CARR AND CO DONE' WITH WAITING AS ARMAGH LOOM IN THE ULSTER FINAL

THEY HAVE had a long wait since the end of their Lidl National Football League Division 2 campaign, but Niamh Carr and Donegal return to competitive action at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones today.

- By DAIRE WALSH

A little under six weeks ‘on from finishing their NFL journey for 2025 with a narrow defeat to Cork in Ballyshannon, they face Armagh in the TG4 Ulster Senior Championship decider (3pm).

Originally due to take place next weekend, this fixture was brought forward to form a double-header with the Ulster men’s final featuring the same two counties in Clones.

The anticipation is that a total of 29,000 spectators (i.e. a full capacity crowd) will pass through the turnstiles of St Tiernach's Park over the course of the day. Having witnessed first hand the impact a joint billing can have for the female code, Carr is hopeful there will be a healthy attendance for their curtain-raising clash.

“It has been a long enough spell between the last League game and the Ulster final. We kind of knew that at the start of the year. It was nice to get a good enough finish to the League and we've been working very hard. Trying to get challenge games in when we can, to keep up our match skills,” said Carr.

“We've had a few double headers before, but we haven't had one for an Ulster final. We definitely have noticed with the double headers that it does bring a bigger crowd in.