Gaelic Games

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Aimee Mackin has picked up September's The Croke Park Hotel/LGFA Player of the Month award after helping propel Shane O'Neill's to their first Armagh senior title.

The Armagh star is now a five-time recipient of the award, having previously been a recipeint in April 2023, July 2021, March 2019 and April 2015.

Mackin kicked 1-12 in the final win over Crossmaglen at the Athletic Grounds just over a fortnight ago and is now the owner of senior, intermediate and junior county medals with the Camlough club.

That followed an equally-impressive display by the 29-year-old in the semi-final when she hit 3-5 against Carrickcruppen.

The club title follows on from an outstanding inter-county campaign for Armagh which has earned her nominations for a TG4 All-Star and the 2026 TG4 Senior Players' Player of the Year award.

Shane O'Neill's return to action on Sunday when they travel to face Cavan champions Knockbride in their opening round-robin game in the AIB Ulster Senior Club Championship at St Brigid's Park [14:00 BST].

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Former All-Ireland winner John McEntee has been appointed Monaghan manager, replacing Gabriel Bannigan.

McEntee, who helped Armagh win the Sam Maguire in 2002, takes his first inter-county job after spending the past four seasons in charge of Monaghan club Inniskeen.

The 49-year-old's appointment was ratified at a county board meeting on Monday night, with his backroom team set to be confirmed over the next week.

"I'm really excited and looking forward to it. Really privileged and honoured to be asked to take on this role and I'm going to give it my best shot," McEntee told Northern Sound.

"There's been conversations about the Monaghan post for a number of weeks since it became vacant and there were opportunities for clubs to put names forward.

"I didn't entertain that at the time because I was focused on Inniskeen but I knew this was naturally going to be the end of my tenure with Inniskeen and I had alternative options but this was the one that excited me the most."

He replaces Bannigan, who said "the goalposts have moved" when announcing his departure after two years at the helm in August.

After succeeding former Armagh team-mate Oisin McConville, McEntee led Inniskeen to Monaghan finals in 2023 and 2025, losing both to Scotstown.

He also oversaw Clontibret's 2019 Monaghan SFC triumph while he guided his club Crossmaglen Rangers to the Ulster title alongside McConville in 2015.

McEntee's twin brother Tony - with whom he won the All-Ireland title - spent the 2026 season in the Down backroom team following a spell as Sligo boss.

Under Bannigan, Monaghan won the Division Two title in 2025 and reached successive All-Ireland quarter-finals, where they were knocked out by Donegal and Louth.

The Farney men were relegated from Division One this year after a tough league campaign in which they failed to pick up a point.

They bounced back well in the Ulster SFC with wins over Cavan and Derry but suffered an extra-time defeat against Armagh in the decider.

In the Sam Maguire series, Monaghan lost to eventual champions Mayo in round one but secured round 2B and three victories over Roscommon and Westmeath.

However, after losing influential goalkeeper Rory Beggan to injury, they fell to 0-27 to 2-18 loss to Louth in the quarter-final at Croke Park.

"I think there is a strong panel there with high quality players and it's a really good base to work from, but I think it's always good to bring talent through and I think that freshens up the squad," added McEntee.

"Gabriel left Monaghan in a really good place and we want to maintain those standards."

It was also confirmed on Monday that Tony Austin would take over as senior hurling boss after a spell in charge of club side Castleblayney, where he won four Monaghan SHC titles.

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Mayo All-Ireland winner Cillian O'Connor has announced his retirement from inter-county football.

The 34-year-old was part of the matchday squad for their long-awaited Sam Maguire Cup win against Kerry in the summer, but did not feature in the decider.

Indeed, injuries limited the forward to just two appearances in 2026 after he opted out of the entirety of the 2025 season.

A two-time All-Star, he was a regular for Mayo after making his debut as a 19-year-old under James Horan in 2011 and reached four All-Ireland finals in 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2017 which all ended in defeat.

The Ballintubber man then became the leading scorer in the history of the All-Ireland football championship in 2019 when he surpassed Kerry's Colm Cooper.

He also holds the record for the highest ever tally registered by an individual player in a championship game after he scored 4-9 in an All-Ireland semi-final victory over Tipperary in 2020.

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Armagh's Aimee Mackin has been nominated for the 2026 TG4 Senior Players' Player of the Year Award alongside Galway's Olivia Divilly and Kerry captain Siofra O'Shea.

