| Ulster Under-20 Football Championship | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2025 Ulster Under-20 Football Championship | |
| Irish | Craobh Peile Uladh Fé-20 |
| Code | Gaelic football |
| Founded | 1963; 62 years ago (1963) |
| Region | Ulster (GAA) |
| Trophy | Irish News Cup |
| No. of teams | 9 |
| Title holders |  Tyrone (17th title) |
| Most titles | Tyrone (17 titles) |
| Sponsors | EirGrid |
| TV partner | TG4 |
| Official website | Ulster GAA website |
TheUlster GAA Football Under-20 Championship, known simply as theUlster Under-20 Championship, is an annualinter-countyGaelic football competition organised by theUlster Council of theGaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county football competition for male players between the ages of 17 and 20 in theprovince of Ulster. The championship was contested as theUlster Under-21 Championship between 1963 and2016 before changing to an under-20 age category from2018. It is sponsored byEirGrid.
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 astraight knockout basis whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the championship.
The Ulster Championship is an integral part of the widerGAA 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 16 titles. The title has been won at least once by all nine teams, with all of them winning the title more than once. Down, the second most successful team with 11 titles, are the title holders, defeating Derry by 2-11 to 0-09 in the 2023 final.
| # | County | Titles | Runners-up | Years won | Years runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyrone | 17 | 8 | 1972, 1973, 1980, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025 | 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, 1993 |
| 3 | Derry | 8 | 12 | 1967, 1968, 1976, 1983, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2018 | 1972, 1982, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024 |
| 4 | 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 |
| Fermanagh | 3 | 2 | 1970, 1971, 1994 | 1997, 2001 | |
| Armagh | 3 | 1 | 1998, 2004, 2007 | 2009 |
| Under 20 Competition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Winner | Score | Opponent | Score |
| 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[1] | Donegal | 3-17 | Derry | 0-13 |
| 2016[2][3] | Monaghan | 0-13 | Tyrone | 0-11 |
| 2015[4][5] | Tyrone | 1-11 | Donegal | 0-13 |
| 2014[6] | Cavan | 2-06 | Donegal | 0-08 |
| 2013[7] | Cavan | 0-13 | Donegal | 1-06 |
| 2012[8] | 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 |
The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Ulster Championship titles, is as follows:
Top ten longest gaps between successive championship titles: