Scotstown and Kilcoo go head-to-head in the final of the Ulster Club SFC in Armagh this evening with much more than parish pride at stake
Ulster Club SFC final: Kilcoo (Down) vs Scotstown (Monaghan) (Saturday, 6.15pm, Box-It Athletic Grounds, live on TG4)
“FOOTBALL around Scotstown is like a religion.”
The words of Damien McArdle perfectly sum up what is at stake ahead of tonight’s Ulster Club SFC final against Kilcoo.
This is more than a game of football. The rural villages of Scotstown and Kilcoo will converge on Ireland’s ecclesiastical capital for the last provincial showdown of 2025.
“It’s all anybody’s going to be thinking, talking about,” continues McArdle, who’ll hope to become an Ulster Club winning captain tonight.
An Bhoth were Ulster winners back in 1989 while they completed a hat-trick of titles from 1978 to 1980.
It is those icons that Scotstown’s class of 2025 seek to emulate.
“Those boys judge us on how many Ulster clubs we have – hopefully after Saturday we’re fit to have something to talk back about,” said McArdle.
“You’d see them about training and that, around the shop or around the pubs. You’d definitely see them. It’d be just great to have something that we can talk to them about.”
This generation of Scotstown players must feel like they’ve paid their penance.
Despite winning an incredible 10 Monaghan SFC titles since 2013, they’ve yet to add to their tally of four Ulster Club crowns.
They’ve lost three provincial finals to Crossmaglen in 2015, to Gaoth Dobhair in 2018 (both after extra-time) and to Glen in 2023.
Yet, their most decent loss in Ulster is the one that stands out. At the semi-final stage last year, fans were promised a proper heavyweight battle, but the paying punters and those watching at home were short-changed as Kilcoo cantered to an 11-point victory at the Box-It Athletic Grounds.
“There was a lot of hurt there after last year. We didn’t perform,” reflected McArdle.
“I think that was the most disappointing thing. We didn’t turn up and play to what we were fit to. There were a couple of things that went against us. Rory (Beggan) saved the ball and it came off one of our boys and went into the net. And then there was another quick-fire goal.
“We sort of started chasing the game. We pushed out, trying to go after it and, in hindsight, it was probably the wrong thing to do. But at the time, it’s very hard to change that. So, look, that’s all learning curves.
“It’s great 12 months later that we’re fit to put ourselves in that situation again.
“But with the new rules, it will be a completely different game and it’ll be up to us to bring our ‘A’ game.”
Saturday night’s rematch ought to be a closer affair than last season’s meeting between the sides, if nothing else, and there’s reason to think these two teams could serve up a thriller.
There are potential game-winners scattered across both teams.
Kilcoo had 10 different scores against Erne Gaels with Micéal Rooney, Ceilum Doherty, Shealan Johnston and the evergreen Paul Devlin all plundering goals.
Ultan Kelm and Eoin McElholm are two of the brightest attacking talents in UIster. Both have been courted by AFL clubs in recent times.
In two games in the Ulster series they scored a combined 0-2 against Kilcoo’s defence. Indeed, Kilcoo have conceded just 1-21 in two outings while Scotstown shipped 0-16 against Naomh Conaill and 2-20 in 80 minutes against Newbridge.
While Aaron Branagan is struggling to be fit for the Magpies, Scotstown were able to give Monaghan star Conor McCarthy valuable game-time against Newbridge.
David McCague can ill-afford to be shorn of such a talent. While Mattie Maguire has been excellent in recent outings, Scotstown will need a big game from Jack McCarron if they are to prevail.
He scored just one point from play against Newbridge and is likely to have Ryan McEvoy for company tonight.
Rory Beggan’s restarts are an obvious weapon for Scotstown, but Niall Kane is no slouch in that department either.
This year’s Ulster Club series has already been delayed by six days because of the weather and the elements are likely to play a massive part with heavy rain and strong winds forecast for Armagh City.
It took a wonder score from Errigal Ciaran’s Peter Óg McCartan in injury-time to deny Kilcoo in last season’s Ulster Club final. Roscommon and Connacht champions St Brigid’s await the winners in the All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final in the first weekend of 2026.
The pilgrims of Scotstown will be praying it is finally their day to bring the Seamus McFerran Cup back to north Monaghan, but football is a religion in Kilcoo too and it will take something special to deny them again.
