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The remaining five quarter-finalists in the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship title race will be decided tomorrow Saturday 20 June with Armagh taking on Waterford at the Box It Athletic Grounds. If Armagh win they will top the table and play a home advantage quarter final.
Group 1 Round 3 - Armagh v Waterford; BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 3pm – Live on TG4
Waterford manager Tomás Mac a t'Saoir faces a tough battle getting his side geared for this one after their heartbreaking loss to Cork last weekend. They looked set for victory and a place in the quarter-finals when they led by five points with seven minutes remaining but got caught by a late surge by the Leesiders.
Waterford played some great football in that game, deservedly leading by 1-8 to 0-4 at the break, but Cork kept their season alive for another week at least with their dramatic straight scoring burst.
Armagh, too, were impressive against Cork but an Aimee Mackin hat-trick ensured they wrapped up the win in an impressive 4-10 to 1-9 scoreline.
They know a win or draw will ensure a home quarter-final but only a win will suffice for Waterford and even then score difference will come into play.
Both managers have elected to send the same starting fifteen into battle in a game which will be closely watched on Leeside.
ARMAGH: B Mathers, A Donnelly, C McCambridge, C Towe; E Druse, L McConville (capt.), G Ferguson; B Mackin, C O'Reilly; L Marsden, A McCoy, C Marley; A Mackin, C O'Hanlon, K Mallon.
WATERFORD: K Gardner; C Murray, L Mulcahy, R Casey; L Cusack, K McGrath, R Browne; E Power, A O’Neill; B McMaugh, K Hogan, K Murray (capt.); M Daly, C Walsh, L McGregor.
Champions Dublin and last year’s beaten semi-finalsts Galway and Kerry have already secured home quarter-final draws and their opponents will be decided on Saturday.
The race to make the last eight is straightforward in three of the groups with Donegal playing Mayo, Tyrone taking on Meath and Tipperary hosting Kildare in what are all straight shootouts with the winners advancing to the quarter-finals and the season ending for the vanquished.
It’s a lot more complicated in Group 1 where any two from Armagh, Cork and Waterford can still go through. Cork can’t control their own fate as Armagh host Waterford at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds in the final game in the group.
A win for Armagh and they top the table and gain a home quarter-final, with Cork going through in second.
A draw and it's Armagh topping the group and Cork going through in second.
A Waterford win will leave all three teams locked together on three points. In that instance, score difference will come into play. Armagh are currently on +10, Cork are on -9 and Waterford are on -1.
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Armagh held off a late Waterford rally to book a home quarter-final in the race for the Brendan Martin Cup after a thrilling encounter at BOX-IT Athletic Grounds.
Waterford, caught at the death by Cork last weekend, almost snatched a draw in the final play of this TG4 All-Ireland Group 1 clash but a free from Chloe Fennell was tipped off the crossbar by Niamh Reel and Lauren McConville and Armagh survived.
Armagh led by 2-13 to 0-12 with nine minutes remaining but Waterford fought back bravely having been down to 13 players at one stage during the second half after picking up a couple of yellow cards.
Armagh led by 2-7 to 0-8 at the end of an exciting opening half which began with a flurry of scores as Aine O’Neill and Kellyann Hogan landed two-pointers for Waterford in the opening four minutes either side of a goal from Lara Marsden after a Kelly Mallon free dropped short.
Points from captain McConville, Mallon and Blaithin Mackin pushed Armagh 1-3 to 0-4 in front after nine minutes.
But Waterford hit back with two points from Bríd McMaugh and one from Maeve Daly to edge them 0-7 to 1-3 in front at the end of the opening quarter.
Aoife McCoy got in for Armagh’s second goal after a good passing movement after 16 minutes, while at the other end goalkeeper Brianna Mathers did superbly to block an effort from Clare Walsh.
Armagh outscored Waterford by 0-4 to 0-1 in the closing eleven minutes of the half to lead by five at the interval.
Hogan kicked three points for Waterford after the restart but Armagh remained in front as Aimee Mackin and McCoy found the range. They extended that lead to seven points with nine minutes remaining but Waterford hit back with points from Katie Murray and Lauren McGregor before Maeve Daly blasted to the net after being set up by McGregor.
That left two points between the sides and Chloe Fennell cut that to the minimum when she pointed a free.
Caroline O’Hanlon hit back with a couple of points but Waterford almost snatched a draw only to be denied by the woodwork.
They will now go into the relegation while Cork advance to the last eight as runners-up in the group.
