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Football Championship 2026

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The 4 provincial finals are yet to be played. It appears there is no advantage winning this in relation to this AI series. If so it looks like GAA HQ are slowly trying to kill the provincial championship. I find this absolutely ludicrous and I am not advocating the provincial championship. Captainfantastic (Westmeath) - Posts: 58 - 04/05/2026 19:17:13 2670972 Link
Replying To Captainfantastic: "The 4 provincial finals are yet to be played. It appears there is no advantage winning this in relation to this AI series. If so it looks like GAA HQ are slowly trying to kill the provincial championship. I find this absolutely ludicrous and I am not advocating the provincial championship." I disagree. There's deffo less pressure on winning your province but that's actually freed up some teams, giving us better games and more variety. The finals will be there to be won and now there's no issue with paths etc. people know weeks in advance for instance Donegal will be coming to Killarney on 24th so can plan for tickets and travel much much earlier. Are Kerry going to be less inclined to try v Cork with Donegal in mind? If so, great chance for Cork to get a Munster title for first time in donkeys. shaggykev (Donegal) - Posts: 431 - 04/05/2026 19:39:11 2670974 Link
Replying To Captainfantastic: "The 4 provincial finals are yet to be played. It appears there is no advantage winning this in relation to this AI series. If so it looks like GAA HQ are slowly trying to kill the provincial championship. I find this absolutely ludicrous and I am not advocating the provincial championship." I cannot believe a Westmeath supporter is thinking that winning a Leinster Championship is no big deal? Surely going into the AI series as Leinster Champions would be incredible and a huge boost to your players and supporters? Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 925 - 04/05/2026 20:20:01 2670980 Link
So the provincial finals are now dead rubbers, are we really accepting this nonsense? Counties should agree to field developmental teams for them. It's the end of the local rivalry. suckvalleypaddy (Galway) - Posts: 1795 - 04/05/2026 20:24:03 2670982 Link
Replying To suckvalleypaddy: "So the provincial finals are now dead rubbers, are we really accepting this nonsense? Counties should agree to field developmental teams for them. It's the end of the local rivalry." Seconded. Farcical when you see what it means in reality. Never happy to leave well enough alone. Dublin playing Louth again illustrates the utter absurdity of this. BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4265 - 04/05/2026 21:05:14 2670990 Link
Replying To Scenicparish: "I cannot believe a Westmeath supporter is thinking that winning a Leinster Championship is no big deal? Surely going into the AI series as Leinster Champions would be incredible and a huge boost to your players and supporters?" I think yoi are completely misunderstanding his post.. He is saying the exact opposite Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 338 - 04/05/2026 21:07:11 2670991 Link
Replying To shaggykev: "I disagree. There's deffo less pressure on winning your province but that's actually freed up some teams, giving us better games and more variety. The finals will be there to be won and now there's no issue with paths etc. people know weeks in advance for instance Donegal will be coming to Killarney on 24th so can plan for tickets and travel much much earlier. Are Kerry going to be less inclined to try v Cork with Donegal in mind? If so, great chance for Cork to get a Munster title for first time in donkeys." Kerry/Donegal was likely to be one of decisive games of year. Ulster be damned! Donegal are in great place if you think about it ... BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4265 - 04/05/2026 21:07:38 2670992 Link
Replying To suckvalleypaddy: "So the provincial finals are now dead rubbers, are we really accepting this nonsense? Counties should agree to field developmental teams for them. It's the end of the local rivalry." You're dead right, long gone are the days of worrying about heading to Clones for Ulster final day, if it happens so be it but no big deal. Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2662 - 04/05/2026 21:20:05 2670995 Link
Replying To BarneyGrant: "Seconded. Farcical when you see what it means in reality. Never happy to leave well enough alone. Dublin playing Louth again illustrates the utter absurdity of this." Provincial route dies not suit everyone, interesting to see how Tyrone,meath,Donegal etc fair out, this year. Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 55 - 04/05/2026 21:53:22 2671000 Link
It's a funny one that provincial finals are supposedly being undermined but are getting replays. The round 1 draw has taken some attention but that will settle down as we get near Sunday. 3 of the finals delivered last year. Kerry v Cork would have been the best final of the lot but it was served as a semi final instead. legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9704 - 04/05/2026 21:59:02 2671002 Link
Replying To Captainfantastic: "The 4 provincial finals are yet to be played. It appears there is no advantage winning this in relation to this AI series. If so it looks like GAA HQ are slowly trying to kill the provincial championship. I find this absolutely ludicrous and I am not advocating the provincial championship." Provincials are not equal, so should not be tied to all Ireland. One province has only 2 teams practically, so they can alternate the title, save the bother of playing fish in a barrel games. Expertinall (UK) - Posts: 55 - 04/05/2026 21:59:57 2671003 Link
