NFL Division Two: Armagh and Donegal look favourites to go up

The Allianz Football Leagues throws in this weekend and, given the links to the Championship, there is a significant amount at stake for all 32 teams across the four divisions. Today we look at Division Two, where a cavalcade of high-profile managers take the stage.

Armagh

Manager: Kieran McGeeney (10th season)

Opening fixture: v Louth, Saturday, Athletic Grounds, 6.0

How did 2023 go? Annoyingly. Got relegated from Division One, lost both an Ulster final and an All-Ireland quarter-final on penalties. Winning either one of those shoot-outs would have changed everyone’s perspective.

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So far in 2024: Jarly Óg Burns left the panel in October but has since changed his mind about taking a year out and played in the McKenna Cup, where Armagh lost a semi-final to Derry. Oisín O’Neill, Niall Grimley and Tiernan Kelly are all back after long-term injuries. Conleith Gilligan has joined a heavyweight backroom team.

Cavan

Manager: Ray Galligan (1st year)

Opening fixture: v Kildare, Dr Cullen Park, Saturday, 5.0

How did 2023 go? Mixed bag. Got to lift a trophy in Croke Park when they won Division Three. Early exit from Ulster meant the Tailteann Cup but after topping their group, they lost at home to Down in the quarter-final.

So far in 2024: Galligan’s new broom has swept out a few stalwarts, Gearóid McKiernan and Conor Moynagh being the most eye-catching. He has welcomed back 2020 Ulster winner James Smith and flushed the panel with fresh faces – the star power is in the backroom with the likes of Stephen O’Neill and Catherina McKiernan involved. Lost a thriller to Down in the McKenna Cup.

Cork

Manager: John Cleary (2nd season)

Opening fixture: v Donegal, Ballybofey, Sunday, 1.45

How did 2023 go? Promisingly (eventually). Finished mid-table in Division Two, went down to Clare in Munster but built back from there. Beat Mayo and Roscommon in the Championship before going out to Derry in the All-Ireland quarter-final.

So far in 2024: Won the McGrath Cup for the second year in a row, this time on penalties against Kerry. They start the league short of a host of luminaries – the likes of Seán Powter, Brian Hurley, Kevin O’Donovan and Steven Sherlock are all sidelined for now.

Donegal

Manager: Jim McGuinness (1st season, 2nd stint)

Opening fixture: v Cork, Ballybofey, Sunday, 1.45

How did 2023 go? Depressingly. Got relegated from Division One, ditched their manager Paddy Carr before the Championship, lost to Down in Ulster. Rallied to beat Clare and Monaghan in the Sam Maguire group stage but immediately went out to Tyrone.

So far in 2024: Steady progress, the mini-row over an ineligible teenager notwithstanding. Routed an understrength Monaghan side to make the McKenna Cup final but no match for Derry when they got there. It will be interesting to watch how deeply they commit to the pressing game.

Fermanagh

Manager: Kieran Donnelly (3rd season)

Opening fixture: v Meath, Navan, Saturday, 2.30

How did 2023 go? Middling. Topped Division Three, albeit they lost the final to Cavan. Trounced by Derry in Ulster, they made no real impression on the Tailteann Cup, going out to Laois in the preliminary quarter-final.

So far in 2024: Beat Antrim in the McKenna but lost to Monaghan. Undergoing a bit of a rebuild, with Seán Quigley, Ryan Jones and Conall Jones all unavailable this year. Throw injuries to Jonny Cassidy and Darragh McGurn into the mix and it could be a long league for them.

Kildare

Manager: Glenn Ryan (3rd season)

Opening fixture: v Cavan, Dr Cullen Park, Saturday, 5.0

How did 2023 go? Frustratingly. Came mighty close to falling into the Tailteann Cup with a below-par league campaign. Ran Dublin to their closest match in a decade in Leinster before drawing with Sligo in the Sam Maguire. Should have beaten Monaghan in Tullamore but the late defeat summed up their season.

So far in 2024: Colm Nally has joined the coaching set-up. Niall Kelly is back after taking a couple of seasons out and Ryan gave a number of last year’s All-Ireland winning under-21 team a go during an O’Byrne Cup campaign that ended with defeat to Wexford.

Louth

Manager: Ger Brennan (1st season)

Opening fixture: v Armagh, Athletic Grounds, Saturday, 6.0

How did 2023 go? A rollercoaster. Surprised everyone by finishing third in Division Two, then doubled down by making it to the Leinster final. Unlucky not to get anything out of their matches against Cork and Mayo in the Sam Maguire before getting tonked by Kerry in the last game. All very promising – until they lost their management to Derry in the off-season.

So far in 2024: Brennan has come in to replace Mickey Harte and has brought James McCartan, Niall Moyna and former rugby international James Downey with him. James Califf has retired, Niall Sharkey and Liam Jackson have both left the panel as well.

Meath

Manager: Colm O’Rourke (2nd)

Opening fixture: v Fermanagh, Navan, Saturday, 2.30

How did 2023 go? Pretty well, all in all. They stayed in Division Two, which was good. But sixth place got them bounced into the Tailteann Cup, which probably wasn’t great. But then went and won it, which was, in fact, great.

So far in 2024: Shane Walsh and Darragh Campion are back in the squad after missing much of 2023 through injury. Diarmuid Moriarty shone in the O’Byrne Cup but like a lot of O’Rourke’s squad, he double-jobbed on Sigerson duty as well. After going out at the semi-final stage of the competition, O’Rourke has been talking about aiming for promotion.

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