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If you think teams in Armagh aren't taking Division 1A seriously then you're mistaken, considering the amount of breakthrough clubs knocking on the door. It's the perfect springboard for the business end. Killeavy are absolutely knocking their pan in to win a championship, won their first ever Division 1A title this year.

Clann Éireann only won their first EVER Division 1A title in 2023. Clans, Mullaghbawn, Harps (2022 Div1A winners), Silverbridge, all played out of their skins to try and avoid the drop. Madden, this years winners have been consistently challenging for the league, it is absolutely the perfect environment for clubs like that to kick on and win a championship.

Clann Éireann rocking up to a league match with 17 players is a bit like Cross back in the day, they have the quality and arrogance to do it.

Why do you think Armagh 1a is meaningless? I would disagree. The team that finished 3rd won their championship. They do have a greater amount of teams who are competitive. And another reason why our leagues should be split. The amount of meaningless games in Div 1 and Div 2 in Antrim is mad. Sarsfields won Div 2 and the only difficult games they had were both against MG.

Armagh 1A isn't meaningless at all, it's perfect environment for clubs pushing for a SFC, no meaningless games. Clubs seeded for the championship. Teams still had something to play for in the last few rounds, including the two teams that were relegated.

Although the clubs in their infinite wisdom voted last week to remove all 2nds teams from the all county league/championship competitions so that might impact the league structure as well as dilute the standard with 9 teams given the boot.

[They had 6/7 players who played on their intermediate team last year that had played league football and where winning games in 1A.]

Answer is pretty simple, keep things as they are.

Definitely not. Waste of time Clann Eireann playing senior standard players in junior leagues if and when they please.

They don't though. If any player so much as plays 30 seconds for the senior team they're tied to them for the rest of the season. If they have 40+ players that some junior clubs have arbitrarily decided are "senior standard", well that's just tough shit.

They had 6/7 players who played on their intermediate team last year that had played league football and where winning games in 1A.  The potential solution would have been if you play any minutes at senior over course of season you are then considered a senior panelist and not eligible for the intermediate team. 

And? I reckon my club had about a dozen players that played in 1A at some stage this year but weren't within a hounds growl of a championship place come August.

I'm no fan of Clann Éireann but is it really their fault they have 5 senior county players plus whatever U21/minors that are unavailable at the start of the season?

Also, it is my understanding if you played any Senior championship this year that you are ineligible for Junior football in 2026. So this myth being peddled that clubs are playing "senior" players is entirely misplaced.

Answer is pretty simple, keep things as they are.

Definitely not. Waste of time Clann Eireann playing senior standard players in junior leagues if and when they please.

They don't though. If any player so much as plays 30 seconds for the senior team they're tied to them for the rest of the season. If they have 40+ players that some junior clubs have arbitrarily decided are "senior standard", well that's just tough shit.

Answer is pretty simple, keep things as they are.

It's a real backward step for Armagh club football. Junior clubs will now have less football (maybe they're happy with that?).

I wonder how Mullabrack and Killean will get on, assuming the 3A/3B are done away with. Will they be playing Collegeland, Ballyhegan, Middletown etc? Whose interest does that serve?

Killean would be as well in the b team league.

Therein lies the hypocrisy. I'm sure Éire Óg will be all smiles next season when they put 50+ points past the likes of Killean.

A really disappointing motion from Éire Óg, bordering on idiotic, but it seems to have got majority support which is even more disheartening.

I read someone from Éire Óg over on the Armagh forum try to justify it by saying they're "protecting" Junior football. Near spat my coffee out. In the 100+ year history of the Junior championship it's only been won three times by a seconds team.

It was never an issue until Clann Éireann won the JFC two years ago despite numerous clubs entering IIs teams over the last 25 years, and now after CÉ II got relegated it's suddenly sparked this great crusade to protect a competition that already limits the number of IIs team able to participate.

I can tell you as someone from one of the clubs affected that all this motion serves to do is penalise clubs who have put in the hard yards developing their youth and wanting a solid platform to develop players that are not yet ready or just not good enough for senior football.

