All-Ireland Football Championship semi-finals: All you need to know

RTÉ News​

3 days ago

SATURDAY 12 JULY
Tailteann Cup final
Kildare v Limerick, Croke Park, 2.30pm
All-Ireland SFC semi-final
Kerry v Tyrone, Croke Park 5pm
SUNDAY 13 JULY
Donegal v Meath, Croke Park, 4pm
ONLINE
Live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app.
TV
RTÉ will have coverage of both All-Ireland semi-finals, as well as the Tailteann Cup final on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game from 10.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
RADIO
Live commentaries and updates on Saturday Sport & Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1 - and Spórt an tSathairn and Spórt an Lae on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.
WEATHER
Saturday: Very hot with plenty of sunshine, turning hazy over the western half of the country. Highest temperatures of 24 to 29 degrees in a light to moderate southeast breeze.
Sunday: A dry and bright start on Sunday with spells of sunshine for most, with highest temperatures of 23 to 28 degrees in light to moderate southeast winds.
Kerry set for latest northern test
From 1969 up until the summer of 1991, Kerry enjoyed a 100% record against Ulster opposition. Since then however, things have been patchier to say the least.
Down ended that sequence, while the Mourne men's win in 2010 was arguably an even greater shock, the Sam Maguire holders dumped out at the quarter-final stage. Their four defeats to Tyrone - in every year the Red Hand claimed ultimate honours, has always been a stick to beat the Kingdom with.
Both of Armagh's All-Ireland victories saw them lower Kerry colours, while Donegal's march to glory in was solidified after getting past the green and gold to bring an end to Jack O'Connor's second term in charge.
Kerry supporters would be forgiven for an element of trepidation this weekend, yet the reality is that should their team go all the way in 2025, there is the distinct possibility of seeing off three Ulster sides in succession to come out on top.
The astonishing 15-minute blitz of Armagh last time out, hitting 0-14 without reply, turned the quarter-final on it's head. Can Kerry reach similar heights again on Saturday?
For a team that has struggled for much of the season to find their groove, Tyrone are likely to scope out whether that was a once-off for Kerry, or the launchpad for the business end of the season.
The Red Hand, for their part, have had a topsy-turvy championship (following on from Division 1 relegation), arriving at the last four to confound many expectations.
Edged out by Armagh in Ulster, an eye-catching win over Donegal in the group stages was immediately followed by a limp defeat to Mayo. Cavan, as has traditionally been the case, offered little resistance, but the campaign reignited with a strong surge coming down the stretch to see off the Dubs.
Supporters will be hoping to repeat the trick of 2021, where Covid dominated the build-up to the semi-final victory over Kerry for one of the more unlikely All-Ireland successes.
Some big names will be absent through injury - Tyrone's Michael McKernan, along with Kingdom trio Barry Dan O'Sullivan, Tom O'Sullivan and Diarmuid O'Connor - have already been ruled out, with Kerry sweating on the fitness of Tony Brosnan, Tadhg Morley, Mike Breen and Paul Geaney.
Kerry edge the head-to-head record 5-4, and if Tyrone are to level that score, they are likely to need the superb form of former Footballer of the Year Kieran McGeary, and the two-point shooting prowess of Peter Harte, to continue.
Ciarán Whelan and Tomás Ó Sé both expect Tyrone to go man-for-man in defence to snuff the Kerry dangermen.
Kerry didn't raise a green flag against Armagh and all year Malachy O'Rourke's side have demonstrated a steeliness at the back. Cavan (twice), Armagh, Donegal and Dublin failed to find the back of the net, a Mayo side fighting for their lives the only side to force Niall Morgan to pick the ball out of his net.
Donegal on a mission
Twelve months ago, the Donegal footballers trooped off the field against Galway lamenting what might have been. The chance to return to the All-Ireland final was tantalisingly close in Jim McGuinness's first year back in charge, a tense, finely balanced semi-final there to be won.
Level with a little over 10 minutes remaining, Oisin Gallen stood over a 13m-free. In All-Star form – though at an angle – he pulled his effort. The Tir Chonaill men failed to score, the Tribes men popped over two scores to advance.
Watching on in his role as a BBC analyst on the day was Michael Murphy.
