Allianz Football League: How Ulster counties are shaping up for 2025 season
manager: Malachi O’Rourke (Season 1)
last year: Fifth place in the first group
first: Derry (H), Armagh (A), Mayo (H), Kerry (H), Galway (A), Donegal (A), Dublin (H)
Following a surprising All-Ireland success in 2021, Red Hands supporters will be confident that “things can only get better” this year after three relatively poor campaigns.
County Tyrone’s success comes with the appointment of Malachy O’Rourke, another former member of the Football Review Committee, as head coach and the county’s second consecutive All-Ireland Under-20 victory. Expectations are rising again.
The era of Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan came to a dismal end last summer as Roscommon beat the champions for the first time in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals.
O’Rourke is likely to miss Saturday’s blockbuster opener against Derry, with the likes of Peter Hart, Joe Oguz, Cormac Quinn, Derry Raghu and Ruairi Canavan.
Instead, it will be led by the likes of Neil Morgan, Darren McCurry and evergreen Mattie Donnelly.
A new generation of players is also likely to come into their own, including highly-rated forward Eoin McElholm, who will remain despite interest from AFL clubs At Tyrone White and Red.
