Football

Dr McKenna Cup scrapped as Congress asked to consider new Football Championship format for 2026

Replays could be reintroduced for provincial and All-Ireland finals

Derry captain Shane McGuigan with the cup and man of the match award after beating Donegal during the Dr McKenna Cup Final played at Healy Park Omagh on Saturday 20th January 2024. Picture Margaret McLaughlin
Derry captain Shane McGuigan with the cup and man of the match award after beating Donegal after his side's win the Dr McKenna Cup Final at Healy Park in January this year Picture: Margaret McLaughlin (Margaret McLaughlin Photography )

There will be no Dr McKenna Cup in 2025 following meetings between the GAA’s management committee and Ard Chomhairle over the weekend which addressed possible changes to the Football Chamiponship

In deciding which Football Championship proposal to put before Congress in February 2025, counties have decided to propose Option 1 – but any implementation would take place in 2026 at the earliest.

This means the 2025 Championship will follow the same pattern of the last two years which saw four groups of four teams battle it out for places in the preliminary quarter-finals and quarter-finals.

It was also decided to suspend all pre-season football competitions, such as the Dr McKenna Cup, which are usually played in the first few weeks of January ahead of the start of the Allianz Football League.

Following input from the counties to the GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee, it was decided to recommend Option 1.

Armagh win the All-Ireland SFC Final at Croke Park in Dublin. 
PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN
Congress will be asked to consider a proposal which will amend the All-Ireland SFC format for 2026 PICTURE COLM LENAGHAN

This would retain the current provincial championships, with the eight finalists joining the seven next-ranked teams in the league and the Tailteann Cup winners in a 16-team draw.

The eight ties would produce a winners’ path and a losers’ path, similar to what operates in the Down SFC.

The eight-team winners’ group play off with each other for a direct route into the All-Ireland quarter-finals while the losers’ group play each other for another with the victors then taking on the losers of those winners’ ties for another chance to progress.

Congress will also be asked to consider re-introducing replays for provincial and All-Ireland finals at senior level.

The last two Ulster senior football finals have been decided on penalties after Armagh drew with Derry in 2023 and with Donegal earlier this year.