All-Ireland Hurling Final

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final is the biggest day in the GAA calendar - a Sunday in July when county battles and family rivalries come down to eighty minutes at Croke Park. This is the 139th staging of the championship, one of the oldest sporting competitions in the world, and the prize is the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Up to 82,300 supporters fill the stands, and the atmosphere from throw-in is unlike anything else in Irish sport.

What to expect

Hurling at this level is fast, physical and technically extraordinary - widely regarded as the fastest field sport in the world, played by amateur county players who have trained through the winter for this one afternoon. The build-up around Jones’s Road starts hours before the 3:30pm throw-in, with county colours everywhere and the surrounding pubs filling from early afternoon. The match is broadcast live on RTÉ, so the whole country is watching even if they are not in the ground. Expect tight hurling from two counties that have battled through provincial and All-Ireland knockout rounds to earn their place here. The closing ten minutes of a hurling final are routinely the most gripping in Irish sport.

Getting there

Croke Park is on the northside of Dublin city centre, about five minutes from O’Connell Street. For a final, driving is not realistic - car parks fill hours before throw-in. Dublin Bus routes serve Jones’s Road directly; the Luas cross-city stop at Parnell is a 15-minute walk. If travelling from outside Dublin, coach travel from county boards and private operators is the most straightforward option - check with your local GAA county board.

While you’re in Tullamore

If you are travelling from Co. Offaly and making a weekend of it around the final, there is plenty to explore at home before or after. There is more to see in Tullamore and across Co. Offaly.

Good to know

• Date: Sunday, 19 July 2026
• Throw-in: 3:30pm
• Venue: Croke Park, Jones’s Road, Dublin 3
• Price: from EUR 25 (official GAA allocation); demand is high and tickets sell out fast - check gaa.ie and your county board early
• Live broadcast: RTÉ television and radio
• Accessibility: Croke Park has dedicated accessible seating and accessible entrances across all four stands; contact the GAA in advance to confirm requirements