All-Ireland Series Sam Maguire 2026

[Armagh18]

Derry have a good chance of reaching the quarter finals if they can avoid Tyrone/Mayo in the next game. That would be a successful season by Derry's standards now.

Getting ahead of yourself there.
There's the small matter of Meath in the way - who already beat us comfortably in the league, and our form is far from good.
I agree though, if we got to a quarter final, that would be a success given how the year has went so far.

Would still have to beat a decent team from the round 2a losers section even if they do beat Meath. Don't see Derry getting it handy against any of those 7 teams. (Assume they can't meet Armagh again if we're beat)

[tbrick18]

Derry have a good chance of reaching the quarter finals if they can avoid Tyrone/Mayo in the next game. That would be a successful season by Derry's standards now.

Getting ahead of yourself there.
There's the small matter of Meath in the way - who already beat us comfortably in the league, and our form is far from good.
I agree though, if we got to a quarter final, that would be a success given how the year has went so far.

Would still have to beat a decent team from the round 2a losers section even if they do beat Meath. Don't see Derry getting it handy against any of those 7 teams. (Assume they can't meet Armagh again if we're beat)

Yep. Would be a tough ask on current form - we need to improve to get over Meath and at the minute I wouldn't be thinking any further ahead than that.

[Dunneroyal]

Derry in croke park. I would have been fairly confident. Derry away is a whole different story.
Hope rather than optimism.

[blanketattack]

That's Dublin and Kerry looked after as expected.
Tough enoigh one for us but the type of game you need to be winning to be an AI contender.

Wouldn't rule out  Cavan beating Dublin

Dublin won't be winning  no All Ireland anyway , so  I wouldn't worry. Kerry handy draw though as usual

As usual?
Got Donegal last time.
The two previous championship draws, they got Tyrone in 2025 semi, and the then reigning All-Ireland Champions Armagh in 2025 1/4s.

If you're getting to a  semi final, odds are you'll meet   a top 4 or 5 team

Kerry didn't draw Armagh last year. Kerry were the only  team Armagh COULD get as they'd played  every one else previously

Just gloss over getting Donegal in the last round.🤣

[David McKeown]

They can

Not to the final unless impossible to avoid

[David McKeown]

That's Dublin and Kerry looked after as expected.
Tough enoigh one for us but the type of game you need to be winning to be an AI contender.

Wouldn't rule out  Cavan beating Dublin

Dublin won't be winning  no All Ireland anyway , so  I wouldn't worry. Kerry handy draw though as usual

As usual?
Got Donegal last time.
The two previous championship draws, they got Tyrone in 2025 semi, and the then reigning All-Ireland Champions Armagh in 2025 1/4s.

If you're getting to a  semi final, odds are you'll meet   a top 4 or 5 team

Kerry didn't draw Armagh last year. Kerry were the only  team Armagh COULD get as they'd played  every one else previously

Just gloss over getting Donegal in the last round.🤣

Well they probably can't meet them again to the final so maybe cute heurism with that too?

[AustinPowers]

That's Dublin and Kerry looked after as expected.
Tough enoigh one for us but the type of game you need to be winning to be an AI contender.

Wouldn't rule out  Cavan beating Dublin

Dublin won't be winning  no All Ireland anyway , so  I wouldn't worry. Kerry handy draw though as usual

As usual?
Got Donegal last time.
The two previous championship draws, they got Tyrone in 2025 semi, and the then reigning All-Ireland Champions Armagh in 2025 1/4s.

If you're getting to a  semi final, odds are you'll meet   a top 4 or 5 team

Kerry didn't draw Armagh last year. Kerry were the only  team Armagh COULD get as they'd played  every one else previously

Just gloss over getting Donegal in the last round.🤣

It wasn't a knockout  round though

[David McKeown]

That's Dublin and Kerry looked after as expected.
Tough enoigh one for us but the type of game you need to be winning to be an AI contender.

Wouldn't rule out  Cavan beating Dublin

Dublin won't be winning  no All Ireland anyway , so  I wouldn't worry. Kerry handy draw though as usual

As usual?
Got Donegal last time.
The two previous championship draws, they got Tyrone in 2025 semi, and the then reigning All-Ireland Champions Armagh in 2025 1/4s.

If you're getting to a  semi final, odds are you'll meet   a top 4 or 5 team

Kerry didn't draw Armagh last year. Kerry were the only  team Armagh COULD get as they'd played  every one else previously

Just gloss over getting Donegal in the last round.🤣

It wasn't a knockout  round though

Kildare this round with their most likely opponent should they win to be Westmeath and their second most likely opponent to be Louth I am sure that they arent complaining about this draw at all.

[Armagh18]

Listening to Spillane and Clerkin on the indo there, some yapping done about the draw! Not sure what blockbuster games they're looking at this stage ffs Kerry can't play Donegal every week

[Orior]

A very boring draw I thought in comparison to the round 1 draw. Fewer unpredictable matches I feel and knock out effect of a poor enough round 3 draw I feel too.

Any draw that pits unusual matches is good for me. I hope don't do an Antrim and play the match in a tiny stadium. Their own fans will suffer too.

[David McKeown]

A very boring draw I thought in comparison to the round 1 draw. Fewer unpredictable matches I feel and knock out effect of a poor enough round 3 draw I feel too.

Any draw that pits unusual matches is good for me. I hope don't do an Antrim and play the match in a tiny stadium. Their own fans will suffer too.

The whole point of this new format was to increase jeopardy I am not sure that has really happened.

[Mario]

Derry in croke park. I would have been fairly confident. Derry away is a whole different story.
Hope rather than optimism.

We've won one championship game in 10 years in Celtic park and that was v Antrim this year. I wouldn't be so pessimistic if I was a Meath fan.

[Sportacus]

That's Dublin and Kerry looked after as expected.
Tough enoigh one for us but the type of game you need to be winning to be an AI contender.

"Looked after"?

[Aaron Boone]

Galway were in everyone's Tier 1, but losing their star defender to the Big Brother reality show will impact their coverage in that area. 

[Armagh18]

A very boring draw I thought in comparison to the round 1 draw. Fewer unpredictable matches I feel and knock out effect of a poor enough round 3 draw I feel too.

Any draw that pits unusual matches is good for me. I hope don't do an Antrim and play the match in a tiny stadium. Their own fans will suffer too.

The whole point of this new format was to increase jeopardy I am not sure that has really happened.

Meath Derry- jeopardy for both, Roscommon-Monaghan- both teams would see themselves as well able to make a quarter final, one is going out this round, Wesmeath, Louth and Cavan all have a decent punchers chance of making a quarter final/taking out a big gun. If Cork don't shite the bed the ability is there to give Donegal their fill of it (alright won't hold my breath there) Tyrone and Mayo could be another cracker.

Even at the weekend there, Dublin Louth and Cavan Westmeath- hardly 2 games that would get the neutrals drooling on paper- none of the four likely All Ireland contenders but it turned out to be 2 crackers that went down to the wire. Plenty of excitement to look forward to over next couple of months.