Ulster Senior Football Championship

The Ulster Senior Football Championship is an inter-county and cross-border competition for Gaelic football teams in the Irish province of Ulster. It is organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and begins in early May. The final is usually played on the third Sunday in July.

All nine Ulster counties participate. It is regarded as hardest to win of the four provincial football championships. At a referee conference in January 2015, David Coldrick said about officiating in the competition: "Ulster makes or breaks you. It can be a graveyard. The games are different. There is an extra dimension and intensity, and you must be at your best. If you aren't prepared physically and mentally, the chances are you will be caught out. But when you are appointed for your first Ulster championship match, that's making progress". 

The winners receive the Anglo-Celt Cup, which was presented to the Ulster Council in 1925 by John F. O'Hanlon, who was editor of The Anglo-Celt newspaper based in Cavan.

Cavan have won the most championships (40). Derry are the title holders, defeating Armagh on penalties in the 2023 final.

History 
Cavan are the most successful team in Ulster Championship history, having won the competition on 40 occasions.  Cavan maintain the record for consecutive appearances in Ulster Finals. During the 1930s and 1940s, they appeared in and won seven consecutive Ulster titles. Fermanagh remain the only team not to have won an Ulster title. The Ulster Senior Football Championship celebrated its 125th year in 2013.

For many decades, winning the Ulster Senior Football Championship was considered as much as a team from Ulster could hope for, as the other provinces were usually much stronger and more competitive.

Before 1990, only Cavan in 1933, 1935, 1947, 1948 and 1952, and Down in 1960, 1961 and 1968, had won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title. In the 1990s however, a significant sea change took place, as the Ulster Champions won the All-Ireland in four consecutive years from 1991 to 1994. Since then Ulster has produced more All-Ireland winning teams than any other province.

Currently the Ulster Senior Football Championship is considered one of the toughest provinces to compete in. Ulster teams have gained considerable dominance on the All-Ireland scene, having won three All-Irelands from four in the early 2000s, including in 2003 when for the first time ever, the All-Ireland football final was competed for by two teams from one province.

The Ulster football final is normally played on the third Sunday in July, usually at St Tiernach's Park in Clones. From 2004 until 2006, it was staged at Croke Park in Dublin. The 2007 final—contested by Monaghan and Tyrone—marked a return to Clones, with Tyrone emerging victorious. The Athletic Grounds in Armagh hosted the 2020 final, as the fixture was played behind closed doors due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games. The final was last played in Belfast in 1971.

In the 2000s, Armagh were a dominant force in Ulster, winning six titles in eight years between 1999 and 2006. Donegal won consecutive Ulster titles from the preliminary round in 2011 and 2012 (a feat achieved by no other county) and added the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 2012.

The 2019 final had the highest score for the winning team in the final (Donegal that year) since 1933 when Cavan won, and the second highest score ever. It also had the highest Ulster final score for the losing team ever (Cavan on this occasion).

Format

Overview 
The Ulster Championship is a single elimination tournament. Each team is afforded only one defeat before being eliminated from the championship. Pairings for matches are drawn at random and there is currently no seeding. Each match is played as a single leg. If a match is drawn there is a period of extra time, however, if both sides are still level at the end of extra time a replay takes place and so on until a winner is found.

Qualification for subsequent competitions 

 The winners and runners-up of the championship qualify to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship group stage. The remaining seven Ulster teams may also qualify to the all-Ireland group stage via the National Football League. Those who fail to do so qualify to the Tailteann Cup.
 Note: Before the introduction of the qualifiers in 2001, the winners of the Ulster Championship went straight to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland Championship, along with the winners of the Leinster, Munster and Connacht Championships.

Progression

Teams

The Ulster championship is contested by the nine traditional counties in the Irish province of Ulster. The province comprises the six counties of Northern Ireland plus the counties of Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. It is the only provincial championship involving mostly teams from the UK.

2024 Championship 
Nine counties will compete in the 2024 Ulster Senior Football Championship:

Personnel and kits

Venues

Stadia and locations

Managers

Managers in the Ulster Championship are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and sourcing of players from the club championships. Their influence varies from county-to-county and is related to the individual county boards. From 2018, all inter-county head coaches must be Award 2 qualified. The manager is assisted by a team of two or three selectors and an extensive backroom team consisting of various coaches. Prior to the development of the concept of a manager in the 1970s, teams were usually managed by a team of selectors with one member acting as chairman.

