The Ulster GAA Football Under-20 Championship, known simply as the Ulster Under-20 Championship, is an annual inter-county Gaelic football competition organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county football competition for male players between the ages of 17 and 20 in the province of Ulster. The championship was contested as the Ulster Under-21 Championship between 1963 and 2016 before changing to an under-20 age category from 2018. It is sponsored by EirGrid.

The final, currently held in March, serves as the culmination of a series of games played during a three-week period, and the results determine which team receives the J. J. Fahy Cup. The championship has always been played on a straight knockout basis whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the championship.

The Ulster Championship is an integral part of the wider GAA Football Under-20 All-Ireland Championship. The winners of the Ulster final, like their counterparts in the other three provinces, advance to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland series of games.

Nine teams currently participate in the Ulster Championship. Tyrone are the most successful team with 18 titles. The title has been won at least once by all nine teams, with all of them winning the title more than once. Tyrone captured their most recent title by defeating Monaghan on a scoreline of 4-19 to 0-22 at the Athletic Grounds, Armagh.

Roll of honour

#CountyTitlesRunners-upYears wonYears runners-up 1 Tyrone 18 8 1972, 1973, 1980, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026 1971, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1985, 2011, 2012, 2016 2 Down 11 8 1965, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2021, 2023 1966, 1969, 1976, 1980, 1989, 1990, 1991, 19933 Derry 8 12 1967, 1968, 1976, 1983, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2018 1972, 1982, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2019, 2023, 20244 Donegal 8 10 1963, 1964, 1966, 1982, 1987, 1995, 2010, 2017 1981, 1983, 1986, 1999, 2000, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020, 2025 5 Cavan 6 10 1988, 1996, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 1963, 1965, 1970, 1977, 1978, 1995, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2022 6 Antrim 4 2 1969, 1974, 1975, 1989 1984, 1988 7 Monaghan 3 9 1981, 1999, 2016 1964, 1967, 1968, 1973, 1987, 1992, 2003, 2007, 2021, 2026 Fermanagh 3 2 1970, 1971, 1994 1997, 2001 Armagh 3 1 1998, 2004, 2007 2009

List of finals

Under 20 Competition Year Winner Score Opponent Score 2026 Tyrone 4-19 Monaghan 0-22 2025 Tyrone 1-19 Donegal 2-14 2024 Tyrone 3–10 (3) Derry 2–13 (1) 2023 Down 2-11 Derry 0-09 2022 Tyrone 0-11 Cavan 0-10 2021 Down 3-15 Monaghan 1-14 2020 Tyrone 1-11 Donegal 0-09 2019 Tyrone 4-13 Derry 1-10 2018 Derry 2-15 Armagh 0-14 Under 21 Competition Year Winner Score Opponent Score 2017 Donegal 3-17 Derry 0-13 2016 Monaghan 0-13 Tyrone 0-11 2015 Tyrone 1-11 Donegal 0-13 2014 Cavan 2-06 Donegal 0-08 2013 Cavan 0-13 Donegal 1-06 2012 Cavan 1-10 Tyrone 0-10 2011 Cavan 1-10 Tyrone 0-10 2010 Donegal 2-08 Cavan 0-07 2009 Down 1-14 Armagh 2-10 2008 Down 3-11 Derry 1-14 2007 Armagh 1-16 Monaghan 1-09 2006 Tyrone 0-12 Derry 1-07 2005 Down 2-14 Cavan 2-12 2004 Armagh 2-12 Derry 0-04 2003 Tyrone 2-08 Monaghan 0-11 2002 Tyrone 0-13 Cavan 1-07 2001 Tyrone 1-19 Fermanagh 0-10 2000 Tyrone 1-18 Donegal 1-04 1999 Monaghan 0-12 Donegal 1-08 1998 Armagh 1-08 Derry 0-10 1997 Derry 1-12 Fermanagh 1-06 1996 Cavan 1-11 Derry 1-05 1995 Donegal 1-09, 3-11 (R) Cavan 1-09, 1-11 (R) 1994 Fermanagh 2-08 Derry 0-08 1993 Derry 1-09 Down 1-08 1992 Tyrone 0-14 Monaghan 2-06 1991 Tyrone 3-10 Down 0-08 1990 Tyrone 2-08 Down 0-11 1989 Antrim 1-06 Down 1-05 1988 Cavan 3-10 Antrim 0-06 1987 Donegal 0-07, 1-11 (R) Monaghan 1-04, 0-08 (R) 1986 Derry 4-07 Donegal 0-06 1985 Down 3-07 Tyrone 0-07 1984 Down 1-10 Antrim 1-08 1983 Derry 3-13 Donegal 1-03 1982 Donegal 0-10 Derry 1-05 1981 Monaghan 0-08 Donegal 0-06 1980 Tyrone 4-04 Down 2-05 1979 Down 1-09 Tyrone 0-05 1978 Down 0-11 Cavan 1-06 1977 Down 3-05 Cavan 0-10 1976 Derry 1-06 Down 1-04 1975 Antrim 2-07 Tyrone 0-07 1974 Antrim 2-06 Tyrone 1-08 1973 Tyrone 2-14 Monaghan 2-05 1972 Tyrone 1-07, 3-13 (R) Derry 1-07, 1-06 (R) 1971 Fermanagh 2-12 Tyrone 1-08 1970 Fermanagh 0-13 Cavan 0-08 1969 Antrim 2-08 Down 1-09 1968 Derry 4-09 Monaghan 2-04 1967 Derry 1-11 Monaghan 1-04 1966 Donegal 2-12 Down 1-06 1965 Down 0-09 Cavan 1-02 1964 Donegal 2-14 Monaghan 0-04 1963 Donegal 3-06 Cavan 1-03

Records and statistics Final

Team

Most titles: 18: Tyrone (1972, 1973, 1980, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026) Most consecutive title wins: 4: Tyrone (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003) Cavan ( 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) Most appearances in a final: 26: Tyrone (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026)

Teams By decade

The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Ulster Championship titles, is as follows:

1960s: 3 for Donegal (1963–64-6) 1970s: 3 for Down (1977-78-79) 1980s: 2 each for Donegal (1982–87), Derry (1983–86) and Down (1985–86) 1990s: 3 for Tyrone (1990-91-92) 2000s: 5 for Tyrone (2000-01-02-03-06) 2010s: 4 for Cavan (2011-12-13-14)

Gaps

Top ten longest gaps between successive championship titles: 23 years: Fermanagh (1971-1994) 21 years: Derry (1997-2018) 20 years: Down (1985-2005) 18 years: Monaghan (1981-1999) 17 years: Monaghan (1999-2016) 16 years: Donegal (1966-1982) 15 years: Donegal (1995-2010) 15 years: Cavan (1996-2011) 14 years: Antrim (1975-1989) 12 years: Down (1965-1977)

Sources Roll of Honour on gaainfo.com www.kilkennygaa.ie Roll of Honour (at Downloads/2011 Bible Web.pdf)

References