County-by-county guide to 2023 Ulster Championship

Derry aim to successfully defend the Ulster title for the first time since 1976

With the dust having barely settled on the league, the championship is already upon us.

This season is different, of course. The destination of the Anglo-Celt Cup will be decided on 14 May, a week before the start of the new-look, round-robin stages of the All-Ireland series.

Under the new structure, this year's Ulster champions would be one of the four top seeds in the Sam Maguire group stages, while the beaten finalists would be second seeds. Tyrone, Monaghan and Derry are already guaranteed a place in the Sam Maguire round-robin based on their league ranking.

BBC Sport NI looks at how the nine Ulster counties are shaping up ahead of the start of the provincial campaign.

• Football and hurling championship fixtures

Antrim

Manager: Andy McEntee (first season)

Captain: Peter Healy

Last Ulster title: 1951

Without a single win in the Ulster Championship since 2014, Antrim are coming off the back of a difficult Division Three campaign in which they lost five of their seven games including a 31-point hammering in Westmeath.

However, they did heal their championship scars from last season with victory over Cavan, while the losses to Down and Fermanagh were each by a single point having surrendered leads in both games.

Antrim did not give the best account of themselves in Ulster last year, falling to a heavy 13-point reverse at home to Cavan. They also fell at the first Tailteann Cup hurdle, losing to Leitrim.

Still a work-in-progress under Andy McEntee, they have been without stalwarts like Tomas and Michael McCann in 2023, but the likes of Declan Lynch, Marc Jordan and James McAuley give Antrim plenty of experience in defence with Odhran Eastwood, Patrick McBride and Pat Shivers capable of ticking off the scores at the other end.

Lamh Dhearg's Ryan Murray - who played in the 2014 win over Fermanagh - missed most of the league through injury but is expected to be fit to face Armagh in Saturday's prelim.

• Lynch says Antrim have belief for Armagh game

Armagh

Manager: Kieran McGeeney (ninth season)

Co-captains: Aidan Nugent and Rian O'Neill

Last Ulster title: 2008

Antrim's opponents in Saturday's curtain-raiser, Armagh are in a similar boat to the Saffrons in that they, too, endured a disappointing league campaign and are out to extinguish the pain of last year's provincial disappointment.

While Armagh impressed in Division One last year, they dropped out of the top tier with defeat by Tyrone last month. In 2022, the Orchardmen were no match for Donegal in the Ulster quarter-final but bounced back to reach the All-Ireland quarter-finals through the backdoor.

Conor Turbitt could be key for Armagh if Rian O'Neill is unable to regain his fitness

Key to last year's run was Rian O'Neill, but while the dynamic Crossmaglen attacker is expected to miss the Antrim game after injuring his quad, Armagh are hoping he will regain his fitness in time.

Even with O'Neill out, Kieran McGeeney has a considerable pool of attacking talent available to him including Clann Eireann's Conor Turbitt, who hit 0-5 last time out against Tyrone.

For such a proud footballing county, 15 years without an Ulster title is too long, and while dropping out of Division One heightens the pressure on McGeeney, discount Armagh at your peril.

• McKeever denies Armagh have become more defensive

Cavan

Manager: Mickey Graham (fifth season)

Captain: Raymond Galligan

Last Ulster title: 2020

Cavan again enter the championship in buoyant mood having snapped up the Division Three title last week, putting the finishing touches to their second promotion on the spin.

Surprise Ulster champions in 2020, the Breffnimen lost to Donegal in the semi-finals last year and will be confident of reaching the last four again given they will host the winners of Armagh or Antrim in the quarters.

Cavan cruised through the league this season with five wins on the bounce, and while they dipped slightly in the final two rounds in defeats by Antrim and Fermanagh, they recovered to beat the Ernemen in last weekend's Croke Park decider.

Paddy Lynch and Oisin Brady have been in fine scoring form this year, and while 2020 All-Star Thomas Galligan is still unavailable, Mickey Graham will have been heartened by the standards set by the likes of Dara McVeety - back in the squad for the first time since 2019 - Killian Clarke and Padraig Faulkner.

Derry

All-Star midfielder Conor Glass was forced off injured during Derry's Division Two final defeat by Dublin

Manager: Rory Gallagher (fourth season)

Captain: Conor Glass

Last Ulster title: 2022

Here we go, then. Derry's first Ulster Championship defence since 1999 begins on 15 April with a quarter-final trip to Fermanagh, Oak Leaf boss Rory Gallagher's home county.

