Story byBBCFri, January 16, 2026 at 8:25 AM UTC·1 min readMonaghan captain Micheal Bannigan feels Saturday's Dr McKenna Cup final against Donegal in Omagh [17:00 GMT] will be "great preparation" for their National League opener eight days later. The Farneymen host Armagh in Divison one on Sunday, 25 January but before then, there is the opportunity to claim some early season silverware. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGabriel Bannigan's men won 1-15 to 2-10 in their semi-final against Tyrone on Wednesday to set up a meeting with Jim McGuinness' side with Micheal, nephew of the Monaghan boss, finding the net in a man of the match performance."It's a great game to get seven days out from the National League, so it will be great preparation for us and we'll look forward to it," the Aughnammullen forward told BBC Sport NI."We're without Sigerson [universities' championship] players at the moment, like every team is. We're also without the Scotstown boys, so there are young boys getting their chance, which is brilliant."Pre-season competitions were shelved in 2025, but their return in 2026 has proven popular despite issues regarding match cancellations and player availability. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThey also afford the opportunity to build some early momentum prior to the league and Bannigan can only see positives from their Dr McKenna Cup run."At this time of the year, it beats training so we're happy," he added."A lot of young boys get their chance and a couple of years ago I got my chance [in the Dr McKenna Cup] so this is good for boys trying to break onto the panel because challenge games just aren't the same.".
