Antrim v Armagh – Preview, Team News & Live Scores
Ulster Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final
Saturday, April 12 | Corrigan Park, Belfast | 12:30pm
Teams announced Friday – Live GAA scores on Irishscores.com
The Ulster Senior Football Championship gets underway with a compelling quarter-final as Antrim host Armagh at Corrigan Park. While history heavily favours the Orchard County, Antrim will relish the chance to cause an upset on home turf in what promises to be a fiercely contested clash.
The sides last met in 2023 when Armagh cruised to a 0-20 to 1-8 win in a preliminary round tie. In fact, Antrim haven’t defeated Armagh in the Ulster Championship since 1964, a stark reminder of the uphill task facing them on Saturday. Armagh’s consistency in recent years, including a sixth-place finish in Division 1 this spring, underlines their status as favourites, but they enter this year’s championship looking to avoid the kind of inconsistency that plagued their league campaign.
Antrim, meanwhile, endured a difficult Division 3 season, finishing second from bottom and suffering relegation. They did show flashes of promise, but defensive issues and inconsistency in front of goal ultimately cost them. It’s now 11 years since Antrim last won their opening game in the Ulster Championship, and they will need a massive performance to reverse that trend.
For Armagh, key figures such as Rian O’Neill, Stefan Campbell, and Jarly Óg Burns will be crucial if they are to assert their dominance early. Their pace, power, and experience give them a strong platform, especially against a side lacking in recent championship pedigree. Antrim will turn to the likes of Patrick McBride and Conor Stewart to anchor their resistance.
This is the first of a blockbuster weekend of Ulster football, and while the odds are stacked in Armagh’s favour, the Ulster Championship has never been a stranger to surprises. Should Antrim pull off a shock, it would be one of the stories of the season.
Team News
Both teams are expected to name their starting XVs on Friday afternoon. Keep an eye on Irishscores.com and official county channels for confirmed line-ups and live score updates.
