Football Championship 2026 (Mod Note in OP)

Dogsdodogsstuff · 27-04-2026 08:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124426518#Comment_124426518

Probably For the same reason why most fans wouldn’t travel over 4 hours (not including stop for fuel or match traffic) each way to watch a playoff match between 2 teams they don’t support

threeball · 27-04-2026 11:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124426075#Comment_124426075

Both Mayo and Roscommon beat us in the league. Leitrim pushed us all the way on Saturday. I don't think we have any justification to say we're an entirely different prospect. Might be slightly more physical in midfield but we were cleaned out in numerous league games in that area. And our attack can be as ponderous as Mayos.

legendary.xix · 28-04-2026 12:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124424031#Comment_124424031

County boards and Croke Park. I think the league qualifiers have gone too far. 2 knockout qualifying rounds could be fairer. Up to the counties impacted at the end of the day of they want to lobby for change.

dxhound2005 · 28-04-2026 01:45PM

There is no indication in the country that minds have changed since the new format got 93% support.

22 February 2025

The GAA Congress has voted decisively to back proposed changes to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship format.

Almost 93% of delegates in Donegal Town supported the move which will see the removal of the round-robin stage of the football championship.

legendary.xix · 28-04-2026 04:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124427631#Comment_124427631

There's no doubting that vote. Not unusual in the GAA world for the winds of change to make a change. Up to the likes of Down and Westmeath to lobby for changes anyway if they were to think a different All Ireland qualification method should be considered.

Bass Reeves · 28-04-2026 06:23PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124427574#Comment_124427574

The reason that the present qualification structures was put in place was to retain competitiveness innthe provincial championships. If there is any change to the structure it will be to bring in a promotion relegation structure whichbis in place in every other championship structure in hurling and football

dxhound2005 · 28-04-2026 06:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124427883#Comment_124427883

Don't worry, there will be some other variation along in a couple of years. The eternal quest to square an impossible circle. What will remain constant is the power of the Provinces. They will continue to run their Championships in whatever way they like, and they will never give up their 8 guaranteed places in Sam.

legendary.xix · 28-04-2026 07:11PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124428139#Comment_124428139

The schedule this year is:

1. Munster and Connacht finals

2. Ulster and Leinster finals

3. All Ireland Round 1 involving Munster and Connacht finalists.

4. All Ireland Round 1 involving Ulster and Leinster finalists.

With 2 knockout qualifying rounds to reduce 24 to 7 or 8, the following is an option:

1. Munster and Connacht finals

2. Qualifier Round 1, Ulster and Leinster finals

3. Qualifier Round 2

4. All Ireland Round 1 involving all 16.

J Cheever Loophole · 29-04-2026 08:15AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124424894#Comment_124424894

Fermanagh's shooting in the first half was absolutely terrible. They had 14 unsuccessful scoring attempts, between wides and shots dropped short. As a consequence, they went in at half time, down 1-17 to 0-04.

With the match effectively over, there was then an element of them throwing caution to the wind and taking shots everywhere from outside the arc. Their shooting in the second half was exceptional with a significant number of excellent two point efforts, and McGurn notching a total of 1-12 over the 70 minutes.

By coincidence, the score against Fermanagh (2-32 to 1-24) was nearly identical to our quarter final defeat of Antrim last year (1-35 to 1-24). I realise the whole issue of the new rules has caused a lot of debate, but for me huge scores along the lines of these matches is not what I want to see. There is too much of an advantage to forwards over defenders, which sees teams like Fermanagh accumulate 27 points in a single game and still get heavily beaten.

Charles Babbage · 29-04-2026 10:20AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124428900#Comment_124428900

The rules may excessively favour forwards, but if Fermanagh had the same accuracy in the first half as they had in second then both teams would have high scores, but it would still have been competitive.

dxhound2005 · 29-04-2026 12:19PM

Two pointers being converted into points in match reports is skewing the stats. 10 two pointers in the Fermanagh game is exceptional, the average is 4.5 per game. In previous years Fermanagh's score would have been reported as 1-17, which is not outrageous. It is the number of scores in games which is relevant when making comparisons.

Charles Babbage · 29-04-2026 04:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124428096#Comment_124428096

An obvious, but perhaps not simple, stucture is for games in the provincial championship to count toward seeding. Something like the ranking here on boards. Then if you beat someone decent you improve your ranking, but getting to a provincial final shouldn't be of particular value unless you beat someone to get there. In this case, Ulster finalists would still do OK, as they generally beat someone to get there, but beating Waterford and Tipperary would mean that a Munster finalist would not improve their ranking on their league position.

Dickie10 · 30-04-2026 12:40AM

Laughlin gone for rest of year for Westmeath.kildare could prove tough to beat Sunday without him

Hammer Archer · 30-04-2026 09:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124431429#Comment_124431429

That's an absolutely huge loss for Westmeath. Would have had Westmeath to beat Kildare easily but not so sure now.

