The Allianz football and hurling leagues begin this weekend. With the football league taking place under a raft of new rules – not to mention the lack of January competitions to judge where teams are at – there is a sense of entering the unknown for players, managers and supporters alike. Here, we take a look at how Division Four in the NFL is shaping up:
Carlow
Manager: Shane Curran (first year)
Main man: Seán Murphy
2024 league position: 5th in Division Four
2024 league form: Carlow finished two points adrift of a promotion place in Division Four last season. They won four of their seven games, losing the other three.
Outlook: Carlow have a new manager with former Roscommon goalkeeper Curran replacing Niall Carew at the helm. Seán Murphy and Lee Walker have returned to the squad.
Opening fixture: Saturday v Tipperary, Netwatch Cullen Park, 6pm
Prediction: Mid-table
Limerick
Manager: Jimmy Lee (second year)
Main man: Iain Corbett
2024 league position: 8th in Division Three (relegated)
2024 league form: Limerick were relegated from Division Three after a disappointing campaign in which they lost all seven of their matches. They had operated in Division Two in 2023, but consecutive relegations leave them back in Division Four again for the first time in five years.
Outlook: Lee has had a large player turnover ahead of the 2025 season, with 16 footballers from last year’s squad not included in this year’s panel. Cillian Fahy will captain the team this season, with Barry Coleman and Tommie Childs acting as joint vice-captains.
Opening fixture: Sunday v Longford, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 2pm
Prediction: In the hunt for promotion
London
Manager: Michael Maher (sixth year)
Main man: Liam Gallagher
2024 league position: 7th in Division Four
2024 league form: London picked up three points in last year’s league – beating Waterford and earning a draw with Tipperary. They actually picked up three wins in 2022, so Maher will be hoping for something similar this season.
Outlook: London’s policy of developing more players locally is a sensible long-term strategy but the senior squad still suffers from a revolving door of players coming and going, which makes it difficult to sustain momentum.
Opening fixture: Saturday v Wexford, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 7pm
Prediction: Unlikely to challenge for promotion
Longford
Manager: Mike Solan (first year)
Main man: Dessie Reynolds
2024 league position: 4th in Division Four
2024 league form: They won four of their seven games, losing the other three on their way to a joint fourth-place finish. Their promotion hopes came down the last round of fixtures, but a loss to Wexford ended their chances of playing Division Three football in 2025.
Outlook: Mickey Quinn’s retirement leaves a void in the dressingroom while midfielder Darren Gallagher is also absent from the panel named. Longford will need some new players to stand up and lead the charge this season
Opening fixture: Sunday v Limerick, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 2pm
Prediction: Mid-table
Tipperary
Manager: Philly Ryan (first year)
Main man: Steven O’Brien
2024 league position: 6th in Division Four
2024 league form: They managed to pick up just one league victory last year – over Longford – lost four games and drew two as they finished sixth in the table, well outside the promotion battle.
Outlook: Tipperary enter 2025 without 15 players from last year’s panel. With Conor Sweeney retiring and Evan Comerford not available, the Tipp dressingroom is losing a significant amount of experience. Their 2020 Munster final success was a milestone moment for the county, but a repeat triumph seems as far away now as ever.
Opening fixture: Saturday v Carlow, Netwatch Cullen Park, 6pm
Prediction: Unlikely to challenge for promotion
Waterford
Manager: Paul Shankey (second year)
Main man: Tom O’Connell
2024 league position: 8th in Division Four
2024 league form: Waterford failed to win any league games last season, drawing with Tipperary but losing the other six as they finished rooted to the bottom of the table. Their form did improve during the championship – where they beat Tipperary in a Munster quarter-final.
Outlook: Shankey will hope the feel-good factor from last year’s Munster win over Tipp can be harnessed in some form, but a tilt at promotion here looks a challenge.
Opening fixture: Sunday v Wicklow, Echelon Park Aughrim, 2pm
Prediction: Unlikely to challenge for promotion
Wexford
Manager: John Hegarty (Third year)
Main man: Liam Coleman
2024 league position: 3rd in Division 4
2024 league form: Wexford only missed out on promotion last year because of their head-to-head record with Leitrim. Both teams finished on 10 points, but as Leitrim had beaten Wexford by a single point in their league fixture, the Connacht outfit were promoted.
Outlook: It appears Wexford will have to come through their early fixtures without talented midfielder Liam Coleman, who is rehabbing a collarbone injury. Still, they should be in the mix for promotion again this year.
Opening fixture: Saturday v London, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 7pm
Prediction: In the hunt for promotion
Wicklow
Manager: Oisín McConville (Third year)
Main man: Kevin Quinn
2024 league position: 7th in Division Three (relegated)
2024 league form: Wicklow were relegated from Division Three, losing six of their seven games and picking up just one victory. Having only gained promotion the previous season, it resulted in an immediate return to the basement division.
Outlook: Despite a ropy league campaign last year, Wicklow produced two hugely encouraging performances in the 2024 Leinster SFC – beating Westmeath and going within a whisker of toppling Kildare. They have the potential to secure a top-two finish in this year’s league.
Opening fixture: Sunday v Waterford, Echelon Park Aughrim, 2pm
Prediction: In the hunt for promotion
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