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gaa · Sunday 26 July 2026 · 3:30pm 
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final 2026
At Croke Park · Croke Park, Jones Road, Dublin 3
At Croke Park · Croke Park, Jones Road, Dublin 3
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final is the biggest day in the Gaelic football calendar - the game the entire country stops for. On Sunday 26 July 2026 at Croke Park in Dublin, two counties will compete for the Sam Maguire Cup in front of up to 82,300 supporters. For Derry fans, the prospect of a place in this final carries a weight that goes beyond the result on the day: the county last won the All-Ireland in 1993, and every championship run since has carried the hope of ending that wait. Whether Derry make the final or fall short in the semi-final on 15-16 July, this is the game their whole summer has been building towards.
Croke Park on All-Ireland Final day is unlike anything else in Irish sport. The stadium fills with colour from both county’s supporters, and the atmosphere from early afternoon is as much festival as fixture. Supporters gather in the pubs along Drumcondra Road and Clonliffe Road hours before throw-in, and the walk up to the ground - shoulder to shoulder with people in county jerseys - is part of the ritual. Throw-in is at 3:30pm. The match is broadcast live on RTE One if you cannot make it to Dublin. Tickets go through the GAA and Ticketmaster, and demand for an All-Ireland final is intense - the ballot system applies, meaning you register for a chance to buy rather than buying outright. Prices start from €40. A replay, if needed, is set for Saturday 8 August 2026 at the same venue.
Croke Park is in Dublin 3, on Jones Road. Public transport is the right call - the roads around the stadium are closed to through traffic for several hours on final day. The Luas Red Line to Connolly Station is one of the most direct routes; Dublin Bus routes 1, 11, 16 and 40A also stop nearby, and the DART to Clontarf Road is a short walk from the stadium. If you are travelling from Derry or the north, Translink and Bus Eireann run services to Dublin Busaras, from where you can connect to the stadium by bus. Driving into the city is possible, but parking near the ground is extremely limited on final day - park further out and take a bus in.
If you are following the Derry team’s journey through the championship this summer, the excitement builds in the county from the earliest rounds. Derry city itself - with Derry’s Walls, the Peace Bridge, and the Bogside murals - makes for a worthwhile stop on the way to any away fixture. There is more to see in Derry and across Co. Derry.
Heading to Croke Park in Derry? Derry has plenty more to see. Read the Derry area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.