At the very least they should have waited until the provincial finals were over before doing the draw. Now most team's eye is off them, to varying extents. Most except maybe Roscommon and Westmeath have one eye now on the first round of AI. Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1840 - 04/05/2026 22:10:08 2671004 Link
Replying To Tadhg2020: "Dont you have at least one extra round that way and eventually have to play a winner from round 1 to get to quarter final?" Not If teams rest key players, field a 2nd string team in R1 and basically throw the game. You then still play two must win games and would be more likely to get a softer run into the QFs. Granted Its all dependent on the draw a team gets, but R1 winners play the other R1 winners in R2A, hardly a reward is it? If Derry beat Armagh, we could potentially end up playing Kerry, Donegal or Galway in R2A. Whereas if Derry lose R1, we could get Cavan, Kildare, Westmeath potentially. Then in R3 you playing the losing teams from R2A, so one of the weaker sides from the R1 winners. GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3052 - 04/05/2026 22:19:36 2671007 Link
Replying To suckvalleypaddy: "So the provincial finals are now dead rubbers, are we really accepting this nonsense? Counties should agree to field developmental teams for them. It's the end of the local rivalry." Its a shame, because Football Provincials are really healthy in comparison to Hurling, where you just have Munster Championship and then a weird Leinster with Galway and Antrim thrown into it. But the men at the top seem to want to get rid of the Provincials, which would kill the whole thing. GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3052 - 04/05/2026 22:30:41 2671009 Link
Replying To Captainfantastic: "The 4 provincial finals are yet to be played. It appears there is no advantage winning this in relation to this AI series. If so it looks like GAA HQ are slowly trying to kill the provincial championship. I find this absolutely ludicrous and I am not advocating the provincial championship." It's what HQ have been trying to do for a number of years now. I'm surprised so few have copped onto it yet. This is the closest they have got to what they want which was separating the provincial championships from the All-Ireland series. Unless seeding for provincial championship winner is brought it will die a slow death. Drax_the_destroyer (UK) - Posts: 820 - 04/05/2026 22:52:10 2671013 Link
Replying To shaggykev: "I disagree. There's deffo less pressure on winning your province but that's actually freed up some teams, giving us better games and more variety. The finals will be there to be won and now there's no issue with paths etc. people know weeks in advance for instance Donegal will be coming to Killarney on 24th so can plan for tickets and travel much much earlier. Are Kerry going to be less inclined to try v Cork with Donegal in mind? If so, great chance for Cork to get a Munster title for first time in donkeys." And you know where you going in Round 2 and Round 3, and have your arrangements made? ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 1033 - 04/05/2026 22:56:11 2671016 Link
Replying To GaryMc82: "Not If teams rest key players, field a 2nd string team in R1 and basically throw the game. You then still play two must win games and would be more likely to get a softer run into the QFs. Granted Its all dependent on the draw a team gets, but R1 winners play the other R1 winners in R2A, hardly a reward is it? If Derry beat Armagh, we could potentially end up playing Kerry, Donegal or Galway in R2A. Whereas if Derry lose R1, we could get Cavan, Kildare, Westmeath potentially. Then in R3 you playing the losing teams from R2A, so one of the weaker sides from the R1 winners." The QF draw is seeded as well, so teams that won both R1 and R2A are drawn against the others so risking getting a good team in the real knockout match systematic (Galway) - Posts: 276 - 04/05/2026 23:12:24 2671020 Link
Replying To Onion Breath: "At the very least they should have waited until the provincial finals were over before doing the draw. Now most team's eye is off them, to varying extents. Most except maybe Roscommon and Westmeath have one eye now on the first round of AI." They couldn't wait to do the draw becaise there would be less than a week between the last provintial final and the first AI series match. Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 925 - 05/05/2026 07:50:00 2671028 Link
Replying To GaryMc82: "By throwing the first Round, maybe resting key players, you end up with potentially easier opposition in the next two rounds, softer route to the QF." Totally disagree with this suggestion. All teams playing in round 1 will be giving it 100% to win Round 1 as they will have a break to Round 2 A and be only one match away from a quarter final. Are you seriously suggesting that Westmeath will not be trying to beat Cavan or that Donegal will not be trying to beat Kerry. You are also not taking into consideration that if they win their Round 2 A game they will have a two week gap to the quarter final. Taking the alternative path to the quarter final you will have only one week gap to prepare and will be playing three week in a row. (Playing extra matches also) Round 2B 13/14 June Round 3 20/21 June Quarter Finals 27/28 June All teams will be going the direct route if possible and any the idea of throwing games is nonsense. letsgetgoing (Roscommon) - Posts: 896 - 05/05/2026 08:40:58 2671030 Link
Replying To GaryMc82: "Its a shame, because Football Provincials are really healthy in comparison to Hurling, where you just have Munster Championship and then a weird Leinster with Galway and Antrim thrown into it. But the men at the top seem to want to get rid of the Provincials, which would kill the whole thing." But they have no purpose. Move on veterngaa (Monaghan) - Posts: 1035 - 05/05/2026 09:45:42 2671042 Link