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Antrim Ladies red hot favourites in Ulster Junior Final clash with derby rivals Derry

Antrim Ladies red hot favourites in Ulster Junior Final clash with derby rivals Derry

There's also a double-header at O'Neills Healy Park in Omagh for the TG4 Ulster Finals, with Antrim up against Derry in the Junior Final, while holders Down will take on Cavan in the Intermediate game.
The Junior decider sees neighbours Antrim and Derry go head-to-head for the title which the Saffrons last won in 2022 and the Oak Leafs in 2018.
Antrim will start the game as red-hot favourites. They and Galway are the only unbeaten teams in the country at inter-county level in 2025 and have carried their stunning Lidl National League form into the Championship.
They won seven out of seven in the group phase of Division Four, clinching promotion comfortably in the process, before sealing silverware against Fermanagh.
In the round-robin series of the Ulster Championship, Antrim racked up 4-12 against Derry in Round 1, before putting 4-21 past London.
Derry will hope to be more competitive this time but it's difficult to see past Antrim in this one.
Looking ahead, and having suffered relegation from the Intermediate ranks last year, Antrim will be a force to be reckoned with in the All-Ireland series.
Meanwhile, Down will put their Intermediate crown on the line against an emerging Cavan outfit.
Cavan are on the crest of a wave in recent times. Underage inter-county success has been achieved and Lidl All-Ireland post-primary school titles have been collected, which bodes well for the future.
In the present, Cavan are basking in the glory of promotion back to Division Two of the Lidl National League, and Division Three silverware, and they've looked good in the Ulster to date also.
Cavan achieved an impressive four-point Semi-Final victory over Monaghan, with captain Shauna Lynch starring at the back, while Lauren McVeety and elusive inside forward Aisling Gilsenan also sparkled.
Down have also improved as the season has progressed. They finished three points adrift of a promotion place in Division Three and lost by 1-8 to 3-15 when they faced Cavan in the League.
But an Ulster Semi-Final victory over Tyrone, a team who played Division One Football this year, provided clear evidence that Down won't give up their provincial crown without a fight.
Eimear Fitzpatrick was in scintillating form on the day, scoring 1-5, including the winning point, as Down overturned a three-point deficit to emerge victorious by the bare minimum (2-10 to 1-12).
With plenty of survivors from last year's Ulster Final, Down have bags of experience to call upon.
There's also a Leinster Final double-header at TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar, with the Junior decider featuring Carlow and Louth followed by the Intermediate showpiece between Laois and Westmeath.

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