Mackin registered 5-12 in four games during the All-Ireland series to help Armagh progress to the semi-finals.

All-Ireland winner Divilly scored three points in the final against Kerry to help the Tribeswomen win the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time since 2004.

Kerry's O'Shea is also shortlisted and was top scorer this season with the winner announced in Dublin on Saturday, 14 November.

All three players have also been nominated for All-Stars with a total of six players from Armagh nominated, while Galway have 14 nominees in the 45-player long list.

In the intermediate category, All-Ireland Intermediate Final player of the match, Saoirse Wynne, Fermanagh's Eimear Smyth and Westmeath's Anna Jones have been shortlisted for player of the year.

In the junior grade, Carlow duo Roisin Bailey and Sara Doyle and Antrim's All-Ireland final match-winner Maria O'Neill are nominated.

The nominees in all three categories were selected by fellow inter-county players, who could not vote for their own team-mates.

Senior Players' Player of the Year Award Nominees: Aimee Mackin (Armagh), Olivia Divilly (Galway), Siofra O'Shea (Kerry)

Intermediate Players' Player of the Year Award Nominees: Eimear Smyth (Fermanagh), Saoirse Wynne (Roscommon), Anna Jones (Westmeath)

Junior Players' Player of the Year Award Nominees: Maria O'Neill (Antrim), Roisin Bailey (Carlow), Sara Doyle (Carlow)

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Armagh's All-Ireland winning captain Aidan Forker has announced his retirement from inter-county football.

The 34-year-old led the Orchard County to their second Sam Maguire Cup in 2024 in their 1-11 to 0-13 win over Galway at Croke Park.

The Maghery defender was an extra-time replacement in Armagh's Ulster title win against Monaghan in May as they claimed their first provincial title in 18 years.

He picked up his sole All-Star in 2024.

"To the people of Armagh, thank you for allowing me to represent you," Forker said in a social media post on Monday.

"I leave with no regrets. Just enormous gratitude for the blessings I received in my football life."

Forker becomes the latest player to step away from Armagh duty following the recent retirements of Rory Grugan, James Morgan and Ethan Rafferty.

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Kerry's Éamonn Fitzmaurice has been appointed as manger of Galway's senior footballers on a three-year term.

The Finuge clubman takes over from Padraic Joyce who stepped down after seven seasons in charge of the Triibesmen.

Fitzmaurice won three All-Ireland titles with the Kingdome as a player before moving into management of his native county, guiding them to the 2014 All-Ireland title during a six-year spell which also brought six Munster titles and a National League.

The 49-year-old led Fossa to the 2022 All-Ireland junior club title with a side that contained Paudie and David Clifford, while in September, led his native Finuge to the Kerry premier junior title.

Fitzmaurice was one of the leading members of the Football Review Committee which introduced the new rules to Gaelic football.

"We are delighted to appoint a manager of Éamonn's calibre to lead the Galway senior footballers for the next three years," said Galway chair Galway Paul Bellew.

"Éamonn's record as both a player and a manager speaks for itself, while his recent role as a member of the Football Rules Committee underlined the positive influence he continues to have on Gaelic football.

"I want to acknowledge and thank everyone who took part in the process over the past number of weeks. We now look forward to working closely with Éamonn, the players and the wider team as we begin the next chapter for Galway football.

"Éamonn's management and backroom team will be finalised over the coming weeks."

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Armagh All-Ireland winner Rory Grugan has announced his retirement from inter-county football.

The Ballymacnab club-man made the announcement via his Instagram account, writing: "The greatest honour of my life. Thank you."

Grugan was a key part of the 2024 Armagh team that brought the Sam Maguire Cup back to the county for only the second time, starting the final win over Galway at Croke Park.

This year, he helped Armagh win their first Ulster title in 18 years, playing a pivotal role off the bench in their extra-time win over Monaghan in the decider at Clones.

The 35-year-old made his championship debut for Armagh in a 2013 qualifier win over Wicklow, before going on to make 157 appearances.

Crossmaglen defender James Morgan has also announced his retirement from the inter-county game after making his debut in 2013.

Morgan and Grugan were vital cogs in the side that won Armagh's first All-Ireland Minor title in 60 years when they beat Mayo to lift the Tom Markham Cup in 2009.