O'Rourke Says 3 GAA Counties Will Have 'No Interest' In Winning League

After some intriguing action in the various pre-season competitions in recent weeks, the GAA’s inter-county season will properly get underway next week with the start of the National Football League.

The league always provides plenty of excitement, with counties of a similar standard facing off an weekly basis in each division. It also gives some teams the opportunity to win silverware that may not be forthcoming once the championship gets underway later in the year.

While many counties will be aiming for a big campaign, some are likely to take the competition a bit less seriously than others.

Colm O’Rourke Says Three GAA Counties Will Have ‘No Interest’ In Winning League

Division 1 may be top of the pile in terms of the GAA league hierarchy, but it often has the least incentive for teams in the competition to go all out early in the season. The counties in the top tier quite often have their sights set on bigger prizes later in the summer.

Writing in the Irish Independent, Colm O’Rourke named three counties in Division 1 that would have ‘no interest’ in actually winning the competition.

The first group are those who have no interest in winning it.

Last year the leaders here were Donegal, who decided on an early training camp. They got points on the board quickly to survive in the top tier and coasted after that in preparation for the Ulster Championship…

Donegal will probably follow the same path this year…

Dublin and Armagh will be happy in mid-table, so long as they pick up a couple of players. In that regard, Dublin’s need is greater.

Donegal certainly used last year’s league campaign as a bedding in period for their players, a tactic many other counties have also used in the past.

Dublin and Armagh are also sure to have their minds firmly on championship matters, with that pair having fallen short of expectations in 2025.

O’Rourke Says 3 GAA Counties Will Have ‘No Interest’ In Winning League

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