Football Championship 2026 (Mod Note in OP)

dxhound2005 · 20-05-2026 03:28PM

Division One is often composed of Kerry and Dublin, plus 6 from Connacht Ulster. That would probably up the average for those 6, with lots of local derbies in the League.

orangerhyme · 20-05-2026 04:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124485170#Comment_124485170

Nice Chatgpt but don't know where you can get accurate data on championship games.

Maybe home league attendances gives an indication of the hardcore support.

Also Armagh is only half Catholic so should be taken into account when calculating per capita.

Half the County have no interest in GAA. Likewise Tyrone.

dxhound2005 · 20-05-2026 04:11PM

Half of Fermanagh is Protestant, the other half is Water.

gormdubhgorm · 20-05-2026 04:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124485329#Comment_124485329

I used Gemini better for research stats . Have to keep checking and rechecking reviewing of course. Asked to correlate re attendance records league championship . It can scoop them up then average.
You are correct of course that the counties in Ulster have their own “uniqueness” when it comes to GAA support.

But I didn’t want to go down the political rabbit hole.
In my head I assume the Fermanagh support was an outlier when they had an unprecedented run to the AI QF. Given their population. When it comes to GAA support, and given the political situation etc

You wouldn’t be able to have a team play like Fermanagh did then under these new rules, but fair dues to them McGrath got the max out of that side.

orangerhyme · 20-05-2026 04:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124485375#Comment_124485375

I just mean for AI finals and semi finals you can only get a rough estimate of numbers of each county.

Instinctively I think the Ulster teams have great support, especially considering the actual Catholic population.

Mayo and Kerry decent also.

Also the population of counties isn't accurate since the majority of people from some counties live outside their county.

For example the population of county Kerry is 160,000 but there could be 200,000 or more outside the county.

Not to nitpick but it's impossible to be accurate.

But definitely 36,000 for a Leinster final is poor from Dublin considering 20,000 at least were Westmeath.

Charles Babbage · 20-05-2026 09:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124485329#Comment_124485329

Both Armagh and Tyrone have a useful population of 120,000 odd. This less than Donegal or Kerry, similar to Waterford or Clare and more than Monaghan or Roscommon.

In Armagh's case 8% of that number attended recent home league games and perhaps 15% for championship games.

RoyalCelt · 20-05-2026 10:05PM

Mod Edit

Warning issued.

dunnerc · 20-05-2026 11:02PM

Mod Edit

Warning issued.

RoyalCelt · 20-05-2026 11:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124486416#Comment_124486416

I do post on the Meath thread amongst many others. After just 12k fans turned up to your last match you should be welcoming outside interest.

Especially when I'm likely to attend some of your hurling games which I have many other years.

Dogsdodogsstuff · 20-05-2026 11:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124486179#Comment_124486179

Youve only made 4 posts, all in the last few days , from an account setup in March , you have only discussed Dublin in less then glowing terms and you chat like you’ve been these around these forums awhile.

I don’t think everybody discussing Dublin in the negative have an agenda, but there’s definitely a few who might……

RoyalCelt · 21-05-2026 03:20AM

Mod Edit

Warning issued.

event · 21-05-2026 11:22AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124485170#Comment_124485170

Interesting info. Does it take in to account if any (and I dont know myself) of these counties are limited by their grounds capacity? So do any of these counties regularly sell out their home league games, could they get higher with a bigger ground?

Dogsdodogsstuff · 21-05-2026 01:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124487082#Comment_124487082

There’s also the question of how much changing and diluting the provincial championship has impacted attendances over time. The draw for AI series before the provincial finals definitely draws attention from it, it actually promotes the fact that provincial final result has no bearing on the tournament.

Leinster crowds have been an issue for years, it’s not something that suddenly happened overnight. If a Leinster final guaranteed an All-Ireland semi-final spot like it once effectively did, attendances would obviously be stronger.

I’d also be interested to see what attendances for other provincial finals would look like if they were all played in an 82,000-capacity Croke Park every year.

A packed 25k stadium and a half-empty Croker are completely different experiences. One feels like championship football, the other can feel flat and almost league-like. Atmosphere matters.

Watching Dublin in front of 20k in Croke Park often just isn’t a great spectacle, especially after years of one-sided Leinster games. So there’s a broader question here, has using Croke Park actually become part of the problem?

People can criticise Dublin support, but I don’t think it’s as simple as “they should just fill Croker.” The product itself has felt stale for a long time.

Charles Babbage · 22-05-2026 09:46AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124487082#Comment_124487082

Few counties regularly sell out league games. Places like Monaghan, Cavan or Mayo have a large ground that would never sell out. Donegal sometimes play in smaller venues in Letterkenny or Ballyshannon, they might fill up and Kerry play league games in Tralee which might fill up. Otherwise, you are down to the possibility local derbies filling up at a time of particular success, e.g. Armagh v Tyrone or Donegal.

Some counties might get be a few more if they had better acccomodation, e.g. covered or with seats.

FullBack Jam · 22-05-2026 02:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124487341#Comment_124487341

I'm a blow in - not from Dublin, but living there for many years. I get into Croke Park as often as I can. My own county hasn't had the privilege of many Croke Park matches in recent years, so it's been mainly Dublin games. Saturday evening games are brilliant. I bring the kids to a lot of the Sunday games.

Anyway, I find it so hard to understand how there could only be about 12k dub supporters in CP last Sunday. That is shocking. People can blame the team and all that. But at the end of the day, thousands of people have to make a decision - will I get the kids of their @rses for a few hours and head in to Croke Park and support the team, or will I just take the easy option and watch it on TV. And the vast vast majority did the latter. Out of a population of about 1.5m, take away foreigners, people that are not originally from Dublin, people with no interest in sports etc., at a complete guess, even if left with 500,000 people, only 12,000 of those decided to head down the road to the match.

Dogsdodogsstuff · 22-05-2026 04:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124490085#Comment_124490085

I’m sorry but Croke park is a horrible place to watch a game regularly with 20k or less fans. Maybe if it was your team playing in games with no atmosphere you might feel different. I remember the 90s, couldn’t wait to goto games and there was palpable tension and excitement. Now going to a Dublin game at CP in the league or Leinster champo is a chore. I’m not looking forward for to the Louth game anymore then I was the Westmeath one. I’d prefer it was in a smaller stadium.

It’s ironic that some of it is probably down to success. I know friends who are big G.A.A. fans who goto club matches but started going to less games during Dublins dominance. I myself found it hard to get motivated to watch Dublin trounce Leinster fodder.

The joke about Kerry used to be you wouldn’t see most of their fans until mid August. There’s a reason why.

And tickets have been going up a lot, so going to see your team play a match in an empty stadium is simply not an appealing thing for most. You can’t expect people to pay more to an inferior product and in many ways the championship has been diminished by some of the decisions made to format.

It’s funny how most outside the pale presume having CP is only a plus , I’d say most hardcore Dublin fans would be happier playing more games in Parnell park. I miss it, fantastic atmosphere and even league games had a more spicy feel.

If county population is considered a major determining factor for support then Mayo puts everyone to shame. Each county , Dublin included, have their own reasons for good/bad support. The presumption outside of Dublin seems to be that Leinster has only been boring for everybody else but there’s no joy in watching Dublin breeze through it with 10+ point average for over a decade.

Rather then having a go at our support, it would make more sense looking at what might be causing the decline.

legendary.xix · 22-05-2026 04:34PM

The following teams won away in Round 1 last year: Tyrone over Donegal, Dublin over Galway and Cavan over Mayo. Wounded teams from the provincials come in with an intensity. They've had the advantage then of assessing their opponent in provincial finals as part of that preparation.

castletownman · 22-05-2026 09:41PM

Does anyone know of any Irish bar in Manchester that would likely show the Kerry-Donegal game? The feckin egg chasing might be a fly in the ointment

dobman88 · 22-05-2026 09:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124491205#Comment_124491205

Mulligans in Deansgate.

If they don't have it on, I'd be shocked and they'd put it on for you if asked.

munster87 · 22-05-2026 09:54PM

Was going to say Mulligans too

castletownman · 22-05-2026 10:10PM

Thanks lads

gormdubhgorm · 23-05-2026 10:48AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124490356#Comment_124490356

Exactly, plus CP manages somehow to keep in the cold. League matches there for fans particularly, can feel like a penance overall.
Away matches on the other hand Dublin football fans love them. As do the players, Dublin’s record in championship at away games is very good. Dublin football fans were delighted when the early provincials were moved outside CP. If anyone went to Aughrim they had great craic.

A Dub fan wouldn’t get the chance to go there only for that decision.
Club games in Parnell park or hurling matches they’re fantastic.
Wait until people see the atmosphere in CP for the hurling on Sunday.

Top of my head I have loads of fond memorises of Parnell. It’s like the equivalent of watching your favourite band in an intimate venue.

Anyone from outside Dublin who says “Ye have Croke Park” is clueless to the reality. Dublin don’t have Croke Park they are exiled there. In the past it was for for the benefit of the Leinster Council / broader GAA coffers and to make more tickets available for fans.

Basically Dublin in CP benefited the CLG more than Dublin itself. For the good of the association. Even with the smaller crowds.

But the atmosphere is non-existent unless if there is 60k ish at a match.
The big hurling match Sunday in Parnell is a sell out 8500 . If it was in CP the seagulls would be heard!