the season underway, according to Tyrone skipper Brian Kennedy. Tyrone travel to the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds tomorrow night to take on Armagh in their McKenna Cup opener – and while it’s unlikely to […]
MALACHY O’Rourke has named his Tyrone side for Friday’s season opener against Armagh in the Dr McKenna Cup. Only Mattie Donnelly and Cormac Quinn remain from the team that started last season’s All-Ireland semi-final exit at the hands of Kerry, with Michael McKernan also coming off the bench against the Kingdom. The Red Hands are […]
By Michael McMullan CONOR Glass wants Derry to get back to winning ways this season and craves the roar of fans backing their challenge for honours this season. The Oakleafers failed to win a game during the entirety of 2025 and begin their new campaign on Sunday in Letterkenny. Glass, just married this week, is […]
By Michael McMullan ANTRIM’S number one focus is getting promoted from Division Four but new manager Mark Doran insists they have “no divine right” to bounce back up again. The new Saffron boss has experience of the lower divisions from his time with both Clare and Wicklow. Antrim will have to show up every day. […]
By Niall Gartland ULSTER GAA provincial secretary Brian McAvoy is delighted that the Dr McKenna Cup will return in 2026 following a one-year hiatus – and he counters the concerns flagged up by GPA head honcho Tom Parsons about player burnout. At a meeting on Tuesday evening, county delegates voted unanimously to restore the McKenna Cup and […]
By Brendan McCann AS the dust begins to settle on a fantastic football championship, attention for returning and new county management teams turns immediately to putting preparations in place for the next campaign. The announcement from headquarters in September 2024 that early-season provincial competitions, including the Dr McKenna Cup, were being paused for a year, […]
