NFL Division Three: Clare, Down & Westmeath Poised for Promotion Battle

Clare Manager: Paul Madden (1st season). Main man: Eoin Cleary. 2025 league: Clare missed out on promotion only on scoring difference. The Banner beat both Kildare and Offaly with all three teams finishing joint top of the table with 10 points. However, Clare’s inferior scoring difference left them third. Last time in Division Two: 2023. Outlook: Clare are now playing for their third new manager in as many years after Mark Fitzgerald (2024) and Peter Keane (2025). After the stability of the Colm Collins era, it’s important Clare wedge that revolving door and develop something sustainable under Madden. Opening fixture: v Down, Saturday, Páirc Esler, Newry, 6pm. Prediction: Battling for promotion. Down Manager: Conor Laverty (4th season). Main man: Odhrán Murdock. 2025 league: Relegated from Division Two despite beating table-toppers Monaghan in their last game. Down’s defeat to Louth earlier in the campaign cost them dearly though as it was on that head-to-head record that relegation was decided. Last time in Division Two: 2025. Outlook: Relegation was a setback to Down’s upward trajectory under Laverty but they showed enough during their march to last year’s All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals to suggest further improvement is on the horizon. Opening fixture: v Clare, Saturday, Páirc Esler, Newry, 6pm. Prediction: Promotion. Fermanagh Manager: Declan Bonner (1st season). Main man: Josh Largo Elis. 2025 league: They finished fourth in Division Three with nine points – winning four, losing two and drawing one of their seven matches. Last time in Division Two: 2024. Outlook: Declan Bonner has assembled a decent management team around him in Fermanagh including Emlyn Mulligan, Aidan McCarron and Paul Brennan. Getting back up to Division Two will be a likely early season target but it won’t be easy. Opening fixture: v Wexford, Sunday, Brewster Park, 1pm. Prediction: Mid-table. Laois Manager: Justin McNulty (3rd season). Main man: Evan O’Carroll. 2025 league: Finished sixth in Division Three, just above the drop zone, after winning three and losing four of their seven games. Last time in Division Two: 2021. Outlook: The return of Evan O’Carroll and Mikey Dempsey after both suffering cruciate knee ligament injuries last year will bolster the Laois squad. If O’Carroll can get back to his best, he could push Laois towards the promotion spots but Laois will need to be more consistent. Opening fixture: v Limerick, Saturday, O’Moore Park, 6pm. Prediction: Battling to avoid relegation. Limerick Manager: Jimmy Lee (3rd season). Main man: James Naughton. 2025 league: Promoted from Division Four as champions. Limerick finished second behind Wexford in the table but the Treaty County beat the Leinster side in the final at Croke Park. Last time in Division Two: 2023. Outlook: This is a very tight division where teams could as easily find themselves challenging for promotion as trying to avoid relegation. Iain Corbett’s retirement is a loss for Limerick as he was a real leader in that dressingroom. Opening fixture: v Laois, Saturday, O’Moore Park, 6pm. Prediction: Battling to avoid relegation. Sligo Manager: Dessie Sloyan & Eamonn O’Hara (1st season). Main man: Niall Murphy. 2025 league: They finished fifth in Division Three with seven points – three wins, three losses and one draw. Sligo started the campaign slowly and were never in the promotion hunt. Last time in Division Two: 2011. Outlook: After a decent innings by Tony McEntee, Sligo have appointed two Yeats County greats to the helm in Dessie Sloyan and Eamonn O’Hara. With some good underage talent coming through, if granted time and patience the new managerial duo should bring about further progress. Opening fixture: v Westmeath, Sunday, Cusack Park, Mullingar, 2pm. Prediction: Mid-table. Westmeath Manager: Mark McHugh (1st season). Main man: Ronan Wallace. 2025 league: They were relegated from Division Two without winning a single game. The only point Westmeath picked up was a draw with Roscommon. Last time in Division Two: 2025. Outlook: Mark McHugh has stepped up from his role as coach to become manager after Dermot McCabe left to take charge of Cavan. The Lake County had an encouraging O’Byrne Cup campaign and should be in the league promotion shake-up. Opening fixture: v Sligo, Sunday, Cusack Park, Mullingar, 2pm. Prediction: Battling for promotion. Wexford Manager: John Hegarty (4th season). Main man: Liam Coleman. 2025 league: Promoted from Division Four with a 100 per cent record, winning all seven games. However, they did lose the divisional final to Limerick. Last time in Division Two: 2013. Outlook: Having secured promotion from the bottom tier last term, Wexford will be keen to at the very least retain their Division Three status this season. However, they enter the year without the experience of Michael Furlong, Kevin O’Grady and Conor Carty, who have all retired. Opening fixture: v Fermanagh, Sunday, Brewster Park, 1pm.