Tyrone to face Armagh in McKenna Cup opener

GAA reports by Francis Mooney

FRIDAY night lights at the Athletic Grounds will see in the new year and a fresh start for Tyrone in a high profile Dr McKenna Cup opener against Armagh this weekend.

The clash of these two great rivals launches the 2026 season in colourful and enticing fashion, with a big crowd expected at the Armagh city venue.

The pre-season competition returns after a one-year absence, and Tyrone manager Malachy O’Rourke has expressed his delight at an opportunity he was denied last year to take an early look at players in a competitive environment before the serious business of the National Football League gets under way.

He’s expected to field a team mixed with experienced players and new recruits this weekend, as he takes a first step in assembling a squad for league and championship action later in the season.

“It will be a great game to start the year off,” said Tyrone captain Brian Kennedy.

“Everybody has got a good appetite for that fixture, especially after the long lay-off from the championship.

“It’s not far away now. It will probably be close to a full house.”

The Derrylaughan clubman welcomed the arrival of a number of exciting young prospects, who are set to challenge for selection and force manager O’Rourke to make some difficult choices in the season ahead.

He will get a welcome opportunity to look at those young players in the McKenna Cup, ahead of picking his squad for the National Football League.

“It’s going to be very competitive this year, a lot of jerseys up for grabs, and that new crop of young lads coming through will definitely bring us on,” said Kennedy.

“All the young lads are showing well, they’re all very eager to get that jersey and show well.

“And when they’re given their chance, they all are showing why they’re up there and what they can bring to the table.”

He paid tribute to the work being done in the schools, the clubs and the Tyrone coaching academy at Garvaghey in bringing young players through to feature for county teams at under-age level and eventually on to the senior squad.

The success of the process is evident, with the Red Hands capturing All-Ireland titles at both Minor and U20 level this season under manager Gerard Donnelly and Paul Devlin.

“There’s great coaches throughout Tyrone youth development and throughout the schools as well, I think we’re the envy of a lot of places.

“Paul and Gerard have put in serious work over the last couple of years, and it has been class to see them get their rewards with All-Irelands.

“It’s now about bringing those lads through into the senior set-up, and how we can develop them on to the bigger stage.”

The Dr McKenna Cup will be run off on a tight schedule between January 2 and 17, followed closely by the beginning of the league later in January.

Round One fixtures will be played off over the weekend of January 2/4, Round Two games will be played on Wednesday 7th January, and the final Round 3 games will take place on Sunday January 11.

The semi-finals will be played on Wednesday evening of January 14 at 7.30pm, with the Final scheduled for Saturday January 17.

Tyrone will be looking to advance beyond the group stage and secure at least one further competitive fixture to ensure maximul effective preparation for the National Football League Division Two campaign, which begins on Saturday January 24 with a home game against Kildare.

The Red Hands will be expected to make an immediate return to the top tier following hteir relegation from Division One, but they face a difficult league schedule against a number of quality teams, with Meath, Derry, Cork, Cavan, Louth and Offaly also in the mix.

“A lot of those teams went far in the championship last year, and the other half of them were very close as well,” said Kennedy.

“There’s very little between any of the top teams in the country, and on any given day, anybody can beat anybody, so it’s just about getting that momentum going early on, and putting together a few results.

“You look at the fixture list in Division Two and there’s no games where you’d be going in expecting a handy day. It’s about getting in the right frame of mind from the get-go and setting out your stall.

“It’s going to be a massive task to get back up but it’s one we’re going to relish.

“Hopefully we’ll get into good form early on in the league and carry that on through to the championship.”

The teams competing against each other at the top level will have an undoubted advantage in terms of getting ready for championship action later in the season, but Dublin and Armagh have shown in recent seasons that it is possible to launch a major challenge from the second tier, both having been crowned All-Ireland champions as Division Two sides.

“Armagh proved a couple of years ago, Dublin as well, that a good foundation in the league is paramount to how you perform in the championship as well.”

An extra layer of intrigue has been added to the Division Two campaign by the involvement of managers from Tyrone, with Ciaran Meenagh in charge of Derry, Gavin Devlin managing Louth and Mickey Harte involved with Offaly.

“They know plenty about us, but the way the game is going now everybody knows so much about everybody else, so it’s probably a level playing field, I would say.

“The amount of in-depth analysis everybody goes into with each other is immense, but I’d say those boys have maybe a bit of an edge on us, coming from different clubs, and they know our boys inside out.”