The Monday Club

The championship is officially upon us – and we are back with the first of two episodes of The Monday Club this week.Old foes Armagh and Tyrone get the ball rolling in Sunday’s mouth-watering Ulster SFC preliminary clash, and that is the focus of Monday’s podcast.Irish News GAA journalists Cahair O’Kane and Kenny Archer join Neil Loughran to pick over the history of one of Ulster football’s most enduring rivalries, as well as picking their favourite moments from those famous Noughties battles.And then there’s the big one at the Athletic Grounds - will Niall Morgan return between the sticks? Armagh’s support is a huge factor, but why has Tyrone’s fallen away? Can the Red Hands upset the odds despite a difficult league campaign?Kenny isn’t so sure but Cahair offers some hope after looking a little closer at what went wrong, and what went right, in Division Two.Meanwhile, Wednesday’s subscriber-only pod is not to be missed as Neil and Cahair are joined by ex-Donegal captain Kevin Cassidy and former Armagh star – and regular Monday Club guest - Stefan Campbell for a championship preview special, considering the lay of the land in Ulster and beyond ahead of the big throw-in.IN ASSOCIATION WITH FIND INSURANCE NIFind Insurance NI has been supporting Northern Ireland businesses for 50 years, building a strong reputation for commercial insurance expertise and trusted service across the region.We started here, we stayed here, and we’ve grown with the local business community — working with companies of all sizes.Call 08000 126 367 or visit findinsuranceni.co.uk, Facebook or LinkedIn.

On this week’s show Paul McConville and Cahair O’Kane dissect the weekend’s National Football League finals and question whether they are still fit for purpose.There’s also talk on the merits or otherwise of the hooter for timekeeping. How effective can it be when you still retain the human element of the referee?Then, for the main event, we set about trying to pick out best football 15 from current players, with the caveat that we can only include one player from each county.It’s a lot harder than it looks and the burning questions is who would be brave/stupid enough to leave out David Clifford?Spoiler alert. Someone did.IN ASSOCIATION WITH FIND INSURANCE NI Find Insurance NI has been supporting Northern Ireland businesses for 50 years, building a strong reputation for commercial insurance expertise and trusted service across the region. We started here, we stayed here, and we’ve grown with the local business community — working with companies of all sizes. Call 08000 126 367 or visit findinsuranceni.co.uk , Facebook or LinkedIn 

On this week’s show Neil Loughran is joined by Armagh legend Stefan Campbell and Irish News sports reporter Cahair O’Kane.The main focus this week turns to Galway, who appear to have assumed the ‘nearly men’ mantle from their Connacht rivals Mayo.Having lost two All-Ireland finals in the space of three year and constantly featuring at the business end of All-Ireland championships over the best part of the last decade, can the Tribesmen finally end their quarter-century wait for Sam Maguire?They also give their take on a frantic weekend of action in the National Football League, which saw Armagh stay up in Division One and Donegal book a final place with Kerry. IN ASSOCIATION WITH FIND INSURANCE NI Find Insurance NI has been supporting Northern Ireland businesses for 50 years, building a strong reputation for commercial insurance expertise and trusted service across the region. We started here, we stayed here, and we’ve grown with the local business community — working with companies of all sizes. Call 08000 126 367 or visit findinsuranceni.co.uk , Facebook or LinkedIn 

Neil Loughran and Paul McConville assess the state of play across the four divisions of the National Football League and the potential fate facing Ulster teams.They also take a closer look at Conor Laverty’s Down after the Mournemen secured promotion to Division Two with their win over Sligo on Sunday.We look at the improvements made under Laverty and why their situation could be a mirror image of their neighbours Armagh, whose faith in Kieran McGeeney eventually paid off.IN ASSOCIATION WITH FIND INSURANCE NI Find Insurance NI has been supporting Northern Ireland businesses for 50 years, building a strong reputation for commercial insurance expertise and trusted service across the region. We started here, we stayed here, and we’ve grown with the local business community — working with companies of all sizes. Call 08000 126 367 or visit findinsuranceni.co.uk , Facebook or LinkedIn 

On this week’s show, Neil Loughran and Cahair O’Kane are joined by special guest, Armagh GAA legend Stefan Campbell.‘Soupy’ - who helped the Orchard County lift the Sam Maguire in 2024 - chats about his careers in the orange jerseys.The Clan na Gael man gives unvarnished insights into his struggles, on and off the pitch and breaks down the training ground routines that came to fruition in the Orchardmen’s memorable 2024 All-Ireland final win over Galway.Campbell also says stepping away from Armagh for a year was one of the best decisions of his career.IN ASSOCIATION WITH FIND INSURANCE NIFind Insurance NI has been supporting Northern Ireland businesses for 50 years, building a strong reputation for commercial insurance expertise and trusted service across the region.We started here, we stayed here, and we’ve grown with the local business community — working with companies of all sizes.Call 08000 126 367 or visit findinsuranceni.co.uk , Facebook or LinkedIn 

On this week’s show, presenter Neil Loughran is joined by Cahair O’Kane and Andy Watters.They discuss the fallout from this weekend’s GAA Congress at Croke Park. Andy was our man on the ground and he gives an eyewitness account of the scenes which saw anti-Allianz protestors make their way into the main hall and confront GAA President Jarlath Burns. The panel discuss the Association’s ongoing relationship with Allianz and look at the challenges facing sporting organisations when it comes to finding sponsorship.We also cast the light on Gaelic football’s chasing pack and look at the teams who have impressed in the National League so far. IN ASSOCIATION WITH FIND INSURANCE NI Find Insurance NI has been supporting Northern Ireland businesses for 50 years, building a strong reputation for commercial insurance expertise and trusted service across the region. We started here, we stayed here, and we’ve grown with the local business community — working with companies of all sizes. Call 08000 126 367 or visit findinsuranceni.co.uk , Facebook or LinkedIn 

On this week’s show, Neil Loughran is joined by Cahair O’Kane and Kenny Archer to chat about the AFL and NFL, and how Australia and the United States can hold an irresistible attraction for young GAA players.The panel look at the success stories for Irish players Down Under, and those like Charlie Smyth who are attempting to carve out a career in the NFL.Also on this week’s episode, we look at attempts to make players and management more visible, and there’s praise for Kieran McGeeney whose post-match performances are almost more entertaining than the games.IN ASSOCIATION WITH FIND INSURANCE NI Find Insurance NI has been supporting Northern Ireland businesses for 50 years, building a strong reputation for commercial insurance expertise and trusted service across the region. We started here, we stayed here, and we’ve grown with the local business community — working with companies of all sizes. Call 08000 126 367 or visit findinsuranceni.co.uk , Facebook or LinkedIn 

Neil Loughran, Cahair O'Kane and Andy Watters chat about Armagh's prospects in 2026, and ask what expectations should surround Kieran McGeeney’s side. They also look at Antrim’s hurlers and what has gone wrong with the Glensmen under Davy Fitzgerald.