A young side which has shown progress, Donegal started the year strongly by winning Division Two, but suffered the setback of not reaching the Ulster final

After upsetting the odds to reach the final in 2024, a last-second free saw them dragged to extra-time by Dublin, who overcame the Tribeswomen.

Donlon was key for their defence as they defeated Leinster rivals Meath in the final to win another Brendan Martin Cup, her second, along with the 203 triumph.

From tight margins in semi-finals to injuries to key players, luck has not been on Armagh's side in recent years.

In new territory in Division Two, Mayo just missed out on promotion, while they put in a positive performance in defeat to Galway in the Connacht final.

In 2025, Kerry, for the first time since 1993, were the team being hunted down by the chasing pack, where they were defeated by Meath in the semi-finals.

It is another season where huge numbers of ladies' footballers will be playing in the AFLW, with 44 Irish players currently on squad lists for the 2026 season – up from 39 last year.

Caffrey was crucial to Dublin winning another Brendan Martin  Cup last year, with a big defensive display key to their win over Meath in the final.

The suite of changes will now be enacted into rule and apply instantly for all adult intercounty championships at provincial and national levels.

After the men's side defeated Longford in the Division Four final in March, the ladies' footballers take on Leitrim in Sunday's Division Four final.

Donegal finished second in Division Two and will face fellow Ulster side Cavan in the final on Saturday in Clones.

Crucial to that famous day was captain Michelle Guckian, who admitted it was difficult to come down from the excitement of winning the All-Ireland.

In the last 12 months, the men's side ended their wait for a Leinster championship, as they defeated Meath in Croke Park.

Antrim lost out to Louth last August, and they will play the Leinster side once again in Saturday's Division Three final on Saturday in Crossmaglen.

After gaining promotion from Division Two last season, Cork have made a statement early this year as they suffered one defeat and qualified with a game to go.

Finishing top with a game to spare, Cavan were one of the stories of the league campaign, as they take on Donegal at St Tiernan's Park in Clones on Saturday.

Laois player Eimear Barry showed up to present awards

While teams have tactically improved over the years, this has also brought defensive structures that were hard to break down and not easy on the eye for spectators

A league that has been growing in Irish interest through the last decade, Ladies Footballers have been making their mark in Australia.

LIDL National Football League Division 3 Rd 5

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In Division 1A, it is a repeat of the 2025 All-Ireland final and the League final, as Cork host Tipperary.

LAOIS ladies began their Division 3 campaign with a draw against Fermanagh in Heywood Community School on Sunday. It was a closely contested match in which Laois were six points down at one stage but also led by four points at another.

LIDL LGFA National League Division 3 Rd 1 Laois 3-13 Fermanagh 3-13 Stephen Duff’s Laois ladies welcomed Fermanagh to Heywood CS after Emo GAA was deemed unplayable upon inspection on Saturday.

For now, the All-Ireland winner is enjoying some downtime.

For Nicola, between club and county commitments, she is on the pitch for nearly the full year, but the thought of an All-Ireland with her county continues to drive her on.

Sitting in the stadium as Kerry were defeated in the Intermediate final, O'Leary said she was “heartbroken” for her old teammates and vowed to return this season.

Mackin has been playing for Melbourne Rebels, alongside her sister Blaithain, since 2023.

From the drama of the two-pointer to the open games of having three players in the other end of the pitch at all times, the men's game was transformed by the rule changes in 2025.

Intermediate county champions in the Kingdom back in 2018, the Tralee-based outfit defeated Finuge/St Senans at Denis Dowling Park, Coolard on September 28th to reach their maiden Kerry LGFA senior championship showpiece.

LOETB Laois LGFA Intermediate Football Final  Graiguecullen 4-14 St Brigid’s 1-6 GRAIGUECULLEN made history in Annanough GAA on Saturday evening as they powered past St Brigid’s to capture their first ever Intermediate Championship title.

THE Portlaoise Junior footballers are preparing for a huge showdown as they face Killeshin in this year’s LOETB Laois LGFA county final.

Killeshin are back in the LOETB Junior county final for the second year in a row, eager to right the wrongs of 2024 when they suffered a heartbreaking one-point defeat to St Paul’s in Annanough.

LOETB Laois LGFA Senior Football Championship s/f St Conleth’s 2-11 Ballyroan 0-8 THIS year’s Laois LGFA SFC county final will be a repeat of last year’s after St Conleth’s defeated Ballyroan on Saturday evening to get revenge, having lost by six ...

LOETB Laois LGFA Senior Football Championship Q/F Sarsfields 7-13 Timahoe 2-11 Sarsfields have booked their spot in the semi-finals after a comprehensive win over Timahoe in Mountmellick GAA on Sunday evening.

After losing out to Galway in the 2024 quarter-finals, Dublin bounced back to defeat Meath in August in Croke Park.

LOETB Ladies SFC Gr B Rd 3 Portlaoise 6-10 Park/Ratheniska 0-3 PORTLAOISE are straight through to the semi-finals of this year’s LOETB Laois LGFA Senior Championship after they comfortably dispatched of Park/Ratheniska on Saturday evening.

LOETB LGFA SFC Gr A Rd 3 Timahoe 5-15 Shanahoe 2-8 TIMAHOE have secured their place in the Laois Ladies SFC quarter-finals with a 15-point win over Shanahoe on home soil.

LGFA IFC Rd 3 Ballyfin 3-9 St Paul’s 1-11 BALLYFIN clinched their second win of their campaign after overcoming St Paul’s in Ballyfin on Friday night. The victors withstood a late comeback from St Paul’s to run out four-point winners.

GOALKEEPERS from Laois, Donegal, Galway, Meath and Roscommon have been nominated for the 2025 ZuCar Golden Glove award. Among those five is Eimear Barry who had an outstanding year for Laois in their march to Al-Ireland glory.

LAOIS were left heartbroken on the pitch at Croke Park on Sunday afternoon as the final hooter sounded, signalling the beginning of Tyrone’s All-Ireland celebrations and the end of Laois’s dream.

CROKE Park has been the scene of so many historic and enjoyable days for Laois in recent years, and while Sunday didn’t deliver silverware, it showed again just how much pride this group of girls continues to inspire.