Even during the euphoria of last year's provincial triumph and subsequent run to the All-Ireland semi-finals, Gallagher never concealed his disappointment with missing out on promotion to Division One earlier in the year.

But a top-flight return was duly achieved last month, and while the Division Two final against Dublin proved a dispiriting experience, Derry will feel they are well-placed for another big summer.

A rock at full-back last year, Brendan Rogers was a driving force from midfield in the league while the likes of Shane McGuigan, Ethan Doherty and Conor McCluskey have all continued to shine in red and white.

In injury news, Chrissy McKaigue missed the Division Two final while Conor Glass was forced off with a hamstring problem, but even without that key duo, Derry would be expected to launch their Ulster defence with victory over Fermanagh at Brewster Park on Saturday week.

• McKaigue will have 'tunnel vision' to make championship opener

Donegal

Manager: Aidan O'Rourke (interim)

Captain: Paddy McBrearty

Last Ulster title: 2019

Donegal are a team in upheaval going into the championship following their relegation from Division One and departure of manager Paddy Carr.

Carr resigned last month after just five months in charge as Donegal struggled in their Football League campaign.

Aiden O'Rourke, a part of Carr's backroom team, has stayed on as interim manager and he has the task of preparing the team for a quarter-final meeting with Down on 23 April.

Already without 2012 All-Ireland winning captain Michael Murphy, who retired from inter-county football last year, new skipper Paddy McBrearty has not played since injuring his hamstring against Tyrone in early February. Ciaran Thompson, however, did regain his fitness to play a part in the league.

Donegal reached the final last year but lost out to Derry and they face a tough opener against the Mournemen at Pairc Esler.

Down

Manager: Conor Laverty (first season)

Captain: Pierce Laverty

Last Ulster title: 1994

It's a revitalised Mourne side which will enter the championship with Conor Laverty at the helm since last August.

Down were thumped by Monaghan in last year's quarter-finals but they have improved under former county captain Laverty.

Down didn't win a single match in 2022 but have shown signs of improvement under Conor Laverty

They reached the McKenna Cup semi-finals before missing out on promotion to Division Two on points difference after winning five of their seven games.

Down signed off their league campaign with an impressive victory over Offaly and will hope to maintain that form for their quarter-final encounter against Donegal.

Laverty's charges will fancy their chances against a Donegal team at a low ebb and with a Newry crowd pushing them on.

Fermanagh

Manager: Kieran Donnelly (second season)

Captain: Declan McCusker

Last Ulster title: N/A

Fermanagh will once again launch a bid for a first Anglo-Celtic triumph and they'll have home advantage for their 15 April opener against Derry.

The Ernemen should be full of confidence after topping the Division Three standings with six victories from seven outings.

They lost last weekend's league final against Cavan but promotion had already been secured and now manager Kieran Donnelly can focus on overcoming the Oak Leafers.

The 2022 Ulster SFC campaign was another disappointing one for Fermanagh with a preliminary round exit at the hands of Tyrone.

Sean Quigley, who scored 3-11 in the league, will spearhead the Erne attack against the champions at Brewster Park.

Monaghan

Manager: Vinny Corey (first season)

Captain: Kieran Duffy

Last Ulster title: 2015

Monaghan have become masters of the escape act in Division One with victory over Mayo on the final day seeing them avoid the drop for another year.

It will be a first championship in charge for former Farney defender Vinny Corey, who took over from Seamus McEnaney last September.

Monaghan progressed to the semi-finals last year before being defeated by eventual winners Derry at the Athletic Grounds.

They go up against Tyrone in a last-eight showdown between two big hitters at Healy Park on 16 April.

Monaghan are boosted by the return of star forward Conor McManus, who hit 1-6 against Mayo in his first start of the year.

Tyrone

Tyrone hope to banish the memories of last year's loss to Derry in Omagh

Joint-managers: Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher (third season)

Captain: Padraig Hampsey

Last Ulster title: 2021

Tyrone will once again be fancied to lift the Anglo-Celt Cup and they ended the Division One campaign with a victory over Armagh which condemned their derby rivals to relegation.

The Red Hands finished midtable and they will be determined to improve on last year's showing in Ulster, when they fell at the first hurdle against Derry.

They will be looking to recapture the superb 2021 form which saw Tyrone secure Ulster success before going on the clinch a fourth All-Ireland title.

Darren McCurry was the second highest scorer in Division One and there's plenty more firepower in the Red Hands ranks, with Darragh Canavan and Mattie Donnelly also performing well this year.

Getting past Monaghan will be no easy task, but the quarter-final is in Omagh and that could just tip the balance in favour of the hosts.

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