All-Ireland Series Sam Maguire 2026

[DaleCooper]

Dubs will not be as spritely and Con though ruled fit has history of pulling up. Galway by 4.

Indeed a nice touch from Galway to honour a legend.

[AustinPowers]

Do you have to  buy both games singularly tomorrow on GAAgo?

Or is there a package available?

[Brendan]

Do you have to  buy both games singularly tomorrow on GAAgo?

Or is there a package available?

The wife bought me a subscription a couple of weeks ago for Father's day, think it works out at 8 quid a month and its been good value considering all you get and the match day coverage is far superior to RTE, plan to cancel it for the winter months though 

[blanketattack]

Con O'Callaghan named on the published Dublin team, I doubt he'll start but it looks like Ger Brennan will keep Galway guessing.

Kerry with unchanged team. Burns back on the bench and back from suspension.





Beggan named to start but will he be fit enough to take long ranges frees and 45s?




Dublin subs

Subs:
Hugh O'Sullivan, Tom Lahiff, Liam Smith, Greg McEneaney, Cian Murphy, Seán Guiden, Josh Bannon, Ross McGarry, Alex Gavin, Seán Bugler, Tim Deering

Other teams

GALWAY:
Connor Gleeson; Jack Glynn, Cian Hernon, Liam Silke; Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Sean Kelly; Paul Conroy, John Maher; Cein Darcy, Shane McGrath, Cillian McDaid; Robert Finnerty, Matthew Tierney, Shane Walsh.

Subs:
Conor Flaherty, Brian Cogger, Séan Mulkerrin, Johnny McGrath, Kieran Molloy, Fionn McDonagh, Daniel Ó Flaherty, Finnian Ó Laoi, Jack Mullen, Damien Comer, Liam Ó Conghaile

CORK: Patrick Doyle; Maurice Shanley, Daniel O'Mahony, Seán Meehan; Brian O'Driscoll, Tommy Walsh, Luke Fahy; Ian Maguire, Colm O'Callaghan; Paul Walsh, Dara Sheedy, Seán McDonnell; Mark Cronin, Chris Óg Jones, Steven Sherlock.

Subs: Micheál Aodh Martin, Jacob O'Driscoll, Seán Brady, Rory Maguire, Seán Walsh, David Buckley, Conor Cahalane, Eoghan McSweeney, Ruairi Deane, Conor Corbett, Brian Hurley.

MAYO: Jack Livingstone; Jack Coyne, Donnacha McHugh, Eoin McGreal; Sam Callinan, David McBrien, Enda Hession; Bob Touhy, Jack Carney; Stephen Coen, Conor Loftus, Jordan Flynn; Darragh Beirne, Ryan O'Donoghue, Kobe McDonald.

Subs: Rob Hennelly, Diarmuid Duffy, John McMonagle, Rory Brickenden, Conal Dawson, Aidan O'Shea, Matthew Ruane, Paul Towey, Fergal Boland, Tommy Conroy, Cian McHale.

TYRONE:
Niall Morgan; Cormac Quinn, Peter Teague, Joey Clarke; Michael McKernan, Niall Devlin, Kieran McGeary; Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick; Seanie O'Donnell, Ronan Cassidy, Ciaran Daly; Eoin McElholm, Mattie Donnelly, Ethan Jordan.

Subs:
Oisin O'Kane, Michael Rafferty, Aidan Clarke, Frank Burns, Ben Cullen, Ruairi McHugh, Oisin McCann, Conor O'Neill, Ciaran Bogue, Lorcan McGarrity, Darren McCurry.

LOUTH:
Niall Mc Donnell; Emmet Carolan, Donal McKenny, Daire Nally; Conal McKeever, Dara McDonnell, Craig Lennon; Paul Matthews, Sean Callaghan; James Maguire, Sam Mulroy, Conor Grimes; Kieran McArdle, Ciaran Downey, Ryan Burns.

Subs:
Tiarnan Markey, Ciaran Byrne, Tommy Durnin, Conor Early, Leonard Grey, Ciaran Keenan, Conall McCaul, Conor Mac Criosta Tadgh Mcdonnell, Padric Tinnelly, Anthony Williams.

Are Kerry the only team that start 4 natural midfielders and four natural forwards in their starting team?

Seeing that they are All-Ireland champions and favourites to retain it should others start to copy that selection?

Or an admission of a weakness there or a complement to the opposition's midfield?
All 4 midfielders aren't prolific point scorers, so puts extra impetus on the 4 forwards, although the backs make up for them.
Their best back for scoring would have been Tom O'Sullivan.

