While the Ulster Club Senior Football Championship began with a bang on Halloween night, it's full steam ahead this weekend with four quarter-finals down for decision.

Edendork managed to quickly refocus from their first-ever Tyrone title win to get the better of Clonduff in Newry last week and are back in action on Sunday against another newcomer in St Brigid's of Antrim.

Elsewhere, Scotstown begin the defence of the Seamus McFerran Cup, while there are some heavyweights of the Ulster club scene ready to begin their challenge.

By close of play on Sunday, eight hopefuls will be whittled down to four. Here, BBC Sport NI looks at each of the quarter-finals.

Donnelly's inside track an advantage for St Eunan's?

The Brewster Park sideline is familiar territory for St Eunan's boss Kieran Donnelly and there will be few surprises for the former Fermanagh boss when his Donegal champions face Erne Gaels in the first of the weekend fixtures [Saturday, 17:00 GMT].

Donnelly stepped down as manager of his native county last year and was quickly snapped up by the Letterkenny club, helping them regain the county title they last held in 2024.

However, he is well aware of what lies ahead for his team against a side which reached last year's semi-final.

"In Ulster Club, it can take a while to find out about opposition, but I do know the boys well - that can be a massive bonus ," Donnelly told BBC Sport NI's Laura Haughey.

"I would have had Ryan Lyons in from the start [of my managerial spell with Fermanagh] and he is an exceptional leader. They have six players within the county squad, so they are about more than one player."

Ultan Kelm helped power Erne Gaels to a third-straight Fermanagh title and while assistant manager Aidan Lloyd acknowledges the Donnelly factor, there is much more to consider.

"St Eunan's county panellists' names jump off the sheet: [Shaun] Patton, [Ciaran] Moore, the O'Donnells [Niall and Conor], Caolan Ward - they're stacked," he noted.

"There are levels and you're going up to the next level, so that in itself will sharpen the focus."

Gowna seek to turn Cavan fortunes around

Nine years have passed since a Cavan side won a game in the Ulster series and Gowna face a tough task to reverse that trend when they welcome Armagh champions Crossmaglen to Breffni on Saturday evening [19:15].

Vinny Corey's men returned to the top in the Breffni County by avenging last year's defeat by Kingscourt Stars as Oisin Pierson, Seanie Hartin, Conor Casey and Cillian Brady hit the net.

That goalscoring ability may be needed if they are to make up for recent disappointments on the provincial stage, having been edged out by Glenties in 2023 after exiting on penalties to Enniskillen Gaels the previous year.

Selector Mark McKeever - a veteran of those past quarter-final losses - acknowledges his team faces a Crossmaglen team full of "big names with big reputations", but the Armagh champions also contain some new faces who helped the club to a 48th Armagh title and first since 2023.

Pearse Blessing's goal was crucial in the victory over Killeavy which followed an incredible fightback in the semi-final against Clann Eireann.

Crossmaglen's last provincial title came in 2015, so it's up to the new crop to make their mark.

"The bloodline is good with a lot of family members like the McEntees, McConvilles, O'Neills," said manager Shane Lennon.

"Their parents have done it, now their kids are doing it, so it's in their DNA."

Champions open their defence

With a fourth-straight Monaghan title banked, Scotstown now turn their attention to the defence of the Ulster title they won in thrilling fashion against Kilcoo last year.

They had their disappointments along the way, losing the 2015, 2018 and 2023 deciders before landing the club's fifth provincial success.

Their run to the Seamus McFerran Cup last year involved some thrilling games including a penalty shoot-out win over Newbridge before coming through by three points against Kilcoo on a day in which Rory Beggan contributed 11 points.

Not content with their lot, Beggan insists "the taste of winning last year was huge for us" and while they are the hunted in 2026, they will "relish" the challenge.

On Sunday in Clones [13:30], they face Derry champions Magherafelt, who put some final disappointments of their own behind them - losing three county deciders since their last triumph in 2019.

Turning the tables on Newbridge came thanks to goals from Johnny McErlain, Aidan McCluskey and Cormac Murphy, while Conall Higgins scored nine points in sparkling display.

The O'Donovan Rossa club fell to eventual winner Kilcoo in their last outing in Ulster seven years ago, and while they face a tough task, coach Stephen Kernan hopes his side "will have a bit of freedom after winning the county title to express and challenge themselves" against Ulster's reigning kingpins.

Opportunity knocks for Ulster's new boys

Edendork had just eight days to park the joy of securing the club's first-ever Tyrone senior title before being thrust into the unfamiliar environs of the Ulster Club SFC, but had enough in the tank to defeat Clonduff in Newry by five points.

It's another step forward as they welcome Antrim champions St Brigid's to O'Neill Park in Dungannon on Sunday [17:30] for the last of the weekend's last-eight ties.

With Tyrone All-Ireland winners Niall Morgan, Darren McCurry and Conn Kilpatrick at the heart of their side, Edendork perhaps had that know-how to quickly move on against the Down champions in the preliminary round despite Kilpatrick feeling they "weren't at the races".

It is another quick turnaround as they host another of Ulster's new boys in St Brigid's, who won their first Antrim senior title three weeks ago.

Since St Gall's overcame Tempo in a 2012 quarter-final, Cargin's win on penalties against Glenties in 2022 is the only win for an Antrim club on this stage.

With that in mind, there is no downplaying the task at hand for Cathal Murray's side, who are sweating on the availability of Patrick Finnegan after he hobbled out of their two-point final victory against O'Donovan Rossa.

Being able to take in Edendork's victory over Clonduff "gives us a wee bit of an advantage" according to the Biddies boss, but they face a significant step-up against the St Malachy's men with both sides seeking to break further new ground.