This weekend, club footballers across Ireland will chase the title that has eluded them for decades, from Truagh Gaels in Monaghan to St Brigid's in Antrim and Killeavy in Armagh, according to RTE.ie. Sunday's deciders bring a string of clubs to within seventy minutes of a first county senior crown, or a first in living memory.
It is the kind of weekend that reminds you what the club game is for. Not the money, not the exposure, but the parish that has waited a lifetime and the players who grew up kicking a ball against the gable wall until the light went. Mayo's All-Ireland win over Kerry in July, and Croke Park shaking to the Saw Doctors' 'To Win Just Once', set the tone for a year in which the underdog has had his day. Now the clubs want their turn.
Truagh Gaels face Scotstown for a first Monaghan title
Truagh Gaels meet Scotstown in Sunday's Monaghan senior final in Clones, chasing the first senior title in the club's history. Three previous finals brought three defeats: in 2000 and 2001 against Castleblayney, and in 2021, again against Scotstown, when Conor McCarthy's additional-time goal settled the outcome.
The Gaels know what it is to win at Croke Park. They lifted the All-Ireland intermediate title in 2014, beating Mayo's Kiltane, whose corner-forward that day was a young Tommy 'Goals' Conroy. Eleven clubs have won that trophy since. Only two of them, Westport in Mayo in 2022 and Rathmore in Kerry last month, have converted intermediate success into a senior county title.
Joint-manager Mark Counihan, who scored 1-01 at Croke Park in that 2014 final, told RTÉ Sport that breaking through is the hardest thing a club can attempt.
“Until you win your first one, it's a hard journey, a really hard journey,” he said. “We've been to three county finals where we've tried to carve out history and carve out tradition, and that's the hardest thing to do.”
“The reward for doing it is second to none, it'll be the greatest feeling that any club can experience.”
Counihan's first team meeting with the players last November began with a story about those Monday morning radio reports from county final weekends around the country, and the question every club that has never won one asks itself: when is it going to be our turn?
A midfield general with three medals already
Midfielder Darren O'Neill is the one Truagh man who knows the feeling. The Ennis native won three Clare senior titles with Éire Óg and represented his county, his penultimate appearance a 2023 All-Ireland round-robin defeat to Monaghan, when he went toe-to-toe with his future clubmate Gary Mohan.
“He's a great addition to the team, the club and the parish,” Counihan said of his midfielder. “A very level-headed guy, loads of experience winning county titles and he brings a lot of the younger players along with him.”
Killeavy's 78-year wait and a family reunion in Armagh
In Armagh, Killeavy contest their first senior final since 1988, chasing a first title since 1948. Their opponents are Crossmaglen, aiming for a first crown since 2023, and the tie carries a family thread that runs through four decades.
Gareth O'Neill starred in that 1988 final loss to Pearse Óg. On Sunday his sons Oisín, Rian and Aaron line out for Crossmaglen, hoping to extend Killeavy's wait by another year.
Adrian Mallon, a corner-back in 1988 and Armagh Division 1 player of the year that season at just 20, has a son, Kyle, in Killeavy's defence now. He remembers the years after that final, when the club was knocked out in the first round six seasons running.
“All you ever want is a county final and if the boys get it done, it'll feel like it's for everyone,” Mallon said.
“I coached a lot of these players at underage and I remember Armagh minors played Donegal in an Ulster final a while back and there were six of the Killeavy team away on the bus. They've just kept at it and kept at it and hopefully they get their rewards.”
Firsts and long waits across the island
The hunger for a first title runs well beyond Monaghan and Armagh. In Antrim's final, billed locally as the 'Belfastico', St Brigid's chase a first senior crown while Rossa hope to end a 35-year wait for the Pádraig MacNamee Cup.
In Louth, St Mochta's, champions last in 1914, face Newtown Blues. In Meath, Donaghmore-Ashbourne seek a first title since 1942, when K Delaney's second-half goal clinched the final against Skryne. In Dublin, Castleknock, who have climbed from the tenth tier since 1998, meet Cuala with one title between them.
Tyrone offers its own story. Edendork, with county goalkeeper Niall Morgan at the hub, chase a first O'Neill Cup in a year when the back-to-back jinx held, Errigal Ciarán having ended holders Loughmacrory's hopes. Carrickmore in 2005 remain the last Tyrone side to retain the title.
Why the club final matters more than ever
There is something in these weekends that the intercounty game cannot buy. A teacher, Mark Counihan, stands on the line in Clones while his principal at St McCartan's, David McCague, manages the Scotstown team against him. Seven of the 2026 Truagh panel, among them Paudie McKenna, Rory Treanor and Eoghan Kelly, climbed the Hogan Stand steps as winners in 2014. Two more from that side, Damian McRory and Jeremy Treanor, now work on the backroom staff.
“At that stage, if you were to tell me we wouldn't get back to another senior county final in my playing career I wouldn't have believed you,” Counihan said of the years after 2001.
“A lot of good players passed through and didn't have that opportunity.”
FAQ
When is the Monaghan senior football final?
The 2026 Monaghan senior final between Truagh Gaels and Scotstown takes place on Sunday in Clones.
Has Truagh Gaels ever won the Monaghan senior title?
No. Truagh Gaels have lost three previous finals, in 2000, 2001 and 2021, all against either Castleblayney or Scotstown.
How long has Killeavy waited for an Armagh title?
Killeavy last won the Armagh senior football championship in 1948 and last reached the final in 1988.
Which clubs are chasing a first county title this weekend?
Truagh Gaels in Monaghan, St Brigid's in Antrim, Edendork in Tyrone and Castleknock in Dublin are among the clubs seeking a first senior crown.