Louth outright favourites for Leinster now. For them to take Dublin (even in their current state) would be a big step for them. By their own admission, they didn't beat anyone of note in their championship run last season so they'll need to take out some bigger teams this year to continue their progress. But since the first half against us in the league, they've comfortably outscored every single team they've faced so they should be beating Dublin and I'd expect them to win the final at a canter, regardless of which team they're up against.

Tombo2001 · 30-04-2026 07:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124428900#Comment_124428900

Yes interesting point.

The new rules- the biggest beneficiaries are the best players, none more so than Clifford.

But the best players are on the best teams (by definition almost) - so therefore the new rules make it easier for the strongest teams.

Thats one interpretation anyway.

Bass Reeves · 01-05-2026 07:20AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124433443#Comment_124433443

Not necessarily. Since the new rule came in northern team have not being as dominant. Neither Derry or Tyrone manged to get back to D1. Its a significant amount of time since both teams relegated from D1that even one did not get promoted again Is this because of the effect of the new rules? There had been a kind of top 10.

Was Down beating Donegal a symptom of this a freeflowing team beating an overtly defensive side.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124429504#Comment_124429504

For an Ulster game both teams scoring in excess of 1-17 says it all compred to 2+ years ago. Accross all 4 QF's I would say Antrim was the only team that did not score 15+times in those matches

dxhound2005 · 01-05-2026 09:10AM

All you need to know according to RTE. It will be news to Cavan people that Down were the first Ulster team to win an All Ireland.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2026/0430/1571034-all-ireland-sfc-weekend-all-you-need-to-know/

"It wasn't until 1960 that an Ulster side lifted Sam Maguire for the first time. Down were the team to do it."

Tombo2001 · 01-05-2026 09:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124434395#Comment_124434395

probably confusing Ulster with 6 counties.

Bass Reeves · 01-05-2026 09:37AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124434426#Comment_124434426

Partitionists

event · 01-05-2026 09:48AM

O'Callaghan and Kilkenny starting for Dublin. Lennon, Burns and Downey all on the bench for Louth.

As a Louth man, I am worried. All the talk is about Louth and people seem to have written off Dublin. If we go in with right mentality it should be our 4th Leinster final in a row. But if even 1 player is off his game and Dublin play to their ability, we could be in trouble.

Hopefully its a great game.

Sad to see Luke Loughlin out of the season too

Charles Babbage · 01-05-2026 11:17AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124434452#Comment_124434452

Declan McBennett will hardly approve of that.

Dogsdodogsstuff · 01-05-2026 03:46PM

Anybody any tips for parking at o Moore park trying to get back to Louth ?

I usually park near the retail park near motorway, but was thinking of trying to maybe park in Portlaoise side of ground ?

Hammer Archer · 01-05-2026 04:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124435479#Comment_124435479

I usually come in from the Maldron Hotel exit on the M7 as most of the traffic would be taking the previous exit. Last year a number of the estates on that road were directing and watching over cars parked in that estate for a fiver each and it was relatively quick getting out. They may be doing something similar this time around.

Dogsdodogsstuff · 01-05-2026 04:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124435531#Comment_124435531

I usually park at that retail park Beside the Maldron hotel. Just can take awhile to get out after the match. I might of seen you at last years Dublin v meath game and not known it….

legendary.xix · 01-05-2026 05:39PM

A tough position for Westmeath, Down and Cavan. There wasn't much talk last year when Offaly won Division 3 but missed out on the All Ireland, as Clare only had to get the better of lower league placed opponents to make the Munster final.

The 6 teams who remained in Division 1 were the first to qualify for the All Ireland. Meath then were the 7th to qualify when they won Division 2. Everyone else from Cork - 8th to Tyrone - 13th have secured at least league qualification as lower league placed teams exited their respective provincial championships.

Notmything · 01-05-2026 10:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124435479#Comment_124435479

I usually park in the Aldi, couple minutes walk.

Dickie10 · 02-05-2026 12:14AM

is game near sold out in portlaoise you’d imagine it should be

legendary.xix · 02-05-2026 07:44AM

Champions League playoff losers drop into the Europa League. Earlier Champions League qualifying losers might drop into the Conference League. If there was 2 knockout qualifying rounds for the 24 non-provincial finalists to playoff for 7 or 8 league spots:

Q2 losers could enter a Tier 2 of 8 teams. Tier 2 winner guaranteed a place in the All Ireland of the following year.
Q1 losers could enter a Tier 3 of 8 teams. Tier 3 winner guaranteed at least a place in Q2 of the following year, meaning at least a place in Tier 2.

Back on the field of play...

Hard to look past Derry today but Monaghan can't be discounted. After Derry missed out on promotion and Monaghan being relegated, making an Ulster final would be welcome for both.

Louth had a solid year in Division 2. Defending their Leinster title is within their compass. Dangerous to write off Dublin though who are well capable of winning an unpredictable Leinster championship.

robbiezero · 02-05-2026 06:31PM

Good finish to Derry v Mon.

Monaghan dead and buried but only a goal behind now.

robbiezero · 02-05-2026 06:39PM

OMG. What a kick. What a finish

Football Championship 2026 (Mod Note in OP)

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