All-Ireland Series Sam Maguire 2026

[square_ball]

Provincials are dead. Time to be innovative and have a new structure.

wise up.

Exactly, Clones will be sold out on final day and hopefully a competitive final that has the crowd on tenterhooks.  But hypothetically, if Brannigan was given a choice of beating either Mayo or Armagh, who would he choose?

Armagh. Not even close.

Yeah Armagh every day of the week and twice on a Sunday.

I can't imagine Bannigan telling the grandchildren in 40 years time about the day he captained Monaghan to beat Mayo in a competition they aren't going to win. Now telling them about the day he walked up the steps in Clones to lift an Ulster title after beating Armagh. . .

[EoinW]

GAA is rare in that it runs off its main competition in so few games. Of the 16 Sam Maguire teams they'll average about 4-5 outings each, with the finalists getting 7-9 . Compare that with Soccer leagues (30-40), NFL (17 minimum), NBA (82 min) etc.

People will mention the national league, but until something radical changes either in structure or GAA psyche, the league will remain little more than a warm-up competition.

Personally id love if the championship season was much bigger and longer. I'll concede though that attendances were relatively poor for those group stage games, so perhaps that isn't the popular public view. What they've come up with is a decent compromise imo

I'll never understand anyone wanting a return to straight knockout, or anything close to it.
1) You're asking your counties players to train for 9 months, for what may be one solitary outing.
2) How can you dislike top level football enough to potentially watch your team play 1 game of football all summer, all in the name of "jeopardy"?

Fcuk jeopardy. The more football the better

In those other sport leagues you are talking about club teams and seasons lasting up to 10 months!  The county teams are all-star teams, like World Cup soccer teams.  How many games will a team play at the WC this summer(if it's held)?  Yes I know, for Iran, it will be zero.

A good point was made that something had to be done about hurling in the 1990s.  It's also true that the original system gave Kerry a soft route to the AI football Semi Final.

With the inter-county championship being the "Jewel in the GAA Crown", one and out for so many counties was too abrupt.  I thought the back door system was a good compromise.  Gave teams a second chance.  Plus with no extra time and no shootouts, counties could get Replayed games - Dublin v Meath '91 the most famous example.

Lots of suggestions here.  Plenty of ideas with some merit.  I'm sure everyone has their opinion on what system they prefer.  In other words, the moment you change the original format, you step on a slippery slope.

When they changed to the back door system, the deal should have been: this is it!  If we don't stick with it then we go back to the four provincial champs in the Semi Finals.

At what point do endless changes destroy GAA credibility?

[blanketattack]

Provincials are dead. Time to be innovative and have a new structure.

wise up.

Exactly, Clones will be sold out on final day and hopefully a competitive final that has the crowd on tenterhooks.  But hypothetically, if Brannigan was given a choice of beating either Mayo or Armagh, who would he choose?

Armagh. Not even close.

Yeah Armagh every day of the week and twice on a Sunday.

I can't imagine Bannigan telling the grandchildren in 40 years time about the day he captained Monaghan to beat Mayo in a competition they aren't going to win. Now telling them about the day he walked up the steps in Clones to lift an Ulster title after beating Armagh. . .

At least the All-Ireland Championship will still be there in 40 years, will the Ulster Championship?
Might be like someone boasting about winning the Oireachtas Cup these days.

[tonto1888]

Why, is a Ulster title not worth sthing, only 1 team can win a All-Ireland, u get nothing for getting to a semi or final and losing, as you would know.

only one team can win an Ulster each year also.........

[J70]

GAA is rare in that it runs off its main competition in so few games. Of the 16 Sam Maguire teams they'll average about 4-5 outings each, with the finalists getting 7-9 . Compare that with Soccer leagues (30-40), NFL (17 minimum), NBA (82 min) etc.

People will mention the national league, but until something radical changes either in structure or GAA psyche, the league will remain little more than a warm-up competition.

Personally id love if the championship season was much bigger and longer. I'll concede though that attendances were relatively poor for those group stage games, so perhaps that isn't the popular public view. What they've come up with is a decent compromise imo

I'll never understand anyone wanting a return to straight knockout, or anything close to it.
1) You're asking your counties players to train for 9 months, for what may be one solitary outing.
2) How can you dislike top level football enough to potentially watch your team play 1 game of football all summer, all in the name of "jeopardy"?

Fcuk jeopardy. The more football the better

I've always said this. Under the original straight knockout system, 16 teams only had 1 championship game a year, 8 teams had 2.

