The big guns fall on dramatic weekend of GAA county championship action

Shocks aplenty across the country as championship 2025 reached its defining stages

ROARING SUCCESS: Naomh Conaill's Finnbarr Roarty soaks in the moment after their dramatic Donegal SFC final win over Gaoth Dobhair at O'Donnell Park in Letterkenny. Pic: by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Errigal Ciarán’s reign as Tyrone and Ulster champions is over 

In the bearpit that is the Tyrone SFC, no club has gone back-to-back since 2005. Errigal Ciarán beat Trillick in the 2024 decider having lost out after extra-time in 2023. This time, Trillick had their revenge.

It means Trillick will now compete in their third final in a row. The other semi-final saw Carrickmore and Loughmacrory finish level with a replay scheduled for next weekend.

Errigal Ciarán were the first Tyrone club to make it to the All-Ireland final when they went down fighting against Cuala earlier this year. Scaling that mountain once more was always going to be a formidable task.

Do yourself a favour and look up Darragh Canavan’s pass to his brother Ruairí for their first half goal. Sensational doesn’t cut it.

Salthill-Knocknacarra finally down Corofin

It wouldn’t be fair to say this was now or never for Salthill, but there was a sense of expectation around Pearse Stadium on Saturday night. An extremely talented side had fallen flat at the same stage against the same opposition last year.

All of that hurt was weaponised for an explosive start against a three-in-a-row-chasing Corofin. Salthill’s county stars came to the fore early on. Robert Finnerty scored first and followed it up with a brilliant goal. John Maher was at his rampaging best in the middle. Daniel O’Flaherty swung over a superb two-pointer.

Then Maher was stretchered off, Corofin rejigged their midfield and a 13-point half-time lead began to dwindle away. A rousing fightback fell just short. Salthill march on to meet Moycullen in a repeat of the 2022 decider.

East Kerry beaten once more 

In 2023, there was genuine panic about a stretch of dominance. East Kerry had won four of the previous five Kerry SFC crowns. Then Dingle denied them.

That 2024 semi-final defeat was after extra-time. On Saturday, Rathmore cruised to a 14-point win. David Clifford kicked five points, four from play, but a second half blitz saw the divisional side blown away. The semi-final draw pits Mid Kerry against Dingle and Austin Stacks against Rathmore.

A new name on the cup in Armagh.

Madden are back in the Armagh SFC final for the first time in 27 years after overcoming holders Clann Eireann in a tense semi-final. Niall Grimley and Conor Grimley powered their side to a 0-14 to 0-11 victory.

It sets up an intriguing final. Cullyhanna came from 10 points down to defeat Crossmaglen Rangers on the other side. Aidan Nugent kicked a late two-point free to make it 1-21 to 0-23.

Both clubs are just 60 minutes away from lifting the Gerry Fagan Cup for the first time.

Glen gone.

Glen’s quest for a fifth successive Derry final appearance was denied by a goal-hungry Magherafelt. The final score was a 4-15 to 1-14 win in Owenbeg.

New Louth boss Gavin Devlin is in charge of Magherafelt as they prepare to face defending champions Newbridge. Speaking to the Irish News earlier this year, Devlin said he made it clear to Louth that he intended to balance both when he was appointed to the role.

“But Louth are under no illusions that, for the next number of weeks, I have this commitment with Magherafelt and that won’t be changed,” he said. “We’re slap-bang in the middle of the club championship now and it’s going well at the moment.” 

Dunloy end 89-year famine 

This time of the year is always remarkable, but the scenes that accompany the end of a long wait are particularly powerful. Dunloy won their first Antrim SFC title since 1936 and ended Cargin’s hopes of a fourth title in a row.

The club are no strangers to silverware having won 16 hurling titles and it was their dual talents who delivered on Sunday. County hurler Keelan Molloy got them off the mark with an early two-pointer. He is evidently enjoying his big ball achievements, too.

Roarty’s rousing call. 

Naomh Conaill never led the Donegal SFC final until the first minute of extra-time. They were seven down after 30 minutes. Ciaran Thompson was sidelined.

It fell to their young flyers, chiefly Finnbarr Roarty and Max Campbell, to power them past Gaoth Dobhair 2-18 to 1-19.

Jim McGuinness fast-tracked Roarty into the senior outfit. His performances in 2025 rightly saw him nominated for an All-Star and Young Footballer of the Year. This was his first county final. As he went to collect his Man of the Match award from TG4, it was put to him that there is nothing wrong with the youth structures in Naomh Conaill.

“I would say that was a bit of motivation the whole year,” he replied. “I don’t think anybody actually considered us to win it. It probably pissed us off a little bit saying the youth… Four Masters, Termon, Gaoth Dobhair.” It wouldn’t be an elated post-county-final interview without an expletive.

“Fuck. What a feeling. Sorry!” 

Kingscourt Stars spring a shock.

This was a fourth final in five years for Gowna. They had beaten Kingscourt Stars by 17 points in the 2023 final. With 28 minutes played, they led 0-7 to 0-4.

At half-time, Kingscourt were in the ascendency on a 2-7 to 0-8 scoreline. Kevin Curtis hit the first goal, Joe Dillon landed a second just before the turnaround. They kicked on to win the Oliver Plunkett Cup for the first time in 10 years.

Meath star Jordan Morris kicked 0-9. He transferred from Meath’s Nobber a few years ago to a club where he had strong family ties. Post-match, he spoke about how his grandfather, Jim McGovern, had driven the bus for the team in the 2015 victory.

The Ulster club SFC line-up is starting to take shape. Dunloy will play the Derry winners in the preliminary quarter-final. The winners will then face the Armagh champions.

Kingscourt will play the Fermanagh winners. Naomh Conaill take on the Monaghan representative and the Tyrone winners will play Down.

Not quite a fall, but close 

In Laois and Sligo, the defending champions will have to go again as both games ended in draws.

Courtwood, in their first-ever Laois SFC final, pushed Portarlington all the way in a thriller. Portarlington have won four of the last five but were unable to find a late point.

A David Quinn two-point free deep in extra-time kept Coolera-Strandhill from claiming a third successive Owen B. Hunt Cup, for now at least. Shamrock Gaels, in their first final since 1994, hit 2-16 against the Connacht club champions.

Coolera-Strandhill required a replay to win the title in 2024 as well.

On a weekend full of seismic shocks, the champions will be content to live to fight another day.