You can’t help but think that a particular poster’s view of how competitive - or supposedly uncompetitive - their province is is clouded more than a bit by their own county’s current dismal fortunes, where they appear to have given up as a football county.
Six of the nine Ulster counties are very competitive.
You have the current All-Ireland champions Tyrone, two more consistent top six teams in Donegal and Monaghan, Cavan who won Ulster in 2020, Armagh who finished third in NFL Division 1 a month ago, and Ireland’s most improved team over the last couple of years in Derry.
That’s depth other provinces can only dream of.
Donegal v Derry, Donegal v Tyrone, Monaghan v Armagh and Monaghan v Tyrone in last year’s Ulster championship were all phenomenal matches.
They are competitive no doubt but its surprising how straight forward results have been for Donegal Tyrone and Monaghan bar a surprise from Cavan over the years. Listening to folknup that way youd swear it was way more open.
Ulster obviously most competitive but for a 5 county province Connaght has been as competitive last few years between Galway Mayo and Roscommon with all winning 2 in last 6 year’s.
Yeah but if you go back to the golden age of Ulster football in the early 90s, was it any more competitive?
Antrim were shit then as they are now. Monaghan had declined a lot from the 80s. Cavan weren’t great, they only improved when Martin McHugh came in. Fermanagh were a bit better than Antrim but no great shakes. Armagh bar a brief period around '93/'94 were not very good. Tyrone went five years without winning a match from '89 to '94.
By the time Tyrone and Cavan improved in the mid 90s Donegal had declined a lot and Down were starting their descent.
In the next “golden age” of Ulster football from 2002 to 2008, Tyrone and Armagh were in truth far ahead of nearly all the rest. You had the odd shock like Monaghan and Fermanagh beating Armagh in '03 and '04 but that has happened in recent years too with Fermanagh beating Monaghan and Cavan beating Donegal.
Football was less scientific then though so the gaps often weren’t as badly exposed.
Derry are coming again though to be fair. Armagh were poor last weekend against Donegal but the general signs are positive for them too. That’s amazing consistency by Donegal within the province. They tend to often start out in the preliminary rounds too.
It’s not any better from the terrace with the rain falling. Down look to be changing keeper here, must have felt it too cruel to have one fella doing the 70 mins
Down are in bad shape. Monaghan progress but the panel is beginning to creak. Relying on the Hughes and Wylie brothers and an ageing McManus isn’t indicative of progress, there must surely be a scatter of younger lads disaffected with the regime.
