Ulster Championship 2019

[Fuzzman]

Only four weeks to the start of the Ulster championship lads and I just thought I'd get a bit of chat going about it how we see it going this year. With Tyrone, Donegal and Monaghan sharing the last 10 years will we see that continue this year or will someone surprise us? Since 2009 Tyrone have won 4, Donegal have 4 and Monaghan 2.
Recent injury news means Monaghan lose one of their best players in Darren Hughes but have unearthed a few good forward to help out McManus and are no longer a one man team. Monaghan look to have the easier run to the final but Fermanagh soon ended that talk last year after they did the hard work beating Tyrone in Omagh.

Donegal will be excited by the return of Paddy McBrearty who some would say can be the top forward in Ireland on his day but only this week Odhrán Mac Niallais opted out of the panel again and will be a big loss. The Donegal men will be very hopeful of getting to the super 8s and beyond this year with a good mixture of youth and experience in their ranks now and a more open style of play. They finished very strongly in Div 2 and will have their tails up coming into this championship

Tyrone seem to be a team reborn in the latter stage of the league and were unlucky not to make it to the league final. They seem to have shaken off their defensive shackles with a lot more direct kick passing being used into a strong ball winning full forward line of Mattie Donnelly, Peter Harte and young McShane.
We do have a very poor record for first round/preliminary round games in Omagh but even the most pessimistic Tyrone fan would say they should beat Derry easy plenty to spare in the 4 weeks time.
The winner of that game meet Antrim who have yet to nominate a venue for that game which is marked down for a Sat evening throw in. Actually there are a few Sat night games this year which I enjoy myself.

Down and Armagh and Cavan v Monaghan will now doubt be tasty local affairs which usually set the sparks flying early on.
Hopefully it's a more enjoyable championship that 2018 which besides the Fermanagh shock win over Monaghan turned out to be a rather boring non eventful year in Ulster.

Sunday 12 May 2019 Preliminary Round - Healy Park, Omagh at 16:00
Tyrone  v  Derry

Saturday 18 May 2019 Quarter-Final - Kingspan Breffni at 18:00
Cavan  v Monaghan

Sunday 19 May 2019 Quarter-Final - Páirc Esler, Newry at 16.00
Down  v Armagh

Saturday 25 May 2019 Quarter-Final at 18:00 NO VENUE YET
Antrim  v Tyrone / Derry

Sunday 26 May 2019 Quarter-Final - Brewster Park at 14:00
Fermanagh  v Donegal

Sunday 2 June 2019 Semi-Final 16:00
Cavan / Monaghan v Down / Armagh

Saturday 8 June 2019 Semi-Final at 17:00
Tyrone / Derry / Antrim v Fermanagh / Donegal

Sunday 23 June 2019 Final 14:00
Semi-Final A Winner v Semi-Final B Winner

[Main Street]

This year Monaghan are very content with having achieved NFL Div 1 survival. It gets tougher every year.
But I suppose like in previous years, we'll beat Cavan in a tight game, then have a  very decent chance in the semi final to make it to the final where we will surely reveal our essence, the essence of Monaghan football swank.
That's the Ulster Championship 2019 thread in a nutshell ... move on.

[BennyCake]

The Ulster championship is dead as the emu.

[Fuzzman]

Not as dead or as boring as Munster or Leinster.
Every year I met several Dubs who come up for the Ulster final as they see it as a great day out where it is usually a good game and the result is not a forgone conclusion.

I'm a bit fed up talking about the Dubs and so think Ulster still has a lot to provide in excitement and entertainment. I know most of my Dub mates USUALLY enjoy watching the Ulster championship early in the year as it's the only one with a bit of excitement and FIGHT. Mayo v Galway is usually a decent game but that's it and sure Cork have gone to hell altogether recently.

Will Armagh not be able to give it a rattle this year with a few new players breaking through and if Jamie Clarke and Soupie are given good fast ball they should take Down and could even surprise Monaghan or Cavan in the semi.