This time around a different challenge awaits at the penultimate stage. Galway, Dublin and Armagh have left the stage, and now it's a Meath side that have taken a few scalps along the way that are bidding to continue their own remarkable journey.
As you would expect from a McGuiness's-led side, the fingerprints of planning are all over their run to the last four.
With a league final clearly within sight, the reins were pulled up with the Ulster preliminary round looming. That has proven to be a wise decision as Saturday marks their 10th championship outing, with McGuinness highlighting their tight scheduling, as well as voicing his displeasure at venue choices where he felt his team had been slighted.
On the pitch, the pieces of the puzzle appear to be fitting together.
Shaun Patton is in the elite goalkeeper bracket, while the likes of Finbarr Roarty, Peadar Mogan and Ciarán Moore in defence are in All-Star form. Caolan McGonagle could slip back into the half-back line after a recent injury setback, while there is serious strength around the middle third with the likes of Jason McGee, Hugh McFadden Michael Langan, Ciaran Thompson.
The O'Donnell brothers, Shane and Conor, took Monaghan for 0-07 last time out, ably assisted up front by Murphy, Gallen and Daire O Baoill.
Donegal start out as outright All-Ireland favouries, never mind to see off the Royals, but Robbie Brennan has his team riding the crest of a wave. Would they have expected to be just 70 minutes away from a first final appearance since 2001 at the start of the campaign?
Unlikely, yet the only semi-finalist that went unbeaten in the group series and ended Dublin's Leinster dominance have been one of the stories of the summer.
Right around the pitch they have exuded confidence, starting with 21-year-old Billy Hogan in goals. Sean Rafferty has been in imperious form on the edge of the square, while Jordan Morris and and Matthew Costello - pictured above - in particular have been causing havoc up front.
The general consensus is that Meath's journey is likely come to an end, but how will Donegal cope with that pressure against the Meath tyros?
"You end up in these moments in championship runs where everything is on the line and the players have to find a way," McGuinness said of the win over Monaghan after a sluggish start.
Last year they couldn't find a way against Galway, this time around they will be looking to go at least one step further.
Kildare and Limerick look to Tailteann glory as stepping stone
Who will follow in the footsteps of Westmeath, Meath and Down in being crowned Tailteann Cup champions?
Kildare and Limerick travel to GAA headquarters this weekend with the prize of All-Ireland football in 2026, regardless of league performances next year, dangling in front of them.
A cursory glance at recent finals should instill great hope in Kildare supporters that Saturday could be the springboard for greater things. Down went from final defeat to Meath in 2023 to the winner's enclosure 12 months later, while the Royals have shown in spectacular fashion what a bit of momentum and confidence can do to a group.
Kildare, similar to both counties, have slipped well down the pecking order in recent years, but after promotion to Division 2 and positive signs since the Leinster semi-final defeat, manager Brian Flanagan will point to green shoots.
The Lilywhites however are never too far from apathy. The league campaign - despite promotion - was tainted by losing three times, including the in the Division 3 decider. Provincial dreams were swatted away by Louth with Dublin out of the picture, while their Tailteann semi-final win over Fermanagh was a wretched spectacle, substitute Brian McLoughlin reeling off 0-05 after his introduction to seal just a fourth win in 24 games at Croke Park.
"That wasn't pretty at all," was Flanagan's honest post-match assessment.
Standing in their way is a Limerick side that may be rank outsiders, yet have played more games at Jones' Road this year than the Treaty hurlers.
They are riding the crest of a wave after a remarkable second-half comeback against Wicklow where Jimmy Lee's side hit 1-09 without response in a 16-minute spell to advance.
They will need all the cards to fall in their favour if the Treaty footballers are to claim their first Championship silverware since the 1896 All-Ireland.
To that end, Lee could do with James Naughton, Iain Corbett and Emmet Rigter, who all departed early last time out, to be available for selection.
In a county where football could be fourth on the sport hierarchy, captain Cillian Fahy says a victory on Saturday could have a huge ripple effect.
"It would be a massive privilege," he told RTÉ Sport.