Broadcasters
 In the late 1990s, matches were broadcast in Northern Ireland by UTV before moving to BBC Northern Ireland.

List of finals

Notes
 2020 No crowd attendance due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games
 1939 Game abandoned – replay ordered
 1907 No official final result in records
 1901-1902 championship was played over two seasons and only counts as one Ulster Title
 1900 Antrim were to have represented Ulster but gave walkover to Galway.
 1892–1900 No championship. Cavan played in Leinster Senior Football Championship in 1895.
 1891 Cavan Slashers, (Cavan) v Armagh Harps, (Armagh) game Abandoned Smithboro Co Monaghan game replayed Cavan 1-11 Armagh 0-00
 1890 Armagh Harps, (Armagh) v Owen Roe O'Neill's (Tyrone) 
 1889 No Ulster championship
 1888 Ulster Senior Football Championship Inniskeen Grattans of (Monaghan) v Maghera MacFinns of (Cavan) game went to a Replay
 1887 No Ulster championship

Roll of honour

 A golden background denotes years in which the Ulster champions or runners-up also won the All-Ireland Championship.

Team records and statistics

Team results 
Legend

  – Champions
  – Runners-up
  – Semi-finals/Quarter-finals/Preliminary round

For each year, the number of teams (in brackets) are shown.

Debut of counties

Team progress since 2001 
Below is a record of each county's performance since the introduction of the qualifier system to the All-Ireland series in 2001. Qualifiers did not occur from 2020-2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games.

Key

By Semi-Final Appearances (Since 2016) 
Bold indicates years reached to final.

Consecutive titles

Septuple 

  Cavan (1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937)
  Cavan (1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945)

Sextuple 

  Antrim (1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913)

Quintuple 

  Cavan (1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926)

Treble 

  Cavan (1903, 1904, 1905)
  Cavan (1918, 1919, 1920)
  Cavan (1947, 1948, 1949)
  Down (1959, 1960, 1961)
  Armagh (2004, 2005, 2006)

Double 

  Antrim (1900, 1901)
  Monaghan (1916, 1917)
  Monaghan (1921, 1922)
  Monaghan (1929, 1930)
  Cavan (1954, 1955)
  Tyrone (1956, 1957)
  Down (1965, 1966)
  Derry (1975, 1976)
  Tyrone (1995, 1996)
  Armagh (1999, 2000)
  Tyrone (2009, 2010)
  Donegal (2011, 2012)
  Tyrone (2016, 2017)
  Donegal (2018, 2019)
  Derry (2022, 2023)

Single 

  Monaghan (1888, 1906, 1914, 1927, 1938, 1979, 1985, 1988, 2013, 2015)
  Cavan (1891, 1915, 1928, 1952, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1997, 2020)
  Armagh (1890, 1902, 1950, 1953, 1977, 1980, 1982, 2002, 2008)
  Tyrone (1973, 1984, 1986, 1989, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2021)
  Down (1963, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1981, 1991, 1994)
  Donegal (1972, 1974, 1983, 1990, 1992, 2014)
  Derry (1958, 1970, 1987, 1993, 1998)
  Antrim (1946, 1951)

By decade 
The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Ulster Senior Football Championship titles, is as follows:

 1880s: 1 for  Monaghan (1888)
 1890s: 1 for  Armagh (1890),  Cavan (1891)
 1900s: 3 for  Antrim (01, 08, 09)
 1910s: 4 for  Antrim (10, 11, 12, 13)
 1920s: 6 for  Cavan (20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28)
 1930s: 8 for  Cavan (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39)
 1940s: 9 for  Cavan (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49)
 1950s: 3 for  Cavan (52, 54, 55)
 1960s: 6 for  Down (60, 61, 63, 65, 66, 68)
 1970s: 3 for  Derry (70, 75, 76)
 1980s: 3 for  Tyrone (84, 86, 89)
 1990s: 2 for  Donegal (90, 92),  Down (91, 94),  Tyrone (95, 96),  Derry (93, 98)
 2000s: 6 for  Armagh (00, 02, 04, 05, 06, 08)
 2010s: 5 for  Donegal (11, 12, 14, 18, 19)
 2020s: 2 for  Derry (22, 23)

Other records

Final success rate 
No counties have appeared in the final, being victorious on all occasions.

