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gaa · Sunday 26 July 2026 · Various 
All-Ireland Senior Football Final 2026
At Croke Park · Jones Road, Dublin 3
At Croke Park · Jones Road, Dublin 3
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final is the biggest day in the Gaelic games calendar - the moment when 82,000 people pack into Croke Park and a nation stops to watch. Two counties that have fought their way through a summer of knockout football meet on the third Sunday in July to lift the Sam Maguire Cup, Gaelic football’s most recognised trophy. If you have never been to a GAA All-Ireland final, this is the event to change that.
Croke Park holds 82,300 and on All-Ireland final day it fills. The atmosphere before throw-in - confirmed at 15:30 - is unlike almost anything else in Irish sport: county jerseys everywhere, marching bands on the pitch, the roar when the teams emerge from the tunnel. This year’s final falls on Sunday, 26 July, the earliest date in the modern era following changes to the GAA calendar introduced to compress the championship. Quarter-final pairings in June 2026 included Kerry v Tyrone and Galway v Dublin, so the final could feature any combination of football’s traditional powers. Tickets for All-Ireland finals are allocated through the GAA’s official ticketing system and through county boards - demand always outstrips supply, so check the GAA website early and watch for official resale options.
Croke Park sits on Jones Road in Dublin 3, about a kilometre north of the city centre. On match day, the stadium is best reached by public transport. Drumcondra rail station is a five-minute walk away and carries trains from Connolly Station in the city centre. Dublin Bus routes 1, 3, 11, 16, 41 and 123 all pass within easy reach. DART passengers can alight at Clontarf Road and walk across the Royal Canal in around 20 minutes. Driving to a sold-out All-Ireland final is not practical - road closures and restrictions around the stadium are in place from early afternoon. If you are coming from outside Dublin, intercity coaches from Bus Eireann and private operators drop at Busaras on Store Street, a 20-minute walk or short city bus hop from the ground.
A day at the All-Ireland final rarely starts and ends at the turnstile - county fans take over the city pubs from mid-morning and the atmosphere spills well beyond Jones Road. There is more to see in Dublin and across Co. Dublin.
Heading to Croke Park in Dublin? Dublin has plenty more to see. Read the Dublin area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.