The GAA storylines to look out for in 2026

It would be inaccurate to say we are getting ready for a new season of Gaelic games because, as we know, it never really ends with competitions overlapping.

However, as we turn the page into 2026, there is much to look forward to after a year that saw new storylines written with the new rules in Gaelic football thrilling audiences after a bedding-in period.

It was a year in which the blue bloods returned to the podium, with Kerry winning a 39th title in football which completed a treble for the year after league and Munster success, while Tipperary emerged from the pack in hurling to bring Liam MacCarthy back to the Premier County.

In Ulster, Donegal made it back-to-back provincial titles but fell short against the Kingdom on football's biggest day, while Antrim's stint in the Leinster Hurling Championship came to an end with relegation back to the Joe McDonagh Cup.

It was also a magical year for Louth, who won their Leinster football title for the first time since 1957.

With all of that providing the backdrop, let's look at what there is to come in the new year.

Love them or loathe them, the early days of January 2025 felt so much quieter without the GAA's pre-season competitions which include Ulster's Dr McKenna and Conor McGurk Cups.

Although the argument of player burnout due to the condensed inter-county season was valid in terms of scrapping those competitions, it almost felt inexplicable to do so in a year when football introduced a host of new rules.

However, they are back and the hardcore fans will once again reach for the woolly hats scarves before venturing out to run their eye over some established names and new faces who will seek to make their mark.

It all begins on 2 January with the first games in football's Dr McKenna Cup and hurling's Conor McGurk Cup taking place, while the hurlers of Antrim and Down will also take part in the Leinster pre-season competitions.

Although silverware at this stage of the year isn't the be all and end all, building some momentum prior to the National Leagues which begin on 24/25 January is always welcome.

Early January is not just the preserve of inter-county action as there is still club matters to be resolved.

While Slaughtneil - Ulster's hurling representatives - bowed out of the All-Ireland semi-finals prior to Christmas, football's last-four ties take place on the first weekend of January.

Scotstown's thrilling extra-time win over Kilcoo in the Ulster decider All-Ireland semi-final date with Roscommon and Connacht champions St Brigid's at Breffni Park on Sunday, 4 January.

The previous day will see the first of the senior semi-finals take place in Cork between Dublin's Ballyboden St Enda's and Dingle from Kerry, with the two winners meeting in the final on Sunday, 18 January at Croke Park.

Ulster Intermediate winners Glenullin face Roscommon's Strokestown in their semi-final at Ballyshannon on Saturday, 3 January, while on the same day in the Junior semi-final, Tyrone side Clogher face Mayo's Kiltimagh in Carrick-on-Shannon.

The National Leagues return on the weekend of 24/25 January as counties seek to hit the ground running.

In football's Division One, Ulster have three representatives with Monaghan hosting Armagh in the opening round, while Donegal begin with a trip to Croke Park against Dublin who are now under the management of Ger Brennan.

Holders Kerry will welcome Mayo to Killarney as Jack O'Connor's men seek to pick up where they left off in 2025.

Three Ulster counties will seek to earn promotion from Division Two with Derry beginning with a trip to face Meath at Croke Park on 24 January as Tyrone host Kildare, while the following day will see Cavan open on the road against Cork.

Down and Fermanagh will battle for Division Three honours as Conor Laverty's Mourne outfit hosting Clare on the opening weekend, while Declan Bonner's first full game in charge of Fermanagh will take place in Enniskillen against Wexford.

Mark Doran is the man to guide Antrim in 2026 and his stated objective is to help his adopted county make up for last year's relegation as they open their Division Four campaign at home to Carlow in Toome.

In hurling, bother Antrim and Down will compete in Division 1B with Davy Fitzgerald's Saffrons tasked with a trip to face Wexford on 24 January, while Down are are also on the road with Carlow their destination.

The Ulster rivals will meet in Newry on Saturday, 21 March.

They will also meet in the opening round of the Joe McDonagh Cup with Antrim enjoying home advantage on Saturday, 18 April.

You can view the full list of league fixtures here.

At half-time in the 2025 All-Ireland football quarter-final, holders Armagh seemed in a decent place when leading Kerry by one point.