[Estimator]

Not as dead or as boring as Munster or Leinster.
Every year I met several Dubs who come up for the Ulster final as they see it as a great day out where it is usually a good game and the result is not a forgone conclusion.

I'm a bit fed up talking about the Dubs and so think Ulster still has a lot to provide in excitement and entertainment. I know most of my Dub mates USUALLY enjoy watching the Ulster championship early in the year as it's the only one with a bit of excitement and FIGHT. Mayo v Galway is usually a decent game but that's it and sure Cork have gone to hell altogether recently.

Will Armagh not be able to give it a rattle this year with a few new players breaking through and if Jamie Clarke and Soupie are given good fast ball they should take Down and could even surprise Monaghan or Cavan in the semi.

Will he be playing for Armagh this summer?  John McEntee's column in the Irish News stated that Clarke wasn't going to feature for Cross this year.

The most notable absentee from both Cross's first two league games was Jamie Clarke.

Unfortunately for followers of the Rangers, Jamie has decided to withdraw from club activity again this year.

This is a huge blow to the club's chances of retaining the Gerry Fegan Cup but if you were to review his club activity over the past seven years, this announcement comes as no surprise.

He played no club football in the 2016 or 2018 seasons, two league games and 30 minutes championship in 2017 and previously in 2015 and no club football in 2013. It was 2014 that he was last able to commit fully to the club.

While this picture makes for depressing reading, Jamie is not a lone wolf in the inter-county scene.

As recently as last year there were at least two inter-county players who opted not to play for their club but instead they journeyed to London on Saturdays to play matches and return home on the following day, slightly worse for wear but with fatter wallets.

[Hoof Hearted]

Only four weeks to the start of the Ulster championship lads and I just thought I'd get a bit of chat going about it how we see it going this year. With Tyrone, Donegal and Monaghan sharing the last 10 years will we see that continue this year or will someone surprise us? Since 2009 Tyrone have won 4, Donegal have 4 and Monaghan 2.
Recent injury news means Monaghan lose one of their best players in Darren Hughes but have unearthed a few good forward to help out McManus and are no longer a one man team. Monaghan look to have the easier run to the final but Fermanagh soon ended that talk last year after they did the hard work beating Tyrone in Omagh.

Donegal will be excited by the return of Paddy McBrearty who some would say can be the top forward in Ireland on his day but only this week Odhrán Mac Niallais opted out of the panel again and will be a big loss. The Donegal men will be very hopeful of getting to the super 8s and beyond this year with a good mixture of youth and experience in their ranks now and a more open style of play. They finished very strongly in Div 2 and will have their tails up coming into this championship

Tyrone seem to be a team reborn in the latter stage of the league and were unlucky not to make it to the league final. They seem to have shaken off their defensive shackles with a lot more direct kick passing being used into a strong ball winning full forward line of Mattie Donnelly, Peter Harte and young McShane.
We do have a very poor record for first round/preliminary round games in Omagh but even the most pessimistic Tyrone fan would say they should beat Derry easy plenty to spare in the 4 weeks time.
The winner of that game meet Antrim who have yet to nominate a venue for that game which is marked down for a Sat evening throw in. Actually there are a few Sat night games this year which I enjoy myself.

Down and Armagh and Cavan v Monaghan will now doubt be tasty local affairs which usually set the sparks flying early on.
Hopefully it's a more enjoyable championship that 2018 which besides the Fermanagh shock win over Monaghan turned out to be a rather boring non eventful year in Ulster.

Sunday 12 May 2019 Preliminary Round - Healy Park, Omagh at 16:00
Tyrone  v  Derry

Saturday 18 May 2019 Quarter-Final - Kingspan Breffni at 18:00
Cavan  v Monaghan

Sunday 19 May 2019 Quarter-Final - Páirc Esler, Newry at 16.00
Down  v Armagh

Saturday 25 May 2019 Quarter-Final at 18:00 NO VENUE YET
Antrim  v Tyrone / Derry

Sunday 26 May 2019 Quarter-Final - Brewster Park at 14:00
Fermanagh  v Donegal

Sunday 2 June 2019 Semi-Final 16:00
Cavan / Monaghan v Down / Armagh

Saturday 8 June 2019 Semi-Final at 17:00
Tyrone / Derry / Antrim v Fermanagh / Donegal

Sunday 23 June 2019 Final 14:00
Semi-Final A Winner v Semi-Final B Winner

sure if its against Derry they wont have to, it will be in Celtic Park

[general_lee]

Down in Newry is never easy, they're rebuilding and Armagh are probably a bit ahead of them in terms of development. That said nothing is a foregone conclusion and can't take anything for granted.