Aside from the fact it will more than likely be CÉ and Cross battling it out for honours while the rest have nada to play for; there is the added administration required to run this new league - have new referees been sourced or will it be shoehorned in on Wednesday nights with the rest of reserve leagues?

Any clubs on the look out for new management?

Clan na Gael currently looking as are Clann Éireann.

Word is Clann Eireann have a current inter county manager and player lined up.

Have since heard part of the management is in-house and will be taking the team during the league with the intercounty player and intercounty manager coming in for championship. An interesting dynamic.

Hearing over on OC a couple of clubs considering entering IIs teams. Presuming the rest re-enter for 2026 that would be 11 seconds teams in Junior football with 23 teams playing junior football (8 in 3A and 15 in 3B). You'd imagine the logical thing to do would be incorporate some of the weaker junior clubs into the Junior B championship.

Any clubs on the look out for new management?

Clan na Gael currently looking as are Clann Éireann.

Well done to Madden (commiserations Cullyhanna) on a well deserved maiden championship victory. Probably the best team we faced all year and definitely the best drilled. I hope they enjoy the celebrations and go on and give Ulster a good rattle. Likewise Clonmore and Sarsfields.

Middletown and Clonmore have to do it all again. Poor enough match for the neutral with both teams defences on top. Middletown were slow to get their rhythm going but I reckon they'll be a bit sharper in the replay and part of me thinks Clonmore have missed the boat.

The intermediate final was a bit more entertaining, have to feel really sorry for St Paul's, perennial bridesmaids. Well done to Sarsfields though, some stalwarts in that team that were well well deserving of a medal. Most other small clubs would wither away into obscurity but Sarsfields over the past 10/15 years or so have shown great resilience to continue challenging for or at senior level.

They just done 7 in a row.

Some going. I wonder how long it will take for them to get bored of it? Keady had a decent team a few years back got to the Ulster final I think the last time they won Armagh.

What way does the hurling work? Middletown into Ulster intermediate? Cuchulainns into Junior?

This is captain hindsight obviously but bigging up Clann Eireann for Ulster on the basis of running Errigal tight last year was futile. Everyone ran Errigal close last year from Round 1 Tyrone to Croke Park apart from Cargin

In fairness. Everyone bigs up Errigal and/or whoever wins the Tyrone championship. The only people who believed the hype around CE was the players themselves. Even without McCambridge they've a wealth of talent that most clubs would love, a second string that reached two consecutive Intermediate semifinals.

Fair play to Madden though, I hope they go on and win the final. They have the measure of whoever wins the other semi, but my fear is the occasion may possibly get to them.

Fair play to Madden last night, hope they go on and win it now. I think most people fancied CE including myself but they were second best last night. Ulster will have to wait for another year! Looking forward to another good game tonight and hopefully the underdog comes through

It appear Sarsfields phonecall to Dungannon Swifts club last week done the trick yesterday

Who have they got back now? I see they've Kevy McAlinden back from Australia, quality player.

I take it he means Tomas Galvin who was unavailable for Keady.

A good weekend of action in the Senior Championship. St Peter's will surely be kicking themselves, up by 7 points at one stage only to lose by 7 AET. A lack of know how and squad strength their undoing, perhaps a good tilt at intermediate next year along with a good batch of minors will see them make a prompt return to senior ranks.

Cullyhanna are (on paper anyway) the weakest team of the four left. Killeavy are a better team in my view - it's just a shame for them that they're all fart and no shite. Cullyhanna have that extra level of ignorance needed for championship football and stand a very good chance of making the final against a very ordinary Crossmaglen team, who I imagine probably would have preferred a crack at one of the other two instead of their nearest and dearest.

The two best teams in the county meet in the other semi final and CE will be warm favourites against a dogged Madden side that have wobbled once already in the championship. Based on what I've seen it will be a Cross/CE final but I wouldn't rule out either of the other two.