Final score Armagh 2-15 Waterford 1-15
Scorers: Armagh: A McCoy 1-1, K Mallon 0-4 (2f), C O’Hanlon 0-3, L Marsden 1-0, A Mackin 0-3 (2f), L McConville 0-1, B Mackin 0-1, E Druse 0-1, C Henderson 0-1.
Waterford: K Hogan (0-5, 2f), M Daly 1-1, A O’Neill 0-3, B McMaugh 0-2, K Murray 0-2, L McGregor 0-1, C Fennell 0-1f.
Teams
ARMAGH: B Mathers; A Donnelly, C McCambridge, C Towe; E Druse, L McConville (capt.), G Ferguson; B Mackin, C O'Reilly; L Marsden, A McCoy, C Marley; A Mackin, C O'Hanlon, K Mallon. Subs: C Henderson for O’Reilly (37), C McNally for Marley (44), N Reel for Mallon (53),E Melanophy for Marsden (56), M Ferguson for Donnelly (59).
WATERFORD: K Gardner; C Murray, L Mulcahy, R Casey; L Cusack, K McGrath, R Browne; E Power, A O’Neill; B McMaugh, K Hogan, K Murray (capt.); M Daly, C Walsh, L McGregor. Subs: C Fennell for McMaugh (44), J Queally for Walsh (44), C Power for Cusack (52),
Referee: Gavin Finnegan (Down).
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Armagh manager Gregory McGonigle said they hope to make home advantage count when they take on Kildare in the quarter-finals of the TG4 All-Ireland senior championship.
Dublin, Kerry and Galway had already secured home quarter-finals before this weekend’s action and Armagh also booked home advantage when they held off a spirited late rally from Waterford to emerge 2-15 to 1-15 victors after an exciting clash where Chloe Fennell’s last gasp free which would have forced a draw was deflected off the crossbar.
“We'll take a home advantage, of course it is better than having to travel,” said McGonigle. “With the new rules going, it has changed the pace of the game that it has pushed on as well.
“We knew coming into this group, it was going to be a very hard group and coming away with two wins, you'd have to be delighted.”
Kildare came out on top in their shootout with Tipperary to advance to the last eight with Mayah Doyle’s goal helping them to a 1-13 to 0-9 victory.
“Overall it was a great performance and we are now going to give this quarter-final everything,” said Kildare manager Pat Sullivan.
“A key part was our players taking their chances with a high conversion rate that you need against a blanket defence.”
Games
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-finals – to be played over the weekend of July 4th/5th. (The team named first has home advantage.)
Dublin v Cork
Galway v Mayo
Kerry v Meath
Armagh v Kildare
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-finals on Saturday, 18th July 2026
Dublin/Cork v Kerry/Meath
Galway/Mayo v Armagh/Kildare
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship relegation qualifiers to be played on Saturday, 4th July.
Waterford v Donegal
Tipperary v Tyrone
The losers of the above two fixtures will then play in the relegation play-off on Saturday, 11th July.
Results
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship
Group 1: Armagh 2-15 Waterford 1-15
Group 2: Kildare 1-13 Tipperary 0-9
Group 3: Mayo 1-15 Donegal 2-6
Group 4: Meath 1-12 Tyrone 1-10
TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship
Group A: Derry 7-26 Kilkenny 0-2
Antrim 6-20 Longford 1-7
Group B: Carlow 5-18 London 1-7
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A conversation on sport and reconciliation will be held in Newry tonight 24 June as part of UN Peacebuilding Week. The event, hosted by the John and Pat Hume Foundation and Orla Mallon, daughter of the late Seamus Mallon MP, takes place at the Canal Court Hotel at 7pm with tea and coffee from 6.30pm.
If you would like to go along to this free event you can confirm your attendance at humefoundation.org
GAA President Jarlath Burns will deliver the keynote address on sport and reconciliation. Burns, who became the 41st President of the GAA on 24 February 2024, is a member of Silverbridge GAC and was Principal of St Paul's in Bessbrook until he was appointed as GAA President.
His address will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Portaferry middle distance runner and European Athletics Championship gold medallist Ciara Mageean, Aoife Redmond of the Peace Players, and Adam Doake from the Limestone Utd Project.
Tim Attwood, Secretary of the Hume Foundation, said the Shared Home Place conversations recognise the work of Seamus Mallon, former Deputy First Minister, who sought the genuine reconciliation of conflicting traditions using only peaceful means. Attwood said Mallon's desire was to build a warm, generous and inclusive shared homeplace on the island, and that Mallon, a passionate GAA player for Armagh and keen golfer, recognised that sport can be a medium for building better relationships between communities.
Attwood said the panel conversation would explore how sport can be a way to foster a culture of peace and tolerance within communities.
