John O’Neill Sand and Gravel Ltd. Division 1 and Division 2 Roundups
John O’Neill Sand and Gravel Ltd. Division 1 and Division 2 Roundups
Division 1A League
St Josephs and Ardee St Marys will contest the 2026 Cardinal O’Donnell Cup Final after impressive league campaigns saw them finish first and second respectively.
Reigning league champions St Mochtas pushed hard to retain their crown but ultimately fell short of a final place following a heavy defeat away to Ardee two weeks ago. Dundalk Gaels will be delighted with a fourth-place finish in their first season back in the top flight, while Cooley Kickhams and Hunterstown Rovers also laid solid foundations ahead of the championship, producing consistent campaigns to finish fifth and sixth respectively.
Division 1B League
Current county champions Naomh Mairtin have stormed through Phase 2 of the league, finishing top on 22 points and underlining why they remain one of the county’s strongest sides.
Dreadnots secured their Division 1 status with games to spare, allowing them to shift their focus towards a challenging championship campaign. Following championship relegation last season, Geraldines will be pleased to have secured their senior league status once again, while St Patricks also did enough to retain their place in Division 1.
Mattock Rangers will now contest the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off against Dundalk Young Irelands, while Newtown Blues are relegated after finishing on nine points.
Division 2A League
Roche Emmets produced a near-perfect league campaign, securing the Division 2A title with games to spare and confirming themselves as worthy champions.
Dundalk Young Irelands have bounced back superbly following last year’s championship relegation. The Irelanders have arguably enjoyed the most impressive league campaign in the division and will be confident of completing their return to Division 1 through the promotion play-off.
Sean O’Mahonys narrowly missed out on second place to their town rivals but can take great confidence from an excellent return of 25 points from 16 games. St Fechins, St Brides and Kilkerley Emmets never quite mounted a serious promotion challenge but comfortably achieved their primary objective of securing Division 2 football again in 2027.
Division 2B League
Glen Emmets were unfortunate to miss out on the top six after Phase 1, but they responded in emphatic fashion by dominating Division 2B, finishing six points clear of St Kevin’s to underline their quality.
St Kevins, Stabannon Parnells and O’Raghallaighs all endured mixed league campaigns but, crucially, secured their intermediate league status and can now turn their full attention to the championship.
John Mitchels finished the league in outstanding form, going unbeaten in Phase 2 with four wins and a draw. Their late surge saw them move clear of the red zone and secure a play-off spot, where they will face the winners of the Division 3 Promotion Play-Off.
Oliver Plunketts are relegated to Division 3 after finishing the campaign on seven points.
PHOTOS: CIARAN CULLIGAN
