Ulster rivalries

Since football began in 2003 it seems Tyrone have been pre-emiment in Ulster - with Armagh a close second. God be with the days when the Breffni were the Kingpins - this year maybe!! Down then had national admiration in the 60s before the 90s changed all - and forever. So the history may not be there to have 'nasty' rivalry but the Armagh-Down **** licking going on here surprises me - I thought they didn't like each other at all!! Well all know nobody likes Derry and Antrim are the latest fad - the new PS3 or whatever. Monaghan is a great place - with all the towns bypassed - Donegal is great - for the holidays - except Bundoran. And Fermanagh - well - Fermanagh... So who hates who? Is there anyone you really hate to see winning?

Antrim - I dont mind. One of the folks is from there and I now live here.
Down - A little bit of banter, and haven't met any fans from Down that have been bad winners or losers.
Tyrone - Have met a fan at uni who was a complete ********. But not going to apply it to the rest of Tyrone. This isn't exactly a huge rivalry, has only been the last decade. Still like to see them do well, just not at Armagh's expense.
Derry - A few freinds from here, nice people but I know of a lot of fans that don't like the team.
Donegal - I do enjoy getting one over on them....cousins from there and there is a lot of winding up. Especially this weekend
Cavan - They are my joint second favourite team. Went to see Cavan vs Armagh in 2008 and some of their fans knew more about the Armagh team than they did their own.
Monaghan - would like to see them do well definitely, always been fair and enjoyable contests against them.
Fermanagh - The one county I do not like in any shape or form.

I have HATED Down from 1961.

Derry would have been my second favourite side.

Fermanagh you ignore (far too often for Antrim's good)

Armagh never really came into view until a few years ago

As my friend said with passion at the Willie Clancy week in Clare last year when the Kilkenny ones attacked a few Tyrone men "NO-ONE could like Tyrone. You just couldn't"

The other three don't count, for real inter tribal rivalry.

I dislike all Ulster counties apart from Armagh. Still prefer them to the rest of Ireland with the exception of Meath

Tyrone have a border with Armagh, Derry, Donegal, Fermanagh and Monaghan, and who your biggest rivals are really depends where in the county you live.

As a rule of thumb, Derry would be the frostiest rivalry, and those would be the defeats that hurt the most. Armagh was always a friendly rivalry, and while the success of both in recent years has heightened that a little, it is still good-natured.

Tyrone & Donegal was never really much of a rivalry, similarly Monaghan, who would traditionally be more concerned with Cavan.

Fermanagh like the idea of a rivalry with Tyrone, but much in the same way that Fulham do with Chelsea.

I am from Armagh town (City), our biggest (nearest)rivals would be Tyrone. As TC says though it is good natured, i like Donegal, Derry, Antrim, Cavan and Monaghan. Cannot stand Fermanagh supporters, wouldnt be too fussed on Down either.

Definately the main rivalry with us would be Cavan down the years, always a good bit of banter amongst the fans and always nice to record a win over them. They love to remind us of our lack of success at AI level, while we love to remind them how long it is since their "glory days". In fairness though, at least they had glory days...

As TC says rivalries depend on what counties you border, and the other ones bordering us are Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armagh. Fermanagh would be a bit of a mini-rivalry I suppose, in my experience it's only really been going proper for about 10 years, with us meeting a few good times(with us on the receiving end of a few bad beatings which weren't nice). Some of them have been hard to listen to in this time though it has to be said. It's my mother's county which has led to alot of slagging in the house over these years!
Tyrone, I've never really thought of as a real rivalry, our fans would get on better than with those of the other counties mentioned in my experience, and there wouldn't be the same level of slagging etc.
Armagh matches are always interesting encounters with a bit of spice, there'd be a rivalry there alright but not as old as the Cavan one. I'd be from just beside the Armagh border so these matches have interested me the most than any other I suppose. We've had alot of meetings over the last ten years or so and while we used to be fairly even success-wise, Armagh pulled way ahead with all their success in the 00's and are usually only worried about Tyrone, so that rivalry probably means more to us than them now.

