Senior and Intermediate club leagues set for 2026 revamp

THE All County Leagues will be restructured in the 2026 season at both Senior and Intermediate level following a vote of club delegates at a monthly meeting at the Tyrone GAA Centre at Garvaghey last Tuesday evening.

Last season the All County Leagues came to a belated end on the cusp of Christmas with Dungannon Clarkes’ Division One final victory over Carrickmore, and it was broadly recognised that the protracted nature of recent club seasons was an issue that needed serious consideration.

Tyrone’s Competition Controls Committee, which is headed by Trillick man Raymond Monteith, presented clubs with two different options at both Senior and Intermediate level, aimed at streamlining the season.

The second option represented the more radical departure with a mooted Division 1A/1B and Division 2A/2B structure, but the option that was given the seal of approval also entails considerable changes to the present format.

There will be an increase of ‘starred’ rounds from five to seven, while there will also be a weighed points system, with three points on offer with games involving county players.

The Division One semi-finals and finals are being dispensed with – instead, the top placed team will be awarded the league title.

Teams finishing in the top four will be guaranteed eight home games in 2027, while the relegation process is also being streamlined: the bottom team goes down while the next two teams play off with the loser relegated to Division Two.

At Intermediate level, there will also be a weighted points system and an increased number of starred fixtures from five to seven rounds without county players, while the relegation process has also been streamlined in the same manner as their senior counterparts.