Gaelic Games

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Scotstown goalkeeper Rory Beggan said "you can't pay a man enough" to match the feeling of ending his club's Ulster championship drought.

Beggan, who won inter-county provincial titles with Monaghan in 2013 and 2015, kicked 11 points at the Athletic Grounds on Saturday as his side outlasted Kilcoo in an extra-time thriller.

The 33-year-old briefly pursued a career in American football through the NFL's International Player Pathway last year, but there was nowhere he would rather have been than Armagh as Scotstown claimed their first Ulster title since 1989.

"You can't pay a man enough to be in these shoes," he said.

"Unbelievable. This is so much for this club."

Scotstown had led by five points at half-time and extended their advantage out to eight after the restart. Kilcoo, however, sent the game to extra time with the penultimate kick of normal time.

Despite that setback, and the weight of history, Beggan always felt convinced his side would be victorious.

"We weren't being beaten," he said.

"I just knew it the last two weeks, I knew it after the Newbridge [semi-final], what it meant to this group.

"We've been through the ringer with this competition, but the rewards will come, you just have to be patient.

"It's been too long, 36 years is too long for the club to not be winning this competition."

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Slaughtneil's All-Ireland club hurling semi-final against Loughrea will take place at Parnell Park in Dublin on Sunday, 21 December [13:30 GMT].

The Ulster champions are bidding to reach the final for the first time in what will be their sixth appearance at this stage of the competition.

Parnell Park has been the venue for two of their previous five semi-finals, including their 3-15 to 3-8 loss against Limerick's Na Piarsaigh in 2018 and their five-point defeat by Waterford's Ballygunner in 2022.

Paul McCormack's side retained their provincial crown with a 13-point victory over Antrim champions St John's last month, having won the Derry title for a 13th-straight year.

Loughrea retained their Galway title with a one-point victory over St Thomas' in November and moved straight into the All-Ireland series.

On the same day, Carrickmore will take on Mayo's Tooreen in the semi-final of the All-Ireland intermediate championship at Breffni Park in Cavan at 14:00.

The Tyrone side won the Ulster title for the first time with a six-point victory over Fermanagh's Lisbellaw on 1 December, making up for three previous defeats in the provincial final.

Tooreen won their fifth Connacht intermediate title with victory over Galway's Meelick-Eyrecourt and are bidding to return to the final after their appearance in the 2023 decider when losing out to Limerick's Monaleen.

On Saturday, 20 December, Burt will face Sligo's Easkey in the semi-final of the junior championship in Ballyshannon at 13:00.

The Donegal club lost their county semi-final to Setanta, but navigated a path through Ulster, defeating Lavey in the final after extra-time.

Easkey won the Connacht title for the first time in a low-scoring final against Galway's Ballygar.

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The meeting of Dublin and Ulster champions Donegal will form one half of a Croke Park double-header on the opening day of the 2026 Football League campaign on Saturday, 24 January.

The Division One match will have a 17:00 GMT throw-in, with the Division Two encounter between Meath and Derry starting two hours earlier at GAA headquarters at 15:00.

Former Louth manager Ger Brennan will take charge of the Dubs for the first time in a competitive context in their match against Jim McGuinness' 2025 All-Ireland losing finalists.

Tyrone are also in action on 24 January, facing Kildare in a Division Two fixture at Healy Park at 18:00, while Down take on Clare at Pairc Esler at the same time in Division Three.

The remaining Ulster counties open their campaigns on Sunday 25 January, with Monaghan playing Armagh at Clones in Division One at 14:00, the same time as All-Ireland champion Kerry host Roscommon at Killarney.

Galway entertain Mayo at Salthill in the weekend's other Division One match-up at the slightly earlier time of 13:45.

In Division Two, Cavan are away to Cork with a 13:30 throw-in, while in Division Three Fermanagh are at home to Wexford at Brewster Park at 13:00 and in Division Four, Antrim play Carlow at Toomebridge (14:00).

Among the highlights of the second weekend of fixtures is an Ulster derby between Derry and Tyrone in Division Two and a re-match of the All-Ireland final between Donegal and Kerry at Ballyshannon.

Antrim's hurlers begin their Division 1B campaign away to Wexford on 24 January, the same day as Down travel to Carlow.

The GAA's Master Fixtures schedule, published on Wednesday, revealed that the Football League finals will take place on the weekend of 28-29 March, with the provincial football championships commencing on the weekend of 11-12 April.

As has been the case in recent years, the All-Ireland football final will be played on the final Sunday of July, with the All-Ireland hurling final one week earlier on 19 July.

GAA Master Fixtures Schedule for 2026, external

Odhran Crumley
BBC Sport NI Journalist

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Armagh and Tyrone will get the 2026 inter-county season up and running as they face off on Friday, 2 January at the Athletic Grounds in the Dr McKenna Cup.

The bitter rivals will collide in a unique Friday-night fixture under the Orchard County lights on 2 January for a 1900 GMT throw-in.

The game will serve as a precursor to their Ulster SFC preliminary-round showdown, as the sides cannot meet in the National League after Tyrone's relegation to Division Two.

On a blockbuster opening weekend of the Dr McKenna Cup, which is returning after a one-year absence, holders Derry will travel to O'Donnell Park in Letterkenny to face Donegal on Sunday, 4 January, in a repeat of the 2023 decider.

The Tir Chonaill county will play their McKenna Cup and National League fixtures away from Ballybofey due to upgrade works on the pitch at MacCumhaill Park.

Cavan and Monaghan will also meet at Breffni Park on the opening weekend, and the sides will also meet in the Ulster SFC quarter-final later in the year.

In round three Antrim will host All-Ireland finalists Donegal at Cargin GAC.

All three rounds of group games will take place across seven days,and the semi-final is scheduled for Wednesday, 14 January and the final will take place on Saturday, 17 January.

The schedule will be tight for counties as the Allianz Football League commences one week after the Dr McKenna Cup final, on Saturday 24 January.

2026 Dr McKenna Cup fixtures in full

Round One: Friday 2 January: Armagh v Tyrone (Athletic Grounds, 19:00 GMT), Saturday 3 January: Cavan v Monaghan (Breffni Park, 18:00), Sunday 4 January: Donegal v Derry (Letterkenny 13:30).

Round Two: Wednesday 7 January, 19:30 GMT: Down v Armagh (Pairc Esler), Fermanagh v Cavan (Tempo), Derry v Antrim (Owenbeg).

Round Three: Sunday 11 January, 13:30 GMT: Tyrone v Down (Tyrone venue), Monaghan v Fermanagh (Castleblayney), Antrim v Donegal (Cargin).

Semi-finals - Wednesday 14 January.

Final - Saturday 17 January.