After all the talk about the provincial championships not really meaning a jot anymore, we’ve arrived at an Ulster final pairing which seems to indicate precisely the opposite.

Rory Gallagher’s Oak Leafers, aiming to complete back-to-back titles for the county for the first time since 1976, will go in as favourites and rightly so after a hugely impressive dismissal of Monaghan in the semi-finals two weeks ago.

The Farney men had looked to be on something of a high after their dramatic quarter-final win over Tyrone in Omagh but were, in manager Vinny Corey’s own words, “outclassed” by Derry with the closing eight-point margin flattering Monaghan.

Armagh have been untroubled in their three matches to date but, unlike Derry, their performances against Antrim, Cavan and Down haven’t marked them out as obvious All-Ireland contenders.

Thus the formbook suggests another dominant Derry victory this weekend but there is that suspicion in the back of the mind that Armagh could cause a shock if they shed some of the defensive shackles which appear to have inhibited them somewhat this year after all the attacking vigour they demonstrated in 2022.

BBC coverage details

BBC Sport NI will have you fully covered on TV, iPlayer and online on Sunday with our coverage, beginning on BBC Two and the BBC iPlayer at 15:30 BST.

Our regular pundits this season, Donegal great Michael Murphy, Dublin’s eight-time All-Ireland winner Philly McMahon and former Derry star Conleith Gilligan, will be joined by Down assistant boss Marty Clarke, who makes a welcome return to the BBC Sport NI team for Sunday’s big-match coverage.

An innovation this weekend will see three-time All-Ireland final referee Maurice Deegan joining our line-up to give his insight on the decisions being made by the match officials.

Our coverage will also be live on the BBC iPlayer while you’ll be able to follow our live text commentary online on the BBC Sport NI website in addition to the match report and reaction which will follow.

How Armagh and Derry reached the final

Armagh

Preliminary Round: Armagh 0-20 Antrim 1-8

Quarter-Final: Cavan 0-12 Armagh 1-14

Semi-Final: Armagh 4-10 Down 0-12

Derry

Quarter-Final: Fermanagh 2-8 Derry 3-17

Semi-Final: Derry 1-21 Monaghan 2-10

Last five Armagh v Derry Ulster meetings

November 2020 quarter-final: Derry 0-15 Armagh 0-17

Armagh held off a spirited second-half comeback from Derry at Celtic Park to progress to the semi-finals of the delayed Ulster Championship.

The Orchard County led by six points at the interval after a flurry of scores late in the half but Rory Gallagher’s men fought back after the break to reduce the deficit to one before a Rian O’Neill free closed out the game.

Odhran Lynch, Padriag McGrogan and Conor Glass were among the championship debutants for the Oak Leaf county in that fixture, and they have gone on to establish themselves as key components in Derry’s push to retain their Ulster title this year.

June 2011 semi-final: Derry 3-14 Armagh 1-11

Eoin Bradley and Conleith Gilligan notched a combined 2-10 as Derry avenged the previous year’s defeat by Armagh to set up an Ulster final meeting with Donegal which they went on to lose.

Mark Lynch’s goal helped Derry lead 1-8 to 0-6 at the break and, while a Micheal O’Rourke goal gave Armagh hope, goals from Bradley and Gilligan put the game to bed.

May 2010 preliminary round: Derry 1-7 Armagh 1-10

Derry suffered a first championship defeat at Celtic Park since 1994 as Eoin Bradley’s second-half red card and a late penalty miss by Gerard O’Kane saw the Orchard men edge victory.

Paddy Bradley’s first-half goal had put the Oak Leafers ahead before four Steven McDonnell points saw Armagh level at 0-8 to 1-5 by half-time.

Armagh only managed to score 1-2 in the second half but substitute Jamie Clarke’s goal and Paul Hearty’s penalty save to deny O’Kane saw the Orchardmen edging victory.

June 2005 semi-final: Armagh 1-11 Derry 0-10

Aaron Kernan – son of Armagh’s All-Ireland-winning manager Joe – starred as Armagh beat Mickey Moran’s Oak Leafers to set up a provincial decider against Tyrone at Croke Park.

Kernan hit four points while substitute John Toal’s goal midway through the second half extinguished Derry’s Ulster final hopes.

Armagh went on to beat the Red Hands in a replay after a drawn first game at headquarters, although Mickey Harte’s men exacted revenge in the All-Ireland semi-final on their way to lifting Sam for the second time.

July 2000, final: Armagh 1-12 Derry 1-11

Armagh claimed back-to-back Ulster titles at Clones with a one-point victory against Derry in a thrilling final.

With Derry leading by two points in the early stages of the game, Steven McDonnell blasted the ball into the roof of the net on 13 minutes to give Armagh the advantage.

They led 1-8 to 0-8 at half-time and continued to add points in the opening stages of the second period, before Johnny McBride netted to get Derry back on terms.

However Oisin McConville proved the hero, as his point from long range on 66 minutes proved enough for the Orchard county to retain their Ulster crown.

What lies ahead?

Sunday’s winners will face Clare, Monaghan and Donegal in Group Four of the new Super 16s with the beaten Ulster finalists facing Galway, Tyrone and Westmeath in the tougher looking Group Two although knowing that a top-three finish will be enough to keep them in All-Ireland contention.

The Ulster champions’ first group game will be at home to Monaghan on the weekend of 27/28 May before taking on Donegal in Ballybofey a week later, before their concluding match when they host Clare on 17/18 June.

The Ulster runners-up will welcome Westmeath in their Group Two opener on 27/28 May before away contests against Tyrone and Galway.