[Armagh18]

Con O'Callaghan named on the published Dublin team, I doubt he'll start but it looks like Ger Brennan will keep Galway guessing.

Kerry with unchanged team. Burns back on the bench and back from suspension.





Beggan named to start but will he be fit enough to take long ranges frees and 45s?




Dublin subs

Subs:
Hugh O'Sullivan, Tom Lahiff, Liam Smith, Greg McEneaney, Cian Murphy, Seán Guiden, Josh Bannon, Ross McGarry, Alex Gavin, Seán Bugler, Tim Deering

Other teams

GALWAY:
Connor Gleeson; Jack Glynn, Cian Hernon, Liam Silke; Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Sean Kelly; Paul Conroy, John Maher; Cein Darcy, Shane McGrath, Cillian McDaid; Robert Finnerty, Matthew Tierney, Shane Walsh.

Subs:
Conor Flaherty, Brian Cogger, Séan Mulkerrin, Johnny McGrath, Kieran Molloy, Fionn McDonagh, Daniel Ó Flaherty, Finnian Ó Laoi, Jack Mullen, Damien Comer, Liam Ó Conghaile

CORK: Patrick Doyle; Maurice Shanley, Daniel O'Mahony, Seán Meehan; Brian O'Driscoll, Tommy Walsh, Luke Fahy; Ian Maguire, Colm O'Callaghan; Paul Walsh, Dara Sheedy, Seán McDonnell; Mark Cronin, Chris Óg Jones, Steven Sherlock.

Subs: Micheál Aodh Martin, Jacob O'Driscoll, Seán Brady, Rory Maguire, Seán Walsh, David Buckley, Conor Cahalane, Eoghan McSweeney, Ruairi Deane, Conor Corbett, Brian Hurley.

MAYO: Jack Livingstone; Jack Coyne, Donnacha McHugh, Eoin McGreal; Sam Callinan, David McBrien, Enda Hession; Bob Touhy, Jack Carney; Stephen Coen, Conor Loftus, Jordan Flynn; Darragh Beirne, Ryan O'Donoghue, Kobe McDonald.

Subs: Rob Hennelly, Diarmuid Duffy, John McMonagle, Rory Brickenden, Conal Dawson, Aidan O'Shea, Matthew Ruane, Paul Towey, Fergal Boland, Tommy Conroy, Cian McHale.

TYRONE:
Niall Morgan; Cormac Quinn, Peter Teague, Joey Clarke; Michael McKernan, Niall Devlin, Kieran McGeary; Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick; Seanie O'Donnell, Ronan Cassidy, Ciaran Daly; Eoin McElholm, Mattie Donnelly, Ethan Jordan.

Subs:
Oisin O'Kane, Michael Rafferty, Aidan Clarke, Frank Burns, Ben Cullen, Ruairi McHugh, Oisin McCann, Conor O'Neill, Ciaran Bogue, Lorcan McGarrity, Darren McCurry.

LOUTH:
Niall Mc Donnell; Emmet Carolan, Donal McKenny, Daire Nally; Conal McKeever, Dara McDonnell, Craig Lennon; Paul Matthews, Sean Callaghan; James Maguire, Sam Mulroy, Conor Grimes; Kieran McArdle, Ciaran Downey, Ryan Burns.

Subs:
Tiarnan Markey, Ciaran Byrne, Tommy Durnin, Conor Early, Leonard Grey, Ciaran Keenan, Conall McCaul, Conor Mac Criosta Tadgh Mcdonnell, Padric Tinnelly, Anthony Williams.

Are Kerry the only team that start 4 natural midfielders and four natural forwards in their starting team?

Seeing that they are All-Ireland champions and favourites to retain it should others start to copy that selection?

Or an admission of a weakness there or a complement to the opposition's midfield?
All 4 midfielders aren't prolific point scorers, so puts extra impetus on the 4 forwards, although the backs make up for them.
Their best back for scoring would have been Tom O'Sullivan.

Their 2 midfielders are exceptional in the air, big brutes of men. All capable of coming up with scores as well and Joe O'Connor loves a goal.

[Captain Obvious]

Or an admission of a weakness there or a complement to the opposition's midfield?
All 4 midfielders aren't prolific point scorers, so puts extra impetus on the 4 forwards, although the backs make up for them.
Their best back for scoring would have been Tom O'Sullivan.

Don't think it's ever a Kerry trait to admit weakness. With winning primary ball in the middle now more important than ever the tactic of Kerry using four natural midfielders shouldn't go unnoticed.

All four good with their defensive duties responsibilities also, some other teams have good midfielders for fielding the ball however mediocre when tracking back and turning the ball over.

