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gaa · Sunday 26 July 2026 · Various 
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final 2026 at Croke Park
At Croke Park · Jones's Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 3
At Croke Park · Jones's Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 3
Croke Park on All-Ireland final day is one of the great sporting occasions in Ireland. The 2026 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final - the 140th edition of this competition - takes place on Sunday 26 July at GAA headquarters in Drumcondra, Dublin. For Meath supporters, the trip carries extra weight: the Royals would need to get past their semi-final on 11-12 July to earn a place in the decider, which only adds to the tension. If they do, this is the day every county player dreams of. Even without a home county in the final, the match is worth attending for the sheer scale of the occasion - 82,300 people, county colours everywhere, and a game played at the highest level of Gaelic football.
Throw-in is scheduled for 15:30. The pre-match build-up is a proper part of the day - the traditional parade of both teams around the Croke Park track, led by the Artane Band, sets the tone before a ball is kicked. The atmosphere in the stands ramps from nervous to electric within minutes of the parade ending. The Sam Maguire Cup is presented on the Hogan Stand podium after the final whistle, and the scenes around the ground in the hours after - win or lose - tend to be long-remembered.
Tickets for All-Ireland finals sell quickly and are largely distributed through county boards. Official sales go through Ticketmaster.ie and the GAA’s own tickets portal at gaa.ie/tickets. By the time the finalists are confirmed in mid-July, availability is tight. The defending champions going into 2026 are Kerry, who won the 2025 title.
Dress for a Dublin summer - layers work better than a heavy coat. Bags are subject to security checks at the turnstiles, so keep it simple.
Croke Park is in Drumcondra, Dublin 3, about 45 km from Navan town. On All-Ireland final day, public transport is strongly recommended - parking near the ground fills early and road closures affect large areas of north Dublin.
From Navan, Bus Éireann Route NX runs directly to Dublin city centre (Broadstone), with the journey taking around an hour. From Broadstone or the city centre, Dublin Bus routes 3, 11, 16 and 123 all stop near Croke Park. Allow extra time on match day - buses run full and services can be slower than usual near the ground.
If driving, park in Dublin city centre and walk or take a bus north. The area immediately around Croke Park has very limited matchday parking.
Navan itself is a good base for a day out in Co. Meath, with the River Boyne running through the town and the Hill of Tara a short drive away. There is more to see in Navan and across Co. Meath.
Heading to Croke Park in Navan? Meath has plenty more to see. Read the Navan area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.