Christy Ring and Nickey Rackard Cup final pairings confirmed

May 17, 2025

Derry manager Johnny McGarvey during the 2024 Christy Ring Cup final against Kildare at Croke Park ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Derry and London are bound for Croke Park after each booked their place in the Christy Ring Cup final with victories this afternoon.

Beaten finalists last year, Johnny McGarvey’s Derry side defeated Wicklow by 2-30 to 1-13 at Celtic Park, where goal scorer Cormac O’Doherty was in impressive form for the hosts as they strolled to a comfortable victory.

London also cruised to a final round win in their home clash with Tyrone in Ruislip.

It finished 4-20 to 1-13 in favour of the Exiles after they’d struck all four of their goals in the opening 28 minutes via Conor O’Carroll (2), Sean Glynn and Dylan Dawson.

The result at McGovern Park also sees Tyrone relegated to Nickey Rackard Cup for 2026.

This year’s Nickey Rackard Cup decider will be a Connacht derby between Mayo and Roscommon at headquarters.

#GAA news: The last round of group games in the Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard, and Lory Meagher Cups took place this afternoon ⬇️
— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 17, 2025

The Rossies were 4-17 to 0-20 winners over Louth in Dowdallshill, where Sean Canning netted a hat-trick for the visitors, while already qualified Mayo drew with Fermanagh (3-16 to 1-22) in Enniskillen in a result which relegates the Ernesiders back to the Lory Meagher Cup for next season.

Monaghan’s dramatic late draw with Longford (2-20 to 2-20) means that they will face New York in the Lory Meagher Cup semi-final.

Longford looked set to claim the semi-final spot, but four late points from Niall Arthur would be backed up by a Niall Hawes point at the death to earn the draw for the Farney men.

With Cavan’s place in the Lory Meagher Cup final already confirmed last weekend, the Breffni men fielded an experimental side against Leitrim this afternoon and would be inflicted with their first defeat of the campaign as their neighbours came away from Kingspan Breffni with a 2-15 to 1-10 win.

All three finals are now set to be played at Croker on the weekend of May 31/June 1, with the CCCC to confirm dates and times early next week.