Armagh vs Donegal live score updates from the Ulster final

Irish Daily Mirror

10-05-2025

It's a clash of champions this evening as Armagh and Donegal meet in an blockbuster Ulster SFC final in Clones.
The Ulster champions are in one corner, while the All-Ireland victors are in the other. One team has the trophy the other covets.
The only other time the provincial and All-Ireland champions have met in the Ulster SFC was back in 2009 when Tyrone were the holders of the Sam Maguire and they defeated the-then Ulster champions Armagh by three points in Clones.
Kieran McGeeney's men got the better of the Red Hands in St Tiernach's Park in this season's semi-finals.
Indeed, if they win their first Ulster title since 2008, they would face a quick rematch with Malachy O'Rourke's men in the All-Ireland series, joining Mayo and Cavan in Group One.
The losers will join Galway, Dublin and Derry in what has been dubbed the 'Group of Death' and will face the Oak Leafers at home in round one.
As if these teams needed any extra incentive to win? They met three times last season with a kick of a ball separating the teams. The League game in the Box-It Athletic Grounds was a draw with Donegal winning the Division Two final by one point in Croke Park.
Last year's provincial decider went to penalties and Michael Murphy's return, coupled with a red card to Aidan Forker, ensured Donegal kept the upper hand on Armagh when they locked horns in Ballybofey in February.
Today's Ulster final is likely to go right down to the wire and, perhaps, over it and we'll have all the latest build-up and team news ahead of throw-in.
Ulster SFC Final: Armagh 0-20 Donegal 0-20 (Donegal win 6-5 on penalties)
Armagh suffered a second successive Ulster SFC final defeat on penalties as Donegal clinched the Anglo Celt Cup after a dramatic and pulsating decider in Clones.
As the thunder rolled before throw-in an almighty downpour forced the player to rush to the sideline for gloves midway through the first half before the sun broke out in the second half. The weather changed several times throughout the game, but Armagh's luck in penalty shootouts remains the same.
The Orchard County were four points ahead in when Stefan Campbell fired over his second point from play, but they were reeled in by Donegal.
Niall O'Donnell, Oisin Gallen (free) and Jason McGee left it a one-point game before Paddy McBrearty, sprung from the bench in the second half, kicked the 30th point of the game to force extra-time.
Tiernan Kelly had a late opportunity to win the game, but his mark was wide and Donegal took the lead in the opening moments of extra-time via a McBrearty free.
Scores from Aidan Nugent and Andrew Murning had Armagh ahead in extra-time with Nugent (free) and Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí exchanging scores before Peadar Mogan levelled the game once more on the restart.
Armagh opened up a two-point cushion and looked to be on course for victory as Oisin O'Neill landed a fine score before Nugent scored his third.
Yet again, Armagh couldn't close the game out as Daire Ó Baoill and Odhran Doherty scored to bring the game to penalties.
Remarkably, the first 10 penalties were all successfully converted with Donegal's Ciaran Thompson, Aaron Doherty, Michael Langan, Jason McGee and Ó Baoill all on target as were Armagh's Shane McPartlan, Oisin Conaty, Conor Turbitt, Aidan Nugent and Tiernan Kelly.
Patton got close to saving Kelly's effort and, after Doherty gave Donegal the advantage, he denied McPartlan's second penalty to seal Donegal's first Ulster title since 2019.
Armagh scorers: Conor Turbitt 0-4, Aidan Nugent 0-3 (0-1f), Ben Crealey 0-2 (0-1m), Stefan Campbell 0-2, Oisin Conaty 0-2, Andrew Murnin 0-2, Ciaran Mackin 0-1, Rory Grugan 0-1, Aidan Forker 0-1, Rian O'Neill 0-1 (0-1m), Oisin O'Neill 0-1.
Donegal scorers: Oisin Gallen 0-6 (0-2f), Niall O'Donnell 0-2, Paddy McBrearty 0-2 (0-1f), Shane O'Donnell 0-2, Daire Ó Baoill 0-2, Peadar Mogan 0-2, Jason McGee 0-1, Michael Langan 0-1, Odhran Doherty 0-1, Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí 0-1.
Rian O'Neill is at St Tiernach's Park. . and maybe not as a spectator! The Crossmaglen ace hasn't played for the Orchard County this season, but arrived with the team.
It remains unclear whether or not he'll be added to the match-day squad ahead of the game, but his return could be a huge boost to the All-Ireland champions.
In November 1925, John F O'Hanlon, the Managing Director of the The Anglo-Celt newspaper in Cavan and a former vice president of the Ulster Council, presented the council with a cup to be given to the winners of the Ulster SFC.
Fittingly, Cavan were the champions of that year and given with the trophy and they retained the title in 1926 with Jim Smith being the first captain to be presented with the trophy after the Ulster Final.
The original cup was replaced with the new one in 1963 and both will be on display in Clones today and will be brought out onto the field ahead of throw-in by Ulster GAA president Michael Geoghegan and Johnny O'Hanlon, the grandson of John F O'Hanlon.
Cavan remain the most successful team in the history of the Ulster Championship with 40 victories, well clear of Monaghan and Tyrone on 16.
A win for Armagh today would move them on to 15 Ulster titles while Donegal are bidding for their 12th, which would move them level with Down on the roll of honour.