The Final Fling

The Game

This is the 138th All-Ireland hurling championship final. It was first staged in 1887 when Thurles, representing Tipperary, defeated Meelick of Galway by 1 goal, 1 point and 1 forfeit point to no score. Forfeit points were awarded instead of a ‘65’. The first final was not played until 1 April, 1888 and staged in Birr. There was no Championship Final in 1888.

The Cup

The Liam MacCarthy Cup was presented to the GAA in 1923. Its first winners were Limerick in the delayed 1921 final. It is named in honour of Liam MacCarthy, an IRB activist and prominent London GAA official. The son of a Cork father and Limerick mother, he grew up in London in an all-Irish speaking house. His successful box making business is still in operation in London and run by the MacCarthy family.

The Teams

Limerick are seeking their 13^th title, and sixth since 2018 and first since 2023.

Galway are seeking only their sixth title and last won in 2017.

The Referee

The 2026 final will be refereed by Colm Lyons of Cork. In the event of a draw after 70 minutes there will be 20 minutes of extra-time. In the event of the teams being still level after 90 minutes the replay will be 1 August at Croke Park.

The Pitch

Darren Jepson is taking charge of his first All-Ireland hurling final as Lead Groundsman at Croke Park. It takes two hours at a time for a team of four to cut the grass by hand and it is cut twice a day from Thursday right up to Sunday morning. The pitch markings will be done on Saturday and again on Sunday morning. The Iomáint 2026 stencil will be done on Saturday and finished on Sunday. New underground tanks have harvested 1.5 million litres of rainwater off the roof of Croke Park and is used to water the pitch. The first All-Ireland final at the venue was the 1895 decider, played in March 1896. There have been 15 different All-Ireland final venues. Since 1912, every All-Ireland hurling final has been played at Jones’s Road/Croke Park except the 1937 final in Killarney and 1984 decider in Thurles.

The Audience

The match will be played before a confirmed 82,000 capacity Croke Park crowd. It will be shown to an expected TV audience of almost 1 million on RTÉ and shown in Britain on BBC and will be available in 180 territories via GAA+. RTÉ radio will cover the match – 100 years after their first ever match coverage was broadcast from the stadium – as will Raidió na Gaeltachta. Local radio stations will also broadcast to Galway and Limerick. Millions of people will engage with the GAA’s own @officialgaa social media channels.

Guests of honour

Uachtarán na hÉireann, Catherine Connolly, will make her first official visit to Croke Park on Sunday since her election and for a match featuring her native county, Galway. Archbishop of Cashel & Emly, Dr Kieran O’Reilly will attend as Patron of the GAA, honouring the title original bestowed on Archbishop TW Croke in 1884.

The match will also feature the Jubilee team winners from Tipperary, All-Ireland champions when they defeated Galway in the 2001 decider.

The Entertainment

Musicians Colm Lynch and Paul McDonell will perform from a stage above the GAA Museum from 1:30 to 3pm.

The GAA encourages supporters attending Sunday’s hurling final to join us at Croke Park early for 'The Warm Up Show' which takes place between 2 and 3pm and which will be streamed live and free around the world on the GAA’s YouTube and @OfficialGAA social media channels.

Aisling O’Reilly will host the show in the company of David Burke, Declan Hannon and Richie Hogan amongst others, and there will be plenty of interaction with fans, special guests, prize giveaways and of course a special focus on the Jubilee Team from 2001 - Tipