The GAA Social looks ahead to the championship
With the National League now in the rear-view, it's time to take it up a level as championship football action begins in earnest. This weekend, there is action across all four provinces and in Ulster, there is the tantalising preliminary round clash between Armagh and Tyrone at the Athletic Grounds [16:15 BST] - one you can watch live on BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer, website and app. It promises to be a summer of twists and turns with so much to ponder, to The GAA Social is joined by Philly McMahon and Conor McManus to discuss what we might see in the weekend and months ahead.
Armagh and Tyrone have served up some memorable games down through the years and their rivalry in the 2000s in perhaps one of the most enduring in recent Gaelic football history. Of course, a derby can take on a life of its own and there are absolutely no guarantees when these sides meet, but former Armagh All-Ireland winner Oisin McConville feels his native county go into Sunday's game with greater momentum after a much more encouraging league campaign. "What we've seen over the past few years in the league is that teams who are going well, you can pick stuff out and go, 'they are nearly there'," he said.
"It's probably now a stretch for teams who haven't had fundamental form in the league to spring a massive surprise in the championship. " Tyrone were regarded as a little unlucky to find themselves in Division Two of the league this year, relegated on seven points in 2025 when they went on to contest an All-Ireland semi-final. With All-Ireland U20 wins in 2024 and 2025, there is undoubted talent in the O'Neill County, but Malachy O'Rourke's side go into Sunday after a disappointing league.
"You hear a lot about this Tyrone team coming through and the strength of their development squads, they get their man [Malachy O'Rourke] but things just haven't clicked," McMahon, a winner of eight All-Irelands with Dublin, told the podcast. "As much as Monaghan and Cavan is one of those one-off go and have a rattle, so is Armagh-Tyrone. I still think Armagh are a little bit ahead of Tyrone.
" While former Monaghan star Conor McManus feels you should "write Tyrone off at your peril", he identifies areas of concern for the Red Hands. "With the kick-outs, it's become a dog fight and the teams with the size have an advantage. Armagh have the size and while Tyrone have Conn Kilpatrick and Brian Kennedy, outside of that they are quite small which is going against them," McManus notes.