As for the enigmatic Jamie Clarke, id certainly be a bit miffed if I was a fein. Is there something underlying or what's the story that he can commit to the county team but can't strip out for three Sundays in April for the club? Usually the other way round in Cross lol

[GetOverTheBar]

Down in Newry is never easy, they're rebuilding and Armagh are probably a bit ahead of them in terms of development. That said nothing is a foregone conclusion and can't take anything for granted.

As for the enigmatic Jamie Clarke, id certainly be a bit miffed if I was a fein. Is there something underlying or what's the story that he can commit to the county team but can't strip out for three Sundays in April for the club? Usually the other way round in Cross lol

Crossmaglen don't care about leagues.

[tonto1888]

Down in Newry is never easy, they're rebuilding and Armagh are probably a bit ahead of them in terms of development. That said nothing is a foregone conclusion and can't take anything for granted.

As for the enigmatic Jamie Clarke, id certainly be a bit miffed if I was a fein. Is there something underlying or what's the story that he can commit to the county team but can't strip out for three Sundays in April for the club? Usually the other way round in Cross lol

I don't think RONeill has stripped out for them either so far. As far as McEntees column goes I will wait and see what happens come championship. More worrying is the rumours surrounding Niall Grimleys hand injury

[Blowitupref]

Looks set up for Monaghan v Tyrone final with both reaching the last 8 at the very least regardless of the result. Armagh,Cavan might have decent run in the qualifiers. I'm not convinced will Donegal do much better than last year. A tougher Ulster draw for them this year (won't be avoiding Monaghan,Tyrone) and could miss out on the AI quarter finals depending on the draw. 

[ck]

A quick question from me that jumps out of the fixture list.

Antrim have a home game against Tyrone (or Derry). What is their venue or will they have to play at neutral ground?
(The Casement thing is some joke - very unfair on Antrim)

Also I note that Tyrone will have 2 games played and Donegal will have none. Makes no sense.

The Ulster decider will be the Donegal v Tyrone semi final.

[J70]

A quick question from me that jumps out of the fixture list.

Antrim have a home game against Tyrone (or Derry). What is their venue or will they have to play at neutral ground?
(The Casement thing is some joke - very unfair on Antrim)

Also I note that Tyrone will have 2 games played and Donegal will have none. Makes no sense.

The Ulster decider will be the Donegal v Tyrone semi final.

Antrim v Tyrone likely to play in Armagh.
Donegal play Fermanagh?

May 26th in Brewster I think.

[LCohen]

Down in Newry is never easy, they're rebuilding and Armagh are probably a bit ahead of them in terms of development. That said nothing is a foregone conclusion and can't take anything for granted.

As for the enigmatic Jamie Clarke, id certainly be a bit miffed if I was a fein. Is there something underlying or what's the story that he can commit to the county team but can't strip out for three Sundays in April for the club? Usually the other way round in Cross lol

I don't think RONeill has stripped out for them either so far. As far as McEntees column goes I will wait and see what happens come championship. More worrying is the rumours surrounding Niall Grimleys hand injury

The long break without football between league and championship always results in a few injuries being picked up. Apparently there a number of wrist injuries in the Down squad. Should be a good game of kick passing then

[dec]

Also I note that Tyrone will have 2 games played and Donegal will have none. Makes no sense.

The 3rd and 4th quarter finals are on the same weekend due to the compressed schedule required by the Super 8s. Switching the 2 games so that the Donegal Q/F would be on Saturday would not make any meaningful difference.

[tonto1888]

Where is the south stand in Pairc Esler