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

Kerry are very beatable but I can't see this Tyrone side doing it. Very much a team in transition with so many young players coming through. It's been unfortunate for Tyrone that the likes of Hampsey, McCurry and also Darragh haven't been available consistently (or at all) over the last few months to help with the balance between new players and those with more experience. The league was a shambles and while the Championship has been much better you're still working from a pretty small sample size there. I'd hope coming out of the two games against Roscommon and Mayo with narrow wins will have really helped the young lads. Main thing tomorrow is to give it a right good rattle, be competitive and gain more experience. If they do so and end up in the closing stages with a chance to win then great, but I don't think they are really at that point yet.

[DaleCooper]

From Gaelicstatsman [championship games only]

Total scored/ conceded

T: 22 / 21.67
K: 25.6 / 19

Goals scored / conceded

T: 1.33/ 1.33
K: 2.0 / 0.80

2pts scored / conceded

T: 1.33/ 2.00
K: 3.00 / 2.80


Another interesting tid bit.

"Since 2022, there has been 16 All-Ireland SFC Quarter-Finals, 12 of those have been won by the side seeded in the draw"

[Killala]

First time to try predicting. Mayo,Kerry, Monaghan, Dublin. Mayo will get a boost from the Meath game. Kerry on a roll. Monaghan battle hardened. Galway haven't been overly impressive this year.

[AustinPowers]

Kerry by 10
Cork by 3
Dublin by 2
Monaghan by 3

[Aaron Boone]

If the big heat comes again, then Kerry are better equipped & more used to it given they live 350km closer to the Equator than Tyrone.

[blanketattack]

If the big heat comes again, then Kerry are better equipped & more used to it given they live 350km closer to the Equator than Tyrone.

Aren't inland counties much more used to hot weather than coastal counties?
Same with all countries- Paris scorching in 42°C heat while the French Mediterranean coast is only 28°.

Tyrone are the only inland county to win an All-Ireland since 1982.
(Presuming Armagh doesn't count as an inland county?)

[EoinW]

I'm a week behind but I've finally caught up!  Televising NINE games the same weekend of the US Open.  Sheesh!  Nice thing about being in Canada is that it's easy to avoid final results.  Alas it means avoid all the intelligent comments here.  Excuse me if I rehash old points.

My one takeaway this year is that it doesn't pay to win a provincial championship.  Kerry excepted, naturally.  I would have thought that the least the GAA could have done was guarantee Provincial winners home games throughout these qualifying games.  Certainly don't match two champs head to head in the round of 12.

Though I'm a traditionalist, I not opposed with past comments about getting rid of the provincials.  The modern systems have made them obsolete.

[EoinW]

My wish list would be to take the 32 teams, put them into 8 groups of 4, give everyone three games, with the group winners advancing to the QF.

Each group would have one team from each of the four league divisions.  Instead of an open draw, teams are grouped based on geography.  Northern counties in groups 1 & 2, southern in #7 & & #8.  Then east for 3-4 and west for 5-6.  This year Group 1 would have been Donegal, Derry, Down & Antrim.  Group 8 Kerry, Cork, Wexford & Waterford.

Given the oncoming energy crisis the GAA may have to rethink all the travelling that's currently required for inter-county games.

Not to neglect the Tailteann Cup.  The 24 non-group winners would compete for that.  The nice thing about only 7 knockout games for the AI is that there will be time for replays.

I also have no wish to neglect New York.  That game in May is technically a championship game but, in reality, it's an exhibition game.  Why not send the defending AI champs to New York each May?  Give American fans a chance to see the best live.

Sorry about the provincials.  They simply don't jive with the modern format(unless you want to return to the back door system, which was a happy mix).

[EoinW]

One last post and I'll be quiet.

Good point about Tyrone surprising Kerry four times then winning four AI titles.  The catch is that those Tyrone teams did it with a defensive system that could frustrate Kerry's overwhelming talent.  Such defensive systems have been banned by the new rules, allowing Kerry to run riot.

One way to look at it is that the most talented team should be champion.  However the most talented may always be Kerry.  Even the most enthusiastic fans of the new rules, may tire of everyone else playing for 2nd place.

Seems like a choice between the new rules with total Kerry dominance or the old rules where less talented teams can use the rules to negate such dominance.

Of course I'm wrong as I'm dealing in absolutes(unless five years from now we're speculating on Kerry's run for #7).  I'm not expected anyone to trouble this great Kerry squad.  However if one team can, I think it's Monaghan, which has developed the kind of attitude Tyrone had in "05 and '08.