He added that the event forms part of UN Peacebuilding Week, which provides a dedicated platform to advance dialogue, share experiences and strengthen partnerships within the peacebuilding community. Attwood said the United Nations has recognised the potential of sport as a valuable tool in achieving peace and development, and that sport can foster discipline, fairness, inclusion, mutual respect and peaceful encounter between cultures and communities.
Mageean, originally from a small GAA club in Portaferry, Co Down, is a European 1500m Champion and two-time Olympian, and is a qualified physiotherapist and lifelong camogie enthusiast.
Redmond began her work with PeacePlayers Northern Ireland in 2017 as part of a university placement. She holds a BA (Hons) in Youth and Community Work and has worked in youth work settings throughout Northern Ireland since 2013. Originally from Dublin, she has continued to champion the role of team sports in bringing people together.
Doake, who plays for Brantwood, has been involved with the Limestone United community project, which provides sport in the interface area of North Belfast.
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Newry City AFC has a new Club Chairman after Gary Wilson was confirmed in the role at the club's Annual General Meeting last Thursday night, 26 June. He takes over from Darren Mullen, who is stepping down after 13 months as Chair.
Wilson previously served as Vice-Chairman for a number of years and has also held the position of Commercial Manager at the club. He will now lead Newry City for the foreseeable future.
"It's a huge privilege to be named as Chairman of the club," he said. "Newry City is in my blood and, having served as Vice-Chairman for a number of years, it's key to continue to build on the fantastic work done by Darren, Martin McLoughlin before him and the Committee."
Wilson paid tribute to his predecessor, thanking Mullen for the diligence, professionalism and leadership he showed both as Chair over the past year and during his time as First Team Manager. "He leaves an amazing legacy and his status as a club legend is secure," Wilson added.
Looking ahead to the 2026/27 season, Wilson said it was important that everyone at the club moved forward together. "Let's build on the momentum Stuart and his team have created on the pitch and the Committee, staff, coaches and supporters have created off it," he said. He also thanked the club's sponsors for their continued backing, saying he looked forward to maintaining and adding to those relationships, and praised supporters as the backbone of the club, saying "let's look forward together and keep backing the club on and off the pitch."
Outgoing Chairman Darren Mullen thanked everyone at the club as he prepared to step down. "Being Chairman of Newry City AFC was never a role I envisaged having, but it's one I have thrown myself into over the past year," he said. He noted that the club had returned to the Championship after a successful year on the pitch, and that the committee had ensured the club was run in the right manner off the pitch.
Mullen said a combination of work commitments and a desire to return to coaching had led to his decision to step down, adding that he felt it was the right time for someone else to take on the role. He wished Wilson well in his new position and thanked the committee, fans and sponsors for their support over the past year, as well as wishing Stuart, his coaching staff and the players the best of luck for the season ahead.
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Newry City AFC have confirmed that Fiveways Supermarket will remain as the club's main shirt sponsors for a further two years. The Armagh Road business first came on board at the start of the 2025/26 season.
New Newry City AFC Chairman Gary Wilson said the support shown by Fiveways over the past 12 months had been greatly valued. "The support from Fiveways in the last 12 months has been fantastic and the backing from Colm and his team is second to none," he said. "Sponsors like Fiveways are hugely important and we're delighted to continue the partnership with one of the largest and most reputable businesses in the area."
Fiveways owner Colm Meehan said the club's promotion back to the Championship had made for a memorable first season as sponsor. "We're delighted to extend the partnership with the club," he said. "Last season was a hugely successful one for Newry City, which saw them earn promotion back to the Championship. We look forward to supporting the club over the next two years and building on what has been a great relationship to date."
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Armagh booked their spot in the last four of the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship, as they scored a 3-9 to 1-12 win over Kildare in an entertaining encounter at the Box-It Athletic Grounds.
It was the visitors who started the better, as Kildare hit four of the opening five points. Aoife Rattigan got two of those, with Nanci Murray and Alannah Prizeman also getting the scoreboard, while Aimee Mackin opened Armagh's account.
Emily Druse and Kelly Mallon (free) grabbed the next two scores of the game, but Kildare led 0-5 to 0-4 after 25 minutes after Rattigan and Mallon traded frees.
However, two overturned kick-outs in the space of 30 seconds turned the game on its head. The first was punished by a Blaithin Mackin point, and for the second, she set up her sister Aimee to find the back of the Lilywhites net.
Moments later, Aimee Mackin raised another green flag after a one-two with Mallon, and on this occasion the Shane O'Neill's woman rifled her shot into the top corner of the net superbly.
Rattigan closed the first half's scoring, but it was Armagh who led 2-5 to 0-6 at the break.
