Preview: All-Ireland Ladies Football Finals

By Jackie Cahill

The stage is set ahead of the 2026 TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Championship finals.

Antrim, Carlow, Fermanagh, Roscommon, Galway and Kerry will make the trip to Croke Park on Sunday aiming to clinch the silverware on offer.

The action gets underway with the Junior decider between Antrim and Carlow (11.45am), followed by the Intermediate clash involving Fermanagh and Roscommon (1.45pm).

The Senior final, a repeat of the 2024 meeting between Galway and Kerry, will throw in at 4.15pm.

Sunday August 2

TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship final

Antrim v Carlow, Croke Park, 11.45am, TG4

Redemption for Antrim or glory for first-time finalists Carlow? All will be revealed at Croke Park as the counties go head-to-head for TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship glory.

Antrim are carrying the hurt of defeat to Louth on the big day last year and that will act as a powerful motivator. For Carlow, there’s no previous baggage and they’ve finally managed to qualify for an All-Ireland final at Croke Park, after a series of semi-final near misses in recent times.

Antrim have appeared in TG4 All-Ireland Junior finals previously in 2025, 2022, 2021, 2016, 2012 and 2009. They’ve lifted the West County Hotel on three occasions – 2022, 2012 and 2009 – and they’ll look to tap into past experience to get themselves over the line. After losing the 2021 final to Wicklow, Antrim were back a year later to get their hands on the silverware. Following a draw with Fermanagh at Croke Park, the Saffrons got the job done in a replay at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds in Armagh.

Antrim built on that and went on to contest an Intermediate semi-final in 2023. They suffered relegation in 2024, however, before going close to promotion again last year. Now, they find themselves just 60 minutes away from Intermediate championship football once again, with Carlow also looking to move up a Championship grade.

It’s already been a good year for both counties. In the Lidl National League, Carlow sealed promotion to Division 3, before adding Division 4 silverware with victory over Leitrim. In Division 3, Antrim were busy gaining promotion, although they did suffer defeat to Louth in the divisional final. Nevertheless, ensuring Division 2 football in 2027 is a remarkable achievement for Antrim, and further evidence of ongoing development and improvement.

Sunday’s battle for the silverware on offer – and promotion to boot – will ensure that TG4 All-Ireland Finals day gets off to a storming start.

This promises to be a cracking game between two teams with plenty of scoring threat and solid defensive ability.

In their provincial championships, Carlow landed the Leinster title, as Antrim ruled the roost in Ulster.

Moving onto the All-Ireland series, both teams topped their respective groups. Three wins out of four saw Antrim finish at the summit of Group A, while Carlow were three from three in Group B.

Those group standings saw Antrim pitted with Sligo at the semi-final stage, as was the case in 2025, while Carlow were paired with Derry.

Both of Sunday’s finalists enjoyed impressive wins at the penultimate stage, with Antrim’s Maria O’Neill scoring 3-5 in victory over Sligo, while Carlow scored three goals in a two-minute spell en route to victory over Derry.

Heading into the final, the star turn for Antrim in the scoring stakes has been O’Neill, who leads the race for the ZuCar Golden Boot award, the prize for the top scorer across the Senior, Intermediate and Junior grades. Ahead of throw-in, O’Neill stands on a whopping 11-16 (49 points) and she has the chance to strengthen her grip on the coveted individual award before her nearest challenger, Fermanagh’s Eimear Smyth, lines out in the Intermediate decider.

Aoife Taggart (5-5), captain Bronagh Devlin (4-8), Theresa Mellon (2-9) and Aoibhinn Monaghan (1-8) are other players who have contributed handsomely to the Antrim cause during the All-Ireland series.

On the Carlow side, Sarah Doyle (2-13) leads the way in the scoring stakes, with Clíodhna Ní Shé (3-9), Aibha Kiernan (3-7), Bronagh Nolan (2-1) and Aoibhinn Webb (0-7) also showing up well.

With the action getting underway at 11.45am, this is a game well worth getting in early for.

It remains to be seen now whether it’s Antrim’s Bronagh Devlin or her Carlow counterpart, Róisín Bailey, who will climb the steps of the Hogan Stand to lift the trophy at full-time. Following their respective semi-final wins, both teams have announced unchanged starting teams.

Antrim: A Devlin; E Kearns, M Blaney, M Mulholland; L Agnew, D Coleman, C McKenna; L Dahunsi, Á Tubridy; T Mellon, B Devlin (capt.), A Davidson; E Louise McAreavey, M O'Neill, O Prenter.

