Armagh Senior Football Club Championship 2026

The Armagh Senior Football Club Championship is the county’s most fiercely contested sporting event - sixteen clubs, months of Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons, and at the end of it all, one team lifts the county title. If you have any connection to Armagh GAA, or if you simply want to see high-quality club football in a county that takes the game very seriously, this is the championship to follow. The 2026 edition gets underway on the weekend of 15-18 August and runs through to the final later in the autumn. Adults pay around GBP 5 at the gate.

What to expect

Sixteen clubs are drawn into four groups of four. Group A has Killeavy, Clan na Gael, Culloville and Maghery. Group B is Madden, Mullaghbawn, Cullyhanna and Pearse Ogs. Group C features the county’s most decorated club, Crossmaglen Rangers, alongside Silverbridge, Granemore and St Peter’s. Group D has reigning champions Clann Eireann, plus Armagh Harps, Carrickcruppen and Dromintee.

The format is straightforward: the top team in each group goes straight to the quarter-finals; second and third-placed sides enter a preliminary knockout round; the bottom team goes home. Games at this stage are played at club grounds across the county rather than centralised venues, so the atmosphere tends to be partisan and close - the kind where you are standing beside the players’ families on the sideline.

Clann Eireann come in as champions having beaten Clan na Gael in the 2025 final, with Conor Turbitt among their most dangerous forwards. Crossmaglen Rangers - who hold 47 county titles, more than any other club in Armagh - will have Rian O’Neill and Paul Hughes leading their challenge. The opening weekend alone will give you a clear picture of where the power lies.

Getting there

Most group matches are played at club grounds scattered across County Armagh. Check the fixtures on armaghgaa.net to find the specific ground for the match you want to attend. The city of Armagh itself is roughly 40 miles south-west of Belfast via the A1/M1 and about 90 miles north of Dublin. Translink run bus services from Belfast to Armagh city, and from there local knowledge or a car is useful for reaching outlying grounds. Parking at club grounds is typically in adjacent fields or roadside - arrive a little early to secure a spot before the crowd builds.

While you’re in Armagh

A GAA day out pairs well with a walk around Armagh city, with its two cathedrals - one Church of Ireland, one Catholic - facing each other from twin hilltops. The Armagh Planetarium and the Palace Stables Heritage Centre are both worth an hour of your time. There is more to see in Armagh and across Co. Armagh.

Good to know

• Championship opens the weekend of 15-18 August 2026; knockout rounds and final run through to autumn
• Entry: approximately GBP 5 for adults at club grounds
• Full fixture list, venues and times at armaghgaa.net
• Matches are at various club grounds across the county - check the fixture page before travelling
• The county final is held at BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh city