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gaa · Sunday 26 July 2026 · 3:00pm 
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 Final is the biggest day in the GAA calendar - the afternoon when two counties settle the question of which is the best football team in Ireland. For Leitrim supporters, the 26th of July at Croke Park is a chance to be part of something genuinely special, even if the Green and Gold are watching from the stands this year after their Connacht semi-final exit to Galway in April. There is a particular pride in knowing the game, in reading the play, in travelling to GAA headquarters as one of the faithful - and the final rewards all of that.
Croke Park holds 82,300 people, making it one of the largest stadiums in Europe, and on All-Ireland Final day it fills. The noise when the teams walk out behind the county flags is a thing in itself - a sound that builds from the moment you pass through the turnstiles. The game is preceded by a parade, the national anthem, and the kind of electric silence before the throw-in that you will not find at many other sporting events anywhere. Both sets of supporters are generally mixed through the stands rather than segregated, which creates its own atmosphere. The action is fast, the skill levels are high, and the stakes are as plain as the Sam Maguire Cup sitting in the presentation area. Tickets from EUR 25 are available via the GAA and the competing counties’ supporter boards - check gaa.ie/tickets as the draw unfolds and the finalists are confirmed. Demand always exceeds supply so act quickly once tickets open.
Croke Park sits on Jones Road in Dublin 3, less than 2km from the city centre. On match day, the easiest approach from Leitrim is to drive or get the Bus Eireann service to Dublin and take public transport from there - the Luas Red Line to Connolly Station and then a short walk is a reliable option. Dublin Bus routes 3, 11, 16, 16A, and 123 all stop close to the ground. Car parking near the stadium is very limited on final day and the surrounding residential streets are heavily restricted. The official advice is to leave the car at a park-and-ride site on the outskirts of the city and use the bus or Luas in. Most supporters travelling from Leitrim will find it easier to come in by coach. The journey from Carrick-on-Shannon to Dublin is roughly two hours by road.
If you are making a weekend of the trip and want a base in the county before heading to Dublin on Sunday, Carrick-on-Shannon is well set up - good pubs, the River Shannon on your doorstep, and a compact town that knows how to have a good time on match weekends. There is more to see in Leitrim and across Co. Leitrim.
Heading to Croke Park in Leitrim? Leitrim has plenty more to see. Read the Leitrim area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.