Ulster Club IFC/JFC 2025

[Splash]

The solution is 2-fold: we need to raise the overall standard of club hurling in Ulster, and we need more teams. It is not unfeasible that there could be 20 senior hurling teams in Derry in the next 10 years if the work was put in.

We're getting off topic here as this is a football thread. There's actually only 8 adult hurling teams in Derry.

I think the only solution to improve levels throughout Ulster is to have leagues at the Ulster level instead of within each county. Grades could be assigned using league positions. Then teams go back to their own county championships.

Fair point on the football thread.

There's 9 adult hurling teams in Derry, though, although St Finbarr's still only compete in the reserve championship, Ulster League, etc. I can think of at least 5 clubs off the top of my head with underage hurling setups- so hopefully they can come through to senior in the next few years.

The Ulster League idea is a good idea- but it's alot of logistics.

Kilclief to Dungloe or Maullahoran to Coleraine would be near 4 hours each way. Obviously there's ways around this like meeting in the middle, but it would be no easy task.

[Splash]

Think Lavey are around the level of Middletown would that be fair to say? Who have won the Armagh senior championship 7 years in a row and play in Ulster intermediate?

I'd personally say Lavey would be a bit stronger than Middletown. Lavey looked more dominant over Cúchulainns than Middletown did, but even disregarding that, Lavey look like a younger, fitter side.

[Armagh18]

Think Lavey are around the level of Middletown would that be fair to say? Who have won the Armagh senior championship 7 years in a row and play in Ulster intermediate?

I'd personally say Lavey would be a bit stronger than Middletown. Lavey looked more dominant over Cúchulainns than Middletown did, but even disregarding that, Lavey look like a younger, fitter side.

Fair enough- think they played not too long ago and it was a very close game.

Middletowns main men would be getting on in years I think.

[OakLeaf]

Fair point on the football thread.

There's 9 adult hurling teams in Derry, though, although St Finbarr's still only compete in the reserve championship, Ulster League, etc. I can think of at least 5 clubs off the top of my head with underage hurling setups- so hopefully they can come through to senior in the next few years.

The Ulster League idea is a good idea- but it's alot of logistics.

Kilclief to Dungloe or Maullahoran to Coleraine would be near 4 hours each way. Obviously there's ways around this like meeting in the middle, but it would be no easy task.

Ah, I didnt realise that St. Finbarrs were that far along. Good stuff. Aye, you're right, if an Ulster league was going to work it would likely need to be regional.

[ClubScene13]

I actually think Carrickmacross will beat Glenullin from what I hear. Bookies aren't too worried about Cuchullain's being 4th in Division 1 in Cavan either, big underdogs.

Emyvale v Clogher in a junior final would be a good measuring stick for Emyvale, as a Tyrone man I can say that Clogher are a good team for junior but nothing exceptional compared to any other year in Tyrone junior

[Sleater]

I actually think Carrickmacross will beat Glenullin from what I hear. Bookies aren't too worried about Cuchullain's being 4th in Division 1 in Cavan either, big underdogs.

Emyvale v Clogher in a junior final would be a good measuring stick for Emyvale, as a Tyrone man I can say that Clogher are a good team for junior but nothing exceptional compared to any other year in Tyrone junior

There are some peculiarities for sure in terms of how county boards set up gradings for competitions. Like Carndonagh finished higher in the Donegal Div 2 than Naomh Columba who won the  intermediate championship. In most years Carndonagh would have been favourites for the ulster junior title but ended up being pitied against an anomaly of a junior team like Emyvale. You'd also imagine Carndonagh would have given Carrickmacross a better game than Naomh Columba who were eviscerated.

League and championship relegation are coupled in Monaghan. Normally the worst teams are going to be the same in both competitions but 2024 in Monaghan intermediate was weird. Emyvale finished 4th in 2024 intermediate league and got drawn in a group of death round robin (5 teams) for intermediate championship. They weren't bad, in fact beat Monaghan aristocrats Castleblayney (who are back in senior for 2026), but if memory serves me correct, lost to fierce parish rivals Truagh due to an injury time goal which put them in a relegation play off. Their morale imploded after that and they got relegated to junior league and championship.

[nrico2006]

The fixing of county representatives has definitely increased the past few years, with all the Cavan shenanigans, followed by Derry in the UIFC and UJHC. Armagh seem to have got on board too as their actual Junior Hurling Championship winners weren't entered into the UJHC.

[Armagh18]

The fixing of county representatives has definitely increased the past few years, with all the Cavan shenanigans, followed by Derry in the UIFC and UJHC. Armagh seem to have got on board too as their actual Junior Hurling Championship winners weren't entered into the UJHC.

Well our senior hurling champions go to intermediate and always have unless they happen to win it. And our junior representatives were beat.

Think hurling is abit different than football given the low amount of clubs across the board.

[oakleaflad]

The fixing of county representatives has definitely increased the past few years, with all the Cavan shenanigans, followed by Derry in the UIFC and UJHC. Armagh seem to have got on board too as their actual Junior Hurling Championship winners weren't entered into the UJHC.

[general_lee]

Think counties like Derry and Donegal should rebrand their division 2 leagues as junior leagues because that's where their junior winners come from

[nrico2006]

The fixing of county representatives has definitely increased the past few years, with all the Cavan shenanigans, followed by Derry in the UIFC and UJHC. Armagh seem to have got on board too as their actual Junior Hurling Championship winners weren't entered into the UJHC.

Well our senior hurling champions go to intermediate and always have unless they happen to win it. And our junior representatives were beat.

Think hurling is abit different than football given the low amount of clubs across the board.

Why were the actual Junior winners (St Malachys) not in Ulster?

[gallsman]

It's not that uncommon. Last year's Leinster junior club football champions were the Offaly intermediate champions.

The rationale from Biffoland was that following reorganisation of their structure, they had Senior A, Senior B, Inter and Junior. Therefore Intermediate is their third tier and therefore should be playing juinior provincial.

Of course if you apply that logic to a county like Dublin or Cork...

[Armagh18]

The fixing of county representatives has definitely increased the past few years, with all the Cavan shenanigans, followed by Derry in the UIFC and UJHC. Armagh seem to have got on board too as their actual Junior Hurling Championship winners weren't entered into the UJHC.

Well our senior hurling champions go to intermediate and always have unless they happen to win it. And our junior representatives were beat.

Think hurling is abit different than football given the low amount of clubs across the board.

Why were the actual Junior winners (St Malachys) not in Ulster?

Not sure tbh they were probably trying to give our representatives the best chance. Didn't go too well. We wouldn't exactly be heavyweights at the owl hurling.

[imtommygunn]

Donegal are at it too with Burt in the junior hurling.

[general_lee]

The fixing of county representatives has definitely increased the past few years, with all the Cavan shenanigans, followed by Derry in the UIFC and UJHC. Armagh seem to have got on board too as their actual Junior Hurling Championship winners weren't entered into the UJHC.

Well our senior hurling champions go to intermediate and always have unless they happen to win it. And our junior representatives were beat.

Think hurling is abit different than football given the low amount of clubs across the board.

Why were the actual Junior winners (St Malachys) not in Ulster?

Because arguably the Armagh Junior championship is now a de facto Junior B Championship (it took them a replay to beat Middletown's B team)