Carlow: N Hanley; A Carroll, A Roche, S O'Neill; A Webb, N Forde, R Bermingham; R Bailey (capt.), C O'Neill; E Hayden, C Ní Shé, A Hanley; B Nolan, S Doyle, A Kiernan.

TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship final

Fermanagh v Roscommon, Croke Park, 1.45pm, TG4

Roscommon are unchanged ahead of Sunday’s TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate final – as Fermanagh opt for two switches.

For Fermanagh, Sinead Barrett and Bronagh Smyth come into the starting line-up, in place of Caitriona Breen and Caoimhe Gallagher.

Two excellent teams are preparing to battle it out for the 2026 TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate title, in what promises to be a fascinating decider between two counties hungry for success.

This is a novel final pairing in this grade, as Fermanagh, runners-in 2014 and 2009, take on 2005 champions Roscommon.

Fermanagh are back at Croke Park again on TG4 All-Ireland Finals day for the second time in three years, and they'll be aiming for more silverware after landing the Junior title two years ago.

For Roscommon's ladies, this is a first visit to Croke Park since the 2001 TG4 All-Ireland Junior final victory over Kildare, as the 2005 Intermediate decider against Down was played at St Loman's in Mullingar.

With the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup on offer, along with the prospect of Senior Championship fare in 2026, the stakes could hardly be higher for either side.

In their respective semi-finals, many would have viewed Sunday’s finalists as underdogs, but they came through in style - Roscommon overcoming Westmeath, while Fermanagh emerged past the challenge of Down.

Both teams appear to be peaking at exactly the right time, when you consider that Fermanagh didn't even contest the TG4 Ulster Final, while Roscommon were well beaten by Leitrim in the Connacht decider.

Neither of Sunday’s finalists topped their respective qualifier groups in the All-Ireland series, but they've built up a considerable head of steam since then. Roscommon avenged their provincial final defeat to Leitrim at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage, while Fermanagh performed impressively against Clare in their last-eight tie - both results signalling genuine improvement under pressure.

That form carried both teams to their aforementioned semi-finals, with Fermanagh prevailing by two points against Down, and Roscommon having four points to spare on Westmeath.

Scoring power will go a long way towards deciding Sunday’s final and in Eimear Smyth, Fermanagh have the leading sharpshooter in the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship. Smyth, the 2024 ZuCar Golden Boot winner for the leading scorer across the Junior, Senior and Intermediate grades, is in the hunt for the prize again as she’s currently on 4-30 (42 points) ahead of throw-in, seven points adrift of leader Maria O'Neill from Antrim.

Smyth is a big-game player too, as evidenced in the Junior Final of 2024, when the Derrygonnelly Harps ace landed the Player of the Match award on the back of a 1-9 haul.

Fermanagh have other players capable of stepping up to the mark, including Joanne Doonan, another hugely experienced campaigner who has scored 1-7 to date. Sinéad Barrett (0-6) and Sarah Britton (1-2) have also contributed to the scoring cause, but Smyth remains undoubtedly the player Roscommon will need to pay most attention to.

The Rossies themselves have players who'll need close watching. Aisling Feely has registered 1-23 to date in the All-Ireland campaign, while Caoimhe Lennon has chipped in with 4-5. Rosie Lennon (1-5), Laura Mannion (1-3), Ella Thompson (0-4) and Lucy Shanahan (1-1) have also been making their presence felt in an attacking sense throughout the championship.

Smyth would surely love to get her hands on a second ZuCar Golden Boot award, but her primary focus will be on capturing the silverware on offer and finishing the game as a TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Champion.

So, will it be Fermanagh captain Shannan McQuade or her Roscommon counterpart, goalkeeper Helena Cummins, who lifts the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup at full-time?

The stage is set, and considering the quality of player on show for both sides, this 2026 final could well be a real treat for spectators.

Fermanagh: A Haren; A Keenan, C Breen, S McQuade (capt.); B Bannon, C Bogue, A O'Brien; A McCarney, J Doonan; S Barrett, N McManus, S Britton; C McGarrigle, E Smyth, B Smyth.

Roscommon: H Cummins (capt.); M McKeon, A Connaughton, A McGrath; N Feeney, S Wynne, E Thompson; R Cox, A Curran; K Nolan, E Irwin, L Mannion; R Lennon, A Feely, C Lennon.

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship final

Galway v Kerry, Croke Park, 4.15pm, TG4

Former captain Louise Ward returns to the Galway starting line-up for Sunday’s TG4 All-Ireland Senior final.