However, there was a storm brewing and the Kingdom suddenly found their mojo, tearing through Kieran McGeeney's side in the second period with 14 unanswered points rocking the Orchard men and paving the way for an eight-point win.

There was no looking back from there as Kerry's season, which had stuttered despite winning League and Munster titles, came alive.

They put Tyrone to the sword in the semi-final and then produced another masterclass in the final against Ulster champions Donegal to complete a clean sweep of trophies for the year.

Perhaps it took Kerry a while to fully adjust to the new rules, but once they found their groove, they were unstoppable and they will enter 2026 as favourites to continue that dominance.

With the Cliffords - Paudie and David - Seanie O'Shea, Joe O'Connor and Gavin White all starring in 2026, they will be confident of further success, but others will have something to say about that.

Donegal will feel they under-performed in the All-Ireland final and Jim McGuinness' men will be keen to make up for that disappointment, while Armagh, Tyrone, Galway and Dublin will all feel they can topple the Kingdom on their day.

In hurling, Tipperary enter 2026 with the target on their back following their All-Ireland triumph in July.

The race for the Liam MacCarthy Cup will have no Ulster representatives as Antrim suffered relegation back to the Joe McDonagh Cup where they will have Down for company following Ronan Sheehan's side earning promotion to the second grade.

Just as we were getting used to the group stage in the All-Ireland Football Championship and Tailteann Cup, the format has been changed once again.

It could well be a case of 'you don't know what you've got until it's gone' as the final round of group games in 2025 produced incredible drama.

However, changes were approved and for both competitions, the groups are no more.

The race for Sam Maguire will again be made up of 16 teams with eight of those slots taken by the provincial finalists, the next seven made up of the highest-ranked teams in the league and the final slot going to 2025 Tailteann Cup winners Kildare.

In place of the groups, there will instead be a qualifier series with an initial round of eight games. The winners will move into round 2A and the four winners of those games will advance into the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Those first round losers will play in round 2B and those four winners will meet the losers of 2A to decide the remaining four quarter-final slots.

The Tailteann Cup will follow a similar format.

Dublin were crowned All-Ireland ladies champions for 2025, making it two titles in three years with victory over Meath in the final.

They will seek to retain their title in 2026, but will face stiff competition from a host of challengers including the Royals, 2024 winners Kerry and Galway who have gone close in recent years.

Ulster's challengers for the top prize will be Armagh and Donegal who retained their senior status and the pair met in the Ulster final which went the way of the Orchard women.

In camogie, Galway returned to the top of the podium in 2025 with Down native Niamh Mallon playing a role, denying Cork a three-in-a-row and the Rebels will be keen to make amends with another Mourne native in Sorcha McCartan in their ranks.

Antrim and Down both fell at the semi-final stage of the Intermediate Championship, but the Saffrons did earn promotion up into Division 1A which will see them face the cream of the crop in 2026, while they also will seek to hang onto their Ulster title they won in 2025 with victory over Derry.

The managerial merry-go-round began in summer with some big moves in hurling and football.

In Ulster, there are four new faces guiding football fortunes with Derry appointing Ciaran Meenagh who takes over from Paddy Tally whose one-year stint ended with elimination at the group stage in 2025.

Meenagh knows the scene in the Oak Leaf County only too well, taking over on a temporary basis in 2023 and this time his appointment is permanent.

Former Donegal boss Declan Bonner has crossed county lines to take the reins in Fermanagh after Kieran Donnelly stepped down, while Mark Doran is now at the helm in Antrim, taking over from Andy McEntee who has taken up a coaching role in Monaghan.

Dermot McCabe has swapped Westmeath for his native Cavan in the wake of Raymond Galligan's departure, while former Donegal player Mark McHugh replaces McCabe in the Leinster county.

Elsewhere, Ger Brennan has also returned home as he is the new Dublin boss having led Louth to the 2025 Leinster title and his replacement in the Wee County is Tyrone's Gavin Devlin.

Andy Moran has taken over as Mayo boss, while in hurling, Ben O'Connor will seek to guide his native Cork to glory following the departure of Pat Ryan.