Kildare's Mayah Doyle and Armagh's Aimee Mackin (free) exchanged the first two points of the first half, but Kildare kept chipping away, with Lara Curran on target.
Traded points between Aimee Mackin and Prizeman had Armagh four points up heading into the last quarter, before a third Orchard goal on 48 minutes looked to have put the game out of reach for Kildare. A shot from Aimee Mackin dropped short but Mallon read it well and punched the ball into the back of the net.
Prizeman had other ideas though, and she fired home into the bottom corner to pull her side back into contention. Kildare then had another goal chance when Molly Aspell got in behind the defence, but she fired wide.
A Lisa Shaw point made it a one-score game late on, but Armagh finished well with scores from Roisin Mulligan and Caroline O'Hanlon to see them over the line. Late scores from Abaigh Cahill and Ruth Sargent for Kildare were mere consolations.
Final score Armagh 3-9 Kildare 1-12
Scorers – Armagh: A Mackin 2-3 (2f), K Mallon 1-2 (2f), E Druse 0-1, B Mackin 0-1, R Mulligan 0-1, C O'Hanlon 0-1.
Kildare: A Prizeman 1-2, A Rattigan 0-4 (2f), N Murphy 0-1, M Doyle 0-1, L Curran 0-1, L Shaw 0-1, A Cahill 0-1, R Sargent 0-1.
ARMAGH: B Mathers; A Donnelly, C McCambridge, C Towe; E Druse, L McConville (capt.), G Ferguson; B Mackin, C O'Reilly; L Marsden, A McCoy, C Marley; A Mackin, C O'Hanlon, K Mallon. Subs: C Henderson for O'Reilly (37), R Mulligan for McCoy (49), C McNally for Marsden (52), N Reel for Mallon (57), M Ferguson for Donnelly (59).
KILDARE: C Nallen; L Reilly, M Doherty, L Shaw; H McLoughlin, R Sargent, L Lenehan (capt.); N Murphy, G Wheeler; L Curran, J Harney, M Aspell; A Rattigan, M Doyle, A Prizeman. Subs: A Murnane for G Wheeler (38), C Moran for Harney (42), A Cahill for Curran (48), E Wheeler for L Reilly (56), A Irhue for Shaw (57).
Referee: Anthony Marron (Monaghan).
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Newry City AFC have announced the signing of Andrew Hoey. The 29-year-old midfielder joins from Dundela and brings a wealth of experience from spells at Loughgall, Glenavon and Armagh City, having played in both the Premiership and Championship.
Hoey becomes the club's fifth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Ryan Swan, Caolan Marron, Lorcan Forde and Pablo Andrade.
Manager Stuart King said he was pleased to finally get his man. "Andy is someone that I've tried to sign previously in the Premiership and I'm delighted to have got him this time," King said. "He's a creative player who will provide assists and score goals from midfield. Andy will improve us. He's a talented lad and I look forward to working with him and getting him back to his best."
Hoey said he was looking forward to pulling on the Newry shirt after experiencing the club's support from the opposite side. "When I first spoke to Stuarty, he told me about how much of a family club Newry is. I can't wait to get in, meet all the lads and get going," Hoey said. "I know from playing against Newry, the support has always been unbelievable and hopefully I'll get that backing from them when I pull on the shirt. I can't wait to get started for the new season and hopefully have a successful season."
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Rathfriland Motor Club officially kick-started the 2026 R Kings Down Rally at The Boulevard, Banbridge.
The rally will be both the Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Rally Championship and the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship, plenty of local action will once again unfold on the County Down stages.
The shopping outlet will also host the Friday night Fan Zone on August 21st, where the general public can get a close-up look at the cars and drivers before the R Kings Down Rally gets underway for real on Saturday morning.
The Fan Zone will open at 7:30pm and run until 9:00pm, giving visitors two full hours to explore the display of rally cars, meet the drivers, take photos, and soak up the atmosphere.
This free, family-friendly event promises a buzzing evening of rally excitement, with fans, teams, and locals coming together to celebrate the sport.
Local rally competitors Stuart Biggerstaff, John Gordon, Niall Braniff, Jonny McKay, and Josh Douglas were on hand at the launch and they all will be hoping to be part of the weekend's highly anticipated line-up. Donna McElherron was also present with her Austin Mini.
In addition, Joshua Baird displayed his Peugeot 106 thanks to the generosity of the rally community after his previous Vauxhall Corsa was badly damaged in a fire at last year's event.
More than 100 cars are expected to arrive at the service park, with competitors from across the UK and Ireland competing in both the Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Rally Championship and the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship.
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