Can anyone wrestle the ladies’ senior crown from Lurgan?

By Aideen Coyle

The Imperial Bar Senior Football Championship gets underway this weekend with the competition retaining the same format as previous seasons as the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals.

Three in a row chasing Lurgan have been drawn in Group A alongside 2025 Intermediate All-Ireland champions Knockbride, Castlerahan/Denn and Ballyhaise. Meanwhile, last year’s runners-up Crosserlough find themselves in a formidable Group B where they will face 2025 beaten semi-finalists Killygarry, Mullahoran and ever-competitive Lacken in what promises to be a fiercely contested group.

Group A

Lurgan will start the championship as many people’s favourites with the reigning champions aiming to secure an impressive third consecutive senior title after establishing themselves as the team to beat in recent years.

They begin their defence of the Michelle Keating Cup with a game at home to Castlerahan/Denn who avoided the drop at the hands of Drumlane last season.

Neil Quigley remains in charge of the Virginia side who are backboned with experienced senior county players including Evelyn Baugh, Sinead Kelly, Eimear Corcoran, Catherine Dolan and Clara Lynch.

Captained by taliswoman Aoife Brady, Lurgan were beaten at the semi-final stage of this year’s division one league campaign by Killygarry and will be hoping to get back to winning ways in round one of the SFC.

On the flip side, Castlerahan/Denn endured a challenging division two league campaign, finishing fifth and narrowly avoiding relegation. However, their league form must be viewed in context, with many of their county camogie players including the influential Fitzsimons trio being unavailable for a large number of fixtures.

Their return will provide a significant boost as the team turns its attention towards championship action.

Captained by Rachel McEnroe, Castlerahan/Denn will enter the competition under the radar of many but they will be determined to cause an upset and prove their capabilities from early on.

If they are to progress from a difficult group, they will need standout performances from the Fitzsimons and McEnroe families, along with the influential Roisin O’Reilly in attack.

The second group A game sees the meeting of the 2023 and 2025 Intermediate champions. Newly promoted Knockbride, begin life back in the senior ranks with a fascinating clash against Ballyhaise.

It has been a remarkable rise for Knockbride, who secured promotion last season with a final win over Gowna before embarking on a historic campaign that culminated in All-Ireland Intermediate club glory.

Under new management of Crosserlough man Paul Cahill, the side captained by Sarah McCabe has retained every member of last season’s starting team. While the return of Janelle McCabe provides another major boost as she links up with her sister, Ulster Young Player of the Year, Gia McCabe.

Alongside Gia, Abby Reilly, who etched her name into the history books by scoring the first ever two-pointer in Cavan Ladies club championship football, and the prolific Abbi Connor ensure Knockbride possess one of the competition’s most potent attacking units.

Ballyhaise will be disappointed to have fallen just short in the division two league final after extra time a few weeks ago, but that performance underlined the quality and character within their squad.

Exciting youngsters Doireann Brady and Pearl Gilmartin have impressed throughout the season, while Lucy Jayne Grant has been among the side’s leading scorers. Despite the absence of Ellie Brady and Clodagh Clarke, Ballyhaise will be determined to prove they belong amongst the county’s elite, with joint captains Sinead Moore and Eimear Rudden, along with county U20 captain Alex Peters, expected to play pivotal roles for Adrian Furey’s team, who failed to make the knock-out stages last season.

Group B

In group B last year’s beaten finalists Crosserlough begin their championship campaign at home against Killygarry, looking to replicate their recent division one league success over the same opposition. Having secured a comprehensive 3-24 to 1-02 victory in the final just weeks ago, Crosserlough, under the new management of local man Johnny Crowe, will enter the clash full of confidence as they aim to make an early statement.

Despite being without the services of tenacious defender Christina Charters, the Kilnaleck outfit still possess plenty of winning pedigree, with county captain Shauna Lynch, Muireann Cusack, Lorna O’Reilly, Ciara Boylan and Kate Smith providing leadership and experience. County minor stars Maria Lynch and Kayla O’Reilly further strengthen their attacking options as Crosserlough look to begin their championship campaign on a positive note.

For Killygarry, the challenge is to quickly recover from that heavy 26-point defeat and put that result behind them as they also look to get their championship campaign off to a winning start.

Last season, they were edged out by Lurgan after extra time in the semi-final and will be hoping to progress even further this year.

Barney Breen and Ciaran Maxwell remain at the helm, with Killygarry boasting a star-studded forward line featuring Catriona and Geraldine Smith, Aisling Walls, Mai Donohoe, Deirbhile Lynch and Ally Cahill.

At the opposite end of the field, Ailbhe Kennedy and Sinead Levingstone provide leadership in defence, while Elaine Walsh adds further strength between the posts. With both sides drawn in a highly competitive group, this opening clash is a crucial one, with victory vital for either team to keep their hopes of securing a semi-final place firmly alive.

The same can be said for the meeting of Mullahoran and Lacken with both sides aware of the importance of starting their championship campaign with a victory. Mullahoran will enter the contest full of confidence following their division two league final triumph, while Lacken will be eager to put a disappointing league campaign behind them after suffering relegation from division one.

Seanie Smith remains in charge of Mullahoran who exited the competition at the semi-final stage last season after gaining promotion the season before. Captained by Aishling Sheridan, the team will be aiming to go one step further this year and challenge for championship honours with their ambitions boosted by a strong contingent of senior and underage county players past and present.

Fainche Higgins is a huge asset between the sticks whilst Mona Sheridan, Bernadine Brady and Annie Deneher have all impressed to date in the 2026 club season.

Six-time champions, Lacken, once again managed by Conor Gilsenan and captained by Roisin O’Keeffe, have endured a difficult 2026 campaign so far, with injuries hampering their ability to build momentum during the division one league. O’Keeffe remains a constant threat in attack but will be without her usual attacking partner Erinn Galligan for this year’s championship campaign.

If Lacken are to progress to the knock-out stages, they will need big performances from emerging talents Annie Crowe, Holly Forde Peat and Eimear Gannon, while Lucy Crowe, Joanne Moore and the McInerney sisters will be crucial in providing stability, experience and leadership in defence.

With every point likely to prove crucial in the race for the semi-finals an intriguing opening weekend awaits. Every team will be eager to lay down an early marker knowing that a winning start could prove invaluable in the battle to secure a place in the last four.