As far as the rest of the Ulster counties are concerned, I'd generally like them. Derry I suppose are the one county you could talk about given the amount of times we've played recently and the so-called "bad blood" there was after the game last year, but I usually like the way they play and like to see them do well. Donegal similarly, never had any issues with them and like their brand of football. We haven't really met Antrim much so wouldn't have much to say about them but it's great to see them improving so much, and Down are on the up aswell, always a tough team to play against and I've had good craic with their fans in the past.

For the West of Cavan the Fermanagh rivalry is the most intense.. They chanted in our faces around the pubs in Ballyconnel and Swad when they went on the good run in 2004.. That got us riled up as half of that bandwagon wouldn't know whether the ball was pumped or stuffed..
They wrote us off last year as they went to Breffni expecting another Ulster final and Cavan were to be just brushed aside. History, thankfully, is hard to break and harder to make and they failed to record a first ever Championship win over us, even the patented "Keep with them for 60 minutes and stick on Barry to win it even though he can barely walk" failed to work for them.
They get another chance in 2010.. Time will tell..

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Since football began in 2003 it seems Tyrone have been pre-emiment in Ulster - with Armagh a close second.

Wrong. Since football began, Armagh have the edge, 4-3. Armagh have been the best Ulster team of recent times, but Tyrone have been more adaptable to the style of play from other teams around the country, hence their greater success in the All-Ireland.

From talking to some friends of mine from Ulster, it seems being beaten by Armagh really sickens the Donegal ones, and Derry are competing with Armagh for biggest rivals with Tyrone. Intertwining rivalry is probably the best term for what goes on in Ulster!

Sawyer wrote:Wrong. Since football began, Armagh have the edge, 4-3. Armagh have been the best Ulster team of recent times

Good (and brave) man Sawyer - now quick - dive under that table ....

Least Favourite in the following order -

1. Derry - The parish I live in borders the sixtowns in Derry (ballinascreen) An area that boasted many Dublin flags in '95 but i suppose who could blame them after we beat them with 13 men on that wonderful day in Clones. Enjoy the friendly banter. It is alot easier now as a Tyronie having 3 All Ireland titles to Derry's hungry one title. Pre 2003 it was a nightmare though.

2. Armagh - Again this is friendly recent rivalry. Have a lot of respect for the south of the county and wouldn't be all that struck on a small minority of the North Armagh support but generally they're not too bad and pleasant losers. Armagh won many battles but i suppose we won the War.

3. Donegal - Always found that Tyrone mostly strugglled to get by Donegal. '04 springs to mind and the 89 Ulster final was tight going.

4. Down - For some reason Down people seem to despise Tyrone but always had great respect for them myself and always find them tough opposition. Their supporters tend to be a miserable outfit with every car loaded with picnics and you'd never get a sniff of a sangwich off them.

5. Fermanagh - My first memory of being at a Tyrone match was the semi final against Fermanagh in 82 I think in which the swampies beat us. Thankfully there hasn't been a repeat of that or it would be a living hell for those in trillick or Dromore

6. Monaghan - Love the Monaghan people and remember some great league games in the late 90's with Nudie Hughes and Co.

7. Antrim - Never really experienced many encounters with Antrim bar maybe a drawn match in round '87. Had great craic with their supporters in Clones last year. Think we'll just about scrape by them this year too.

8. Cavan - Don't mind Cavan folk at all, very friendly bunch and met some great Cavan lads and lassies when I lived in the states. Great to see them winning Ulster in '97 and their supporters deserve another few big days in the sun. Sleeping giant of our games in my opinion and of course the GT team of the 2010.

One thing I have realised over the NFL is that teams in previous years I would have wanted to meet in Ulster such as Antrim, Down, Monaghan and Donegal. But now there isn't that buffer between the teams. Maybe Cavan and Fermanagh are the teams that nobody would be bothered about, but it is only going to be a matter of time before one of these teams start doing some damage.

