With county final season up and running, we take a look at who is contending in every senior championship across the country

Antrim

A couple of the old reliables are still standing, with Dunloy and Cushendall meeting in the final for the fifth time in 10 seasons. Dunloy won their semi-final by 30 points over Glenariffe last weekend and had six points to spare over Cushendall when they met in the group stage in August. That said, Cushendall won the last final meeting between this pair in 2024.

Final: Dunloy v Cushendall, October 25th

Carlow

Mount Leinster Rangers rattled off their second Carlow title in a row – and their fifth since the start of the decade – with a 3-16 to 1-18 win over old rivals St Mullin’s in late September. They were far and away the best team in the competition throughout, sailing through the group stage with a 100 per cent record. They will play the Dublin champions in Leinster.

Champions: Mount Leinster Rangers

Clare

It was a long time coming but Inagh-Kilnamona finally won the Clare championship last weekend. Kilnamona won their last as a club in 1908 and this is the first since the amalgamation with Inagh in 2008. Backboned by David Fitzgerald and Aidan McCarthy, they’ll play the Cork champions in Munster.

Champions: Inagh-Kilnamona

Cork

For such a famous old rivalry, this will be the first meeting of the Glen and the Barrs in a Cork final since 1981. Back then, they were in the midst of a stretch where one or other of them (or both) featured in 15 finals in a row but these are different times. The Barrs last won it in 2022, whereas the Glen have lost their last three finals and haven’t picked up a senior title since 2016.

Final: Glen Rovers v St Finbarrs, October 18th

Derry

Slaughtneil made it 14 Derry titles in a row with a three-point win over Dungiven Kevin Lynch’s in mid-September. It was their closest call in a Derry final since 2012 against the same opposition, owing much to a first-half red card for veteran dual star Brendan Rogers. They proceed directly to the Ulster final at the end of November.

Champions: Slaughtneil

Down

Portaferry are chasing their first-ever five-in-a-row in Down and will be well fancied against a Ballygalget side whom they’ve beaten not just in the past two finals but also in the group stage last month. For their part Ballygalget haven’t won the county since 2017, making this their longest stretch without a title since their first one away back in 1959.

Final: Portaferry v Ballygalget, October 18th

Dublin

With Na Fianna’s three-year hold over the Dublin championship ending last weekend, it falls to the two clubs who monopolised the titles immediately before them to fight this year’s one out. A southside battle between Kilmacud Crokes and Cuala beckons on Sunday week, with Crokes overcoming the luckless Lucan by a single point last Sunday.

Final: Cuala v Kilmacud Crokes, October 25th

Galway

Still at the semi-final stage, with favourites Loughrea on the hunt for their first-ever three-in-a-row. There’s a couple of wild cards still in the mix – Tommy Larkin’s have only ever been to one final (winning it in 1971) and Craughwell haven’t won Galway in 96 years. Clarinbridge make up the quartet, 16 years on from their own last title.

Semi-finals: Clarinbridge v Tommy Larkin’s; Loughrea v Craughwell (both October 18th)

Kildare

Naas have won the past seven Kildare titles in a row and their average margin of victory in this year’s championship is a shade under 40 (yes, 40) points. Maynooth have been their victims in three of the last four finals and though they’d have a decent championship themselves (average winning margin: 13 points), they’ll be huge underdogs in the final.

Final: Maynooth v Naas, October 25th

Kilkenny

Tullaroan have been in the doldrums for far too long. They won their last county title in 1994 but still sat proudly on top of the Kilkenny roll of honour until Ballyhale passed them last year. Now’s their chance to go back level with Shamrocks, for whom TJ Reid, Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody are all fit and firing.

Final: Tullaroan v Ballyhale Shamrocks, October 25th

Laois

A first Laois final since 1998 is The Harps’ reward for an epic semi-final win over much-fancied Clough-Ballacolla. They got there thanks to an injury-time goal from wing back Eoghan Murphy and now face perennial contenders Camross in Sunday’s decider. When these sides met in July, Camross came out on top in a game that had 54 scores, including seven goals. Could be a thriller in store.

Final: Camross v The Harps, October 18th

Limerick

The Limerick championship opened on July 30th with a game in the Gaelic Grounds between Na Piarsaigh and Kilmallock and that’s how it will end. Kilmallock had a single point to spare that night, which is as close as anyone has got to them since. Na Piarsaigh are looking to make it four titles in five years, while Kilmallock last won it in 2021.

Final: Kilmallock v Na Piarsaigh, October 25th

Offaly

Ballinamere have never won the Offaly championship and have only ever been to two finals. Kilcormac-Killoughey have been in 12 of them since 2007 and are chasing the first four-in-a-row in the county since late-stage Birr in the 2000s. The champions got a big boost when Adam Screeney returned for the semi-final after shoulder surgery.

Final: Kilcormac-Killoughey v Ballinamere, October 18th

Tipperary

Conor Stakelum might have had his tongue slightly in his cheek when he aped his uncle Richie in declaring the famine was over last Sunday. Or maybe not – Thurles Sars had gone nine seasons without a Tipp title, which maybe counts as a famine around Semple Stadium. They have only ever won Munster once, back in 2012. They go straight into a semi-final where they’ll meet either the Cork champions or Inagh-Kilnamona.

Champions: Thurles Sarsfields

Waterford

Ballygunner carried off their 13th Waterford title in a row last month but it was their closest call yet, with Fourmilewater scaring the life out of them in their first-ever final. The Gunners were a point down with a minute left but an injury-time goal from sub Mark Hartley saw them out the gap. They’ll play the winners of the Limerick final in mid-November.

Champions: Ballygunner

Wexford

Rathnure’s place on top of the Wexford roll of honour is secure for a while yet, even though it’s 20 years since their last title. After a spell in the wilderness, they made it back to last year’s final but couldn’t get past St Martin’s. They are favourites against Shelmaliers, who are chasing their third-ever title.

Final: Rathnure v Shelmaliers, October 25th