Club captain with AIB All-Ireland champions Kilkerrin-Clonberne, Ward has been nursing an injury throughout the inter-county campaign but after making appearances off the bench against Mayo and Armagh in the semi-final and quarter-final respectively, the vastly-experienced 29-year-old is named at midfield.

That’s the only change in personnel to the team that started against Armagh in the comfortable semi-final win, as Ellen Power drops to the bench.

For Kerry, former skipper Anna Galvin is named to start, amid speculation that she is nursing a knee injury.

Galvin, 31, was a late withdrawal ahead of the semi-final victory over Dublin, with Mikala Mulvihill drafted in.

Galvin has been listed in the line-up for Sunday, with Mulvihill dropping out, but whether or not the long-serving Southern Gaels ace starts remains to be seen.

For the second time in three seasons, Galway and Kerry will clash in a TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship Final.

Back in 2024, the sides met in the Brendan Martin Cup decider, with Kerry coming out on top to win the title for the first time since 1993.

For Kerry, who have been on an impressive run in recent years, this will be a fourth final appearance in five seasons.

After losing back-to-back finals in 2022 and 2023, the Kingdom finally got over the line two years ago to banish that previous heartbreak and end a 31-year famine.

Galway will hope that their time has now come, as they aim to avenge that 2024 final reverse and claim the title for the first time since the Tribeswomen’s one and only success in 2004.

Galway have lost three finals since that famous day – 2005, 2019 and 2024 – but have shown really impressive form en route to Sunday’s final.

Kerry, similarly, have produced some excellent displays and both sides excelled in their respective semi-finals.

Galway cruised past the challenge of Armagh at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park in Longford, as Kerry ended the reign of 2025 winners Dublin with an emphatic display at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles.

Those were psychologically important victories for Galway and Kerry, who had both fallen at the semi-final stage last year.

There’s one previous competitive meeting between the sides in 2026, and that occurred back in March when they clashed in Division 1 of the Lidl National League.

At Austin Stack Park in Tralee, Galway made their visit a winning one as they claimed a two-point victory, 1-11 to 1-9.

Fast forward to the TG4 Provincial Championships and both Galway and Kerry ruled the roost.

Kerry made it three-in-a-row in Munster as they prevailed against Waterford in the provincial decider, as Galway also claimed a third successive Connacht title, with victory over old rivals Mayo.

Moving on to the All-Ireland series, Galway defeated Meath and Tyrone to top Group 4, as Kerry accounted for Kildare and Tipperary to finish at the summit of Group 2.

The TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-finals paired Kerry with Meath, while Galway were handed a home tie with Mayo. Kerry and Galway both won well, before performance levels appeared to move up another level at the semi-final stage.

Both sides appear to have timed their runs perfectly and there are plenty of potential match-winners on show.

Galway have Olivia Divilly in a rich vein of form, with 2-24 to date in the All-Ireland series. She’s Galway’s leading scorer, with Róisín Leonard (2-14) also very much on song. The spread of scorers across the forward division has been impressive, with Leanne Coen (1-10), Kate Slevin (1-10), Kate Thompson (1-5) and Eva Noone (1-4) also making valuable contributions. For Kerry, captain Síofra O’Shea is playing a captain’s role and her individual haul of 3-25 is the best in the 2026 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship. Danielle O’Leary (1-7) and Jaydn Lucey (1-6) have also shown up well.

On paper, this looks like an incredibly difficult game to call. Shrewd management teams have guided these squads to Croke Park and now it’s down to who can produce the better performance levels on the day. Kerry start on 12 TG4 All-Ireland senior titles and a 13th would send them two clear of neighbours Cork on all-time roll of honour.

Galway, in contrast, go in search of just their second senior title, and a win would end a 22-year famine and help to erase the memories of their most recent final defeats.

Only one captain can lift the Brendan Martin Cup at full-time, and it remains to be seen whether it’s O’Shea, who’s been pulling the strings for Kerry, or Galway’s Kate Geraghty, who’s one member of a defence aiming to shut down the mercurial Kingdom talent.

Galway: L O'Halloran; B Quinn, S Ní Loingsigh, K Geraghty (capt.); H Noone, N Ward, N Divilly; L Ward, S Divilly; O Divilly, K Slevin, K Thompson; E Noone, L Coen, R Leonard.

Kerry: M Ellen Bolger; R Rahilly, D Kearney, E Lynch; A O'Connell, E Costello, A Dillane; A Galvin, M O'Connell; N Carmody, N Ní Chonchúir, C Evans; J Lucey, D O'Leary, S O'Shea (capt.).