Down would have been seen as a stern test, but now a team that are up and coming so shouldn't be seen as an easy game. Antrim have become a serious outfit as last year prove, the excellent form has continued this year too. Monaghan, Derry, Down and Armagh are probarbly at the same level but would say Armagh have the slight advantage over Monaghan and Derry as they have a young team and two great forwards. Donegal, after the game against Armagh has the team ran out of steam? Are they in a free fall? Or do they need a new manager? Tyrone still the top dog in Ulster untill another county proves otherwise. Fermanagh aren't even on the radar. Not too sure what to make of Cavan, are they going nowhere?

My rankings for Ulster would be...

1. Tyrone.
=2. Armagh and Down.
=3. Monaghan and Derry.
4. Antrim.
5. Donegal.
6. Cavan.
7. Fermanagh.

Its not so much who hates who, but how much you want to beat eachother. Personally Ive always wanted (but rarely seen) Down to get one over on Armagh! Having gone to school with the men and witnessed past pupils bringing Sam back to the school when they first won it, us Down men stood in the corner applauding begrudgingly. Getting one over on Armagh is sweet, especially saying as you will find an Armagh supporter nessled into every town and villiage in Down.

Next would be Tyrone because Down v Tyrone always seems to be a real cracker. The ulster final a few years ago which finished in a draw (before Tyrone walked the replay) was incredible and the championship game there which Down won after extra time in the replay at Esler Park was a tight thrilling match. Plus you have the added bonus of being able to hate half of their players as they're a shower of hatefull b******s! That said, most of my favourite players are Tyrone men (Peter Canavan, Dooher etc)!

Then next on the hate scale in Donegal. Its a proper drive from south Down to Ballybofey and then I have found that I hate Donegal supporters! This is something I find strange because the Gaeltacht region of Donegal has some of the nicest people you'll ever meet!

Derry have to be next because they're always a hard team to play. You never get it easy in Celtic Park! You'll know you've been in a game. I still hear old men sitting in pubs discussing Down v Derry in the early 90's ("That was Downs all ireland final right there. If you wan' learn anythin' 'bou football you sit and watch video of that game!")

The rest come under the same category. They are the banana skin teams that you have no real hate for. Christ you pitied Antrim up until recent years when they had their wee run and put it up to Kerry.

hogan2010 wrote:Its not so much who hates who, but how much you want to beat eachother. Personally Ive always wanted (but rarely seen) Down to get one over on Armagh! Having gone to school with the men and witnessed past pupils bringing Sam back to the school when they first won it, us Down men stood in the corner applauding begrudgingly. Getting one over on Armagh is sweet, especially saying as you will find an Armagh supporter nessled into every town and villiage in Down.

Next would be Tyrone because Down v Tyrone always seems to be a real cracker. The ulster final a few years ago which finished in a draw (before Tyrone walked the replay) was incredible and the championship game there which Down won after extra time in the replay at Esler Park was a tight thrilling match. Plus you have the added bonus of being able to hate half of their players as they're a shower of hatefull b******s! That said, most of my favourite players are Tyrone men (Peter Canavan, Dooher etc)!

Then next on the hate scale in Donegal. Its a proper drive from south Down to Ballybofey and then I have found that I hate Donegal supporters! This is something I find strange because the Gaeltacht region of Donegal has some of the nicest people you'll ever meet!

Derry have to be next because they're always a hard team to play. You never get it easy in Celtic Park! You'll know you've been in a game. I still hear old men sitting in pubs discussing Down v Derry in the early 90's ("That was Downs all ireland final right there. If you wan' learn anythin' 'bou football you sit and watch video of that game!")

The rest come under the same category. They are the banana skin teams that you have no real hate for. Christ you pitied Antrim up until recent years when they had their wee run and put it up to Kerry.

Good man Hogan 2010.

when I was young I pitied Down, and hoped that someday they might win an Ulster title.

After years and years they did.

Now they even have one more than Antrim, at football.