On the opposite end of the scale, one county has appeared in the final, losing on each occasion:

  Fermanagh (1914, 1935, 1945, 1982, 2008, 2018)

Winning other trophies 
Although not an officially recognised achievement, a number of teams have achieved the distinction of winning the Ulster championship, the All-Ireland and the National Football League all in the same season.

 2,  Down (1960, 1968)
 1,  Cavan (1948)
 1,  Tyrone (2003)

Gaps 

 Longest gaps between successive Ulster titles:
 48 years:  Armagh (1902-1950)
 41 years:  Monaghan (1938-1979)
 33 years:  Antrim (1913-1946)
 28 years:  Cavan (1969-1997)
 25 years:  Monaghan (1988-2013)
 24 years:  Armagh (1953-1977)
 24 years:  Derry (1998-2022)
 23 years:  Cavan (1997-2020)
 19 years:  Donegal (1992-2011)
 18 years:  Monaghan (1888-1906)
 Longest gaps between successive Ulster finals:
 58 years:  Antrim (1951-2009)
 51 years:  Tyrone (1890-1941)
 37 years:  Fermanagh (1945-1982)
 34 years:  Derry (1921-1955)
 27 years:  Monaghan (1952-1979)
 26 years:  Fermanagh (1982-2008)
 21 years:  Fermanagh (1914-1935)
 20 years:  Antrim (1926-1946)
 19 years:  Monaghan (1988-2007)
 18 years:  Cavan (2001-2019)

Active gaps 

 Longest active gaps since a championship title:
 72 years:  Antrim (1951-)
 29 years:  Down (1994-)
 15 years:  Armagh (2008-)
 8 years:  Monaghan (2015-)
 4 years:  Donegal (2019-)
 3 years:  Cavan (2020-)
 2 years:  Tyrone (2021-)
 Longest active gap since a championship final appearance:
 14 years:  Antrim (2009-)
 6 years:  Down (2017-)
 5 years:  Fermanagh (2018-)
 3 years:  Cavan (2020-)
 2 years:  Monaghan (2021-)
 2 years:  Tyrone (2021-)
 1 year:  Donegal (2022-)

Player records

 On 9 July 2006, Oisín McConville became the record point scorer in the history of the Ulster Senior Football Championship in that year's final at Croke Park.

All-time top Ulster scorers
As of 3 June 2008 according to the BBC. Updated list (2012)

Notes:
Includes Ulster Championship, All-Ireland Championship and Qualifiers.

All-time top Ulster goalscorers
As of 15 June 2008, according to the Sunday Tribune.

Notes:
Includes Ulster Championship, All-Ireland Championship and Qualifiers.
Since the records have been done Brendan Coulter has become the top goal scorer with 18.
Paddy Bradley scored 4 more goals and finished on 17.

Ulster top scorers by year
 2022 Shane McGuigan (Derry) 1-17
 2021 Darren McCurry (Tyrone) 0-22
 2020 Gearóid McKiernan (Cavan) 0-11 & Rian O'Neill (Armagh) 0-11 & Donal O'Hare (Down) 1-8
 2019 Rian O'Neill (Armagh) 0-18
 2018 Paddy McBrearty (Donegal) 0-19
 2017 Conor McManus (Monaghan) 2-13
 2016 Conor McManus (Monaghan) 1-20
 2015 Conor McManus (Monaghan) 1-19
 2014 Conor McManus (Monaghan) 1-14
 2013 Colm McFadden (Donegal) 2-12
 2012 Colm McFadden (Donegal) 2-15
 2011 Martin Clarke (Down) & Seán Cavanagh (Tyrone) 2-16
 2010 Martin Clarke (Down) 1-30
 2009 Paddy Bradley (Derry) 3–12
 2008 Steven McDonnell (Armagh) 1-17
 2007 Tommy Freeman (Monaghan) 1-15
 2006 Oisín McConville (Armagh) 3–25
 2005 Stephen O'Neill (Tyrone) 1–26
 2004 Colm McFadden (Donegal) & Oisín McConville (Armagh) 1–13
 2003 Peter Canavan (Tyrone) 1–38
 2002 Rory Gallagher (Fermanagh) 4–12
 2001 Rory Gallagher (Fermanagh) 0–16
 2000 Rory Gallagher (Fermanagh) 1–19
 1999 Oisín McConville (Armagh) 3–18
 1998 Joe Brolly (Derry) & Tony Boyle (Donegal) 0–13
 1997 Joe Brolly (Derry) 3–15
 1996 Peter Canavan (Tyrone) 3–13
 1995 Peter Canavan (Tyrone) 0–20
 1994 Peter Canavan (Tyrone) 1–17
 1993 John Toner (Armagh) 0–23
 1992 Enda Gormley (Derry) 0–25
 1991 Ross Carr (Down) 0–21
 1990 Manus Boyle (Donegal) 1–16
 1989 Martin McHugh (Donegal) 2–16
 1988 Stephen Conway (Tyrone) 0–17
 1987 Enda Gormley (Derry) 0–20
1986 Brendan Mason (Down) 3–17
1985 Eamonn McEneaney (Monaghan) 3–16
1984 Frank McGuigan (Tyrone) 0–19
1983 Derek McDonnell (Cavan) 4–11
1982 John Corvan (Armagh) & Peter McGinnity (Fermanagh) 1–9
1981 Eamonn McEneaney (Monaghan) & Brendan McGovern (Down) 1–17
1980 Patsy Hetherington (Tyrone) & Patsy Kerlin (Tyrone) 4–3
1979 Kieran Finlay (Monaghan) 1–18
1978 Donal Donohoe (Cavan) 0–12
1977 Brendan Kelly (Derry) 2–10
1976 Steve Duggan (Cavan) 1–22
1975 Willie Walsh (Down) 3–8
1974 Seamus Bonner (Donegal) 6–4
1973 Patsy Hetherington (Tyrone) 0–17
1972 Joe Winston (Donegal) 0–26
1971 Sean O'Connell (Derry) 1–18
1970 Andy McCallin (Antrim) 3–15
1969 Sean Woods (Monaghan) & Gene Cusack (Cavan) 3–7
1968 Paddy Doherty (Down) 1–17
1967 Charlie Gallagher (Cavan) 0-*19
1966 PT Treacy (Fermanagh) 4–13
1965 Charlie Gallagher (Cavan) 2–29
1964 Charlie Gallagher (Cavan) 0-*19
1963 Harry Laverty (Donegal) 2–10
1962 Seamus McMahon (Cavan) & Frankie Donnelly (Tyrone) 0–11
1961 Paddy Doherty (Down) 1–16
1960 Con Smith (Cavan) 1–17
1959 Paddy Doherty (Down) 1–17
1958 Paddy Doherty (Down) 3–14
1957 Frankie Donnelly (Tyrone) 1–14
1956 Frankie Donnelly (Tyrone) & Victor Sherlock (Cavan) 2–7
1955 Peter Donohoe (Cavan) 0–14
1954 Brian Gallagher (Cavan) 0–14
1953 Art O'Hagan (Armagh) 3-04
1952 John Joe Cassidy (Cavan) 1-07
1951 Joe McCallin (Antrim) 3–14
1950 Peter Donohoe (Cavan) 3–18
1949 Peter Donohoe (Cavan) 4–10
1948 Peter Donohoe (Cavan) 3–12

* Scores only include Ulster Championship. All-Ireland Championship and Qualifiers are not included.

See also
 Ulster Senior Football Championship records and statistics
 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
 Connacht Senior Football Championship
 Leinster Senior Football Championship
 Munster Senior Football Championship

Notes

References

External links

 "Anglo Celt Cup winners". BBC. 2009.
 Do you remember the last Ulster SFC final before the back door arrived?

 
1888 establishments in Ireland
Recurring sporting events established in 1888
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