PREVIEWS: TG4 Leinster and Ulster Junior and Intermediate silverware up for grabs

Compiled by Jackie Cahill and Ulster LGFA PRO Paul Swift

THERE’S more provincial silverware up for grabs next Sunday – with the Leinster and Ulster Junior and Intermediate Finals down for decision.

There’s a Leinster Final double-header at TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar, with the Junior decider featuring Carlow and Louth followed by the Intermediate showpiece between Laois and Westmeath.

There’s also a double-header at O’Neills Healy Park in Omagh for the TG4 Ulster Finals, with Antrim up against Derry in the Junior Final, while holders Down will take on Cavan in the Intermediate game.

All four games will be available live, with the Leinster Finals at https://bit.ly/3S3ZJwB while the Ulster Finals can be accessed via the Ulster LGFA Facebook Page: https://bit.ly/3GYNMG2

Sunday May 18, 2025 

TG4 Leinster Junior Championship Final

Carlow v Louth; TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 2pm – Live at https://bit.ly/4j9hDcl

In a repeat of last year’s final, holders Louth will put their crown on the line against Carlow.

This is a meeting between counties who have won the last five Leinster junior titles on offer, with Louth champions in 2024, 2019 and 2018, while Carlow landed silverware in 2017 and 2023.

The sides have already met in the provincial campaign, with Louth winning by 5-8 to 2-15 in the round-robin phase.

This will be the third competitive meeting between the sides in 2025, while they also locked horns three times in 2024 in championship fare.

Most recently, and just a fortnight ago, the sides were involved in the proverbial game of two halves.

Louth were 13 points clear early in the second half, before Carlow rallied to within two points at full-time.

While named on the bench for this one, Mischa Rooney is a player Carlow will need to look out for, as she scored 3-1 in that game.

Louth had also left it late earlier in the campaign against Longford, with captain Áine Breen popping over a couple of crucial late scores to snatch victory.

Carlow booked their place in the final last weekend by staging a late comeback of their own to pip Longford.

With nine minutes left, the Barrowsiders were three points down but they rallied superbly to progress.

Carlow: N Hanley; S McCullagh, C Mahon, K Tunstead; T Lyons, A Carroll, R Bermingham; R Bailey (capt.), E Ware; B Nolan, E Hayden, E Molloy; A Kiernan, C Ní Shé, K Burke.

Louth: R Lambe Fagan; S Matthews, E Hand, H Lambe Sally; C O’Reilly, S McLaughlin, A Russell; G McCrave, Á Breen (capt.); E Gartlan, E Byrne, R Leonard; K Flood, C Woods, C Nolan.

TG4 Leinster Intermediate Championship Final

Laois v Westmeath; TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 4pm – Live at https://bit.ly/3S42EW5

A midlands derby awaits in the 2025 TG4 Leinster Intermediate final.

Laois advanced to the final with a comfortable semi-final victory over Wicklow, as Westmeath got the better of Wexford in the last four.

That was a sweet one for Westmeath, who lost out to Wexford in last year’s provincial decider.

Westmeath finished just a point behind Wexford in the 2024 Final but now have the chance to erase those painful memories.

But they’ll get nothing easy from an improving Laois side, who won this title last in 2018.

Westmeath are chasing a first TG4 Leinster Intermediate crown since 2011 and they’ll also look to launch a strong push for the All-Ireland title and promotion to the senior grade.

Before all of that, there’s a provincial title on offer and the result will also impact on the make-up of the TG4 All-Ireland Championship groups.

The winners will join the Ulster runners-up and Tyrone in Group 2 of the All-Ireland series, with the losers to face Roscommon and Fermanagh in Group 1.

Laois: E Barry; S Farrelly, F McEvoy, G Lalor; A Gorman, A Moore, A Moran (capt.); F Dooley, J Moore; S Havill, L Walsh, C Crowley; A Galvin, C Burke, M Nerney.

Westmeath: A Temple; L McCartan, S Murphy, F Coyle (capt.); C Gonoud, L Power, S Buckley; V Carr, A Roche; L McCartan, S Dillon, T Dillon; G Byrne, A Jones, C Kilmurray.

TG4 Ulster Junior Championship Final

Antrim v Derry; O’Neills Healy Park, Omagh, 1pm – Live at https://bit.ly/44CCEsl

The TG4 Ulster Junior decider sees neighbours Antrim and Derry go head-to-head for the title which Antrim last won in 2022 and Derry in 2018.

Antrim will start the game as red-hot favourites. The Saffrons and Galway are the only unbeaten teams in the country at inter-county level in 2025 and Antrim have carried their stunning Lidl National league form into the Championship.

They won seven out of seven in the group phase of Division 4, clinching promotion comfortably in the process, before sealing silverware against Fermanagh.

In the round-robin series of the Ulster Championship, Antrim racked up 4-12 against Derry in Round 1, before putting 4-21 past London.

Derry will hope to be more competitive this time but it’s difficult to see past Antrim in this one.

Looking ahead, and having suffered relegation from the Intermediate ranks last year, Antrim will be a force to be reckoned with in the All-Ireland series.

Antrim: A Devlin; N McIntosh, M Blaney, M Mulholland; S O’Neill, C Brown, C McKenna; A Mulholland, O Todd; T Mellon, M O’Neill, A Kelly; B Devlin (capt.), L Agnew, Á Tubridy.

Derry: T Cassidy; C Dillon, G Brewster, J Corr; O McEvoy, S Hargan, B Donnelly; L Brewester, A Crozier (capt.); C Hargan, A Ni Lochlainn, A Martin; A McAlister, C Donnelly, J Slevin.

TG4 Ulster Intermediate Championship Final

Cavan v Down; O’Neills Healy Park, Omagh, 3.30pm – Live at https://bit.ly/4do1YET

Down will put their TG4 Ulster Intermediate crown on the line against an emerging Cavan outfit.

Cavan are on the crest of a wave in recent times. Underage inter-county success has been achieved and Lidl All-Ireland PPS titles have been collected, which bodes well for the future.

In the present, Cavan are basking in the glory of promotion back to Division 2 of the Lidl National league, and Division 3 silverware, and they’ve looked good in the Ulster championship to date also.

Cavan achieved an impressive four-point semi-final victory over Monaghan, with captain Shauna Lynch starring at the back, while Lauren McVeety and elusive inside forward Aisling Gilsenan also sparkled.

Cavan finished with nine unanswered scores (1-8) to claim a spirited come from behind win.

Down have also improved as the season has progressed. They finished three points adrift of a promotion place in Division 3 and lost by 1-8 to 3-15 when they faced Cavan in the League.

But an Ulster semi-final victory over Tyrone, a team who played Division 1 Football this year, provided clear evidence that Down won’t give up their provincial crown without a fight.

Eimear Fitzpatrick was in scintillating form on the day, scoring 1-5, including the winning point, as Down overturned a three-point deficit to emerge victorious by the bare minimum (2-10 to 1-12).

With plenty of survivors from last year’s Ulster Final, Down have bags of experience to call upon.

Cavan: E Baugh; L Crowe, S Kelly, E Corcoran; M Sheridan, S Lynch (capt.), S Greene; M Fitzpatrick, A Deneher; E Brady, L McVeety, C Dolan; N Keenaghan, A Sheridan, A Gilsenan.

Down: C Byrne; A Greene, C McCreanor, N McClory; C Mulvenna (capt.), A Brogan, E Sands; M Doherty, A Laverty; E Fitzpatrick, L Duffy, A Smyth; N King, N Rice, E Hicks.