For those of us old enough to remember, half of Ireland their county had 1 championship game in the early summer and that was it all over.
Its no way to promote a brand or competition at all.

I'm sure there are many men who were very fine footballers in their day from weaker counties who were lucky if they accumulated a total of 10-15 championship matches over their entire careers.

Declan Browne, an elite level corner forward, played 25 championship matches for Tipperary, and that is with the second half of his career falling in the era of the qualifier system. He'd be a leading star of the game if he played today given the greater exposure afforded by the expanded intercounty set up.

The idea of going back to one-and-done is absolute madness.

What "expanded intercounty setup"?

Tipperary are in  Division 4, and play in the Tailteann cup. How much exposure do they (or Leitrim/Waterford  etc) normally get?  20 seconds highlights on RTE Maybe?

An open  championship draw, as suggested earlier, and a good championship run/favourable draw,  would do wonders for exposure of such players.  Being stuck in the Tailteann cup  won't .

Maybe, maybe not, but I wasn't arguing FOR the Tailteann per se, although it's much better in my opinion than the alternative of being nothing but a whipping boy when you're already in that position in your province. But let's say someone of Browne's class WAS playing in the Tailteann, especially the latter stages, would that not attract spectators and tv viewers? He may be a freak of nature, but Clifford on his own pulls a lot of people and viewers towards games.

Regardless, I'm for more championship matches for all counties, full stop. I'm less concerned with the details of how that's accomplished than with the thought of going back to the old days when your summer was over, for the majority, by June (or April these days). If the GAA want to trial different formats and come to a decision later about what works best based on attendances and enthusiasm for what is on show, I'm all for it.

[Maroon Manc]

When I explain too people over here we've a league competition that nobody really wants to win they all laugh and can't understand it as it doesn't make sense and their right!

Get rid of the league, find a way of creating some sort of advantage for winning a provincial title, split the championship into Senior/Intermediate/Junior and find a way of creating enough jeopardy. A 10 team Sam Maguire, 5 home games and 4 away games for a provincial winner. Top 2 into a semi final, 3-6 into the quarter finals and 9th & 10th are relegated. It would be great viewing and very few games that meant nothing.

[Blowitupref]

Details on the first 4 games in round 1 confirmed today.


Saturday 23rd May

Kerry v Donegal - Fitzgerald Stadium 3pm on GAA+

Cork v Meath  - Paric UI Rinn 5.30pm on GAA+

Galway v Kildare  - Pearse Stadium 7.30pm RTE

Sunday 24th

Roscommon v Tyrone - Dr Hyde Park 2pm on GAA+

[JollyGreenGiant]

When I explain too people over here we've a league competition that nobody really wants to win they all laugh and can't understand it as it doesn't make sense and their right!

Get rid of the league, find a way of creating some sort of advantage for winning a provincial title, split the championship into Senior/Intermediate/Junior and find a way of creating enough jeopardy. A 10 team Sam Maguire, 5 home games and 4 away games for a provincial winner. Top 2 into a semi final, 3-6 into the quarter finals and 9th & 10th are relegated. It would be great viewing and very few games that meant nothing.

The difficulty is unlike hurling where counties were happy to "give up the ghost", football is far more enfranchised and all counties want a cut at Sam Maguire, even if they know it is remote.

[Captain Obvious]

When I explain too people over here we've a league competition that nobody really wants to win they all laugh and can't understand it as it doesn't make sense and their right!

Get rid of the league, find a way of creating some sort of advantage for winning a provincial title, split the championship into Senior/Intermediate/Junior and find a way of creating enough jeopardy. A 10 team Sam Maguire, 5 home games and 4 away games for a provincial winner. Top 2 into a semi final, 3-6 into the quarter finals and 9th & 10th are relegated. It would be great viewing and very few games that meant nothing.

Competition for the elites you seek?  As it stands we barely have a top 5 it's ever changing in a healthy competitive state.  The focus should be to make the league more important and as for the provincial championships all they had to do was just seed the winner.

[AustinPowers]

When I explain too people over here we've a league competition that nobody really wants to win they all laugh and can't understand it as it doesn't make sense and their right!

Get rid of the league, find a way of creating some sort of advantage for winning a provincial title, split the championship into Senior/Intermediate/Junior and find a way of creating enough jeopardy. A 10 team Sam Maguire, 5 home games and 4 away games for a provincial winner. Top 2 into a semi final, 3-6 into the quarter finals and 9th & 10th are relegated. It would be great viewing and very few games that meant nothing.

Only  10 teams?  You'd be sick of looking at each other 

There's something  very futile about these group stages/back doors, lose three games  but you're  still in it craic. Teams  like  Kerry and  Dublin  could have a couple of off days and   still win the All Ireland. Shadow boxing nonsense.

I remember after Down beat champion Derry in 94, thinking they could go on and win Sam, now a big hitter is out. And they did.

Current formats suit big teams with big squads , who can handle injuries/an off day.... and little chance for  teams even just below the top 2 or 3 - eg.  Monaghan Kildare Derry Louth etc of ever  realistically winning an All Ireland. Cut throat do or die knockout clashes  are really missed  these days.

[Rossfan]

You're making a great argument for an 11 aside Cup competition with no subs.

[Armagh18]

When I explain too people over here we've a league competition that nobody really wants to win they all laugh and can't understand it as it doesn't make sense and their right!

Get rid of the league, find a way of creating some sort of advantage for winning a provincial title, split the championship into Senior/Intermediate/Junior and find a way of creating enough jeopardy. A 10 team Sam Maguire, 5 home games and 4 away games for a provincial winner. Top 2 into a semi final, 3-6 into the quarter finals and 9th & 10th are relegated. It would be great viewing and very few games that meant nothing.

The difficulty is unlike hurling where counties were happy to "give up the ghost", football is far more enfranchised and all counties want a cut at Sam Maguire, even if they know it is remote.

But they all do have a cut at Sam, if you aren't good enough to get up the leagues and not good enough to get to a provincial final then you don't deserve a chance. The TC and leagues are great for teams to develop and push themselves up the ranks.

[tonto1888]

When I explain too people over here we've a league competition that nobody really wants to win they all laugh and can't understand it as it doesn't make sense and their right!

Get rid of the league, find a way of creating some sort of advantage for winning a provincial title, split the championship into Senior/Intermediate/Junior and find a way of creating enough jeopardy. A 10 team Sam Maguire, 5 home games and 4 away games for a provincial winner. Top 2 into a semi final, 3-6 into the quarter finals and 9th & 10th are relegated. It would be great viewing and very few games that meant nothing.

The difficulty is unlike hurling where counties were happy to "give up the ghost", football is far more enfranchised and all counties want a cut at Sam Maguire, even if they know it is remote.

But they all do have a cut at Sam, if you aren't good enough to get up the leagues and not good enough to get to a provincial final then you don't deserve a chance. The TC and leagues are great for teams to develop and push themselves up the ranks.

would your opinion be the same had the TC been about when we were in div3 and couldnt win a game in Ulster nevermind make a final?

[Armagh18]

When I explain too people over here we've a league competition that nobody really wants to win they all laugh and can't understand it as it doesn't make sense and their right!

Get rid of the league, find a way of creating some sort of advantage for winning a provincial title, split the championship into Senior/Intermediate/Junior and find a way of creating enough jeopardy. A 10 team Sam Maguire, 5 home games and 4 away games for a provincial winner. Top 2 into a semi final, 3-6 into the quarter finals and 9th & 10th are relegated. It would be great viewing and very few games that meant nothing.

The difficulty is unlike hurling where counties were happy to "give up the ghost", football is far more enfranchised and all counties want a cut at Sam Maguire, even if they know it is remote.

But they all do have a cut at Sam, if you aren't good enough to get up the leagues and not good enough to get to a provincial final then you don't deserve a chance. The TC and leagues are great for teams to develop and push themselves up the ranks.

would your opinion be the same had the TC been about when we were in div3 and couldnt win a game in Ulster nevermind make a final?

Yes. Best we could hope for then a decent draw in the back door against similar level teams which we got in was it 2017 against the likes of Kildare before being tanked against Tyrone.

At the time we'd have probably had a decent chance at a TC and would have been realistic silverware when we were well behind Tyrone and Donegal in Ulster never mind Kerry/Dublin/Mayo.

[GTP]

The TC and leagues are great for teams to develop and push themselves up the ranks.

I am not sure the TC or league is serving that purpose as of the 4 winners only Meath have escaped the yo yo of Division 2 to 3. And without the group stage of All Ireland the TC cup winners are now likely to get fewer games at the top level than before.
A league of 3 divisions 10/10/12 with 2 up 2 down. No league finals. Provincial winners and TC winners from year before plus next best 11 from the league into the All Ireland. (16 teams in whatever format they want)
Could have provincial rounds scheduled during the league if they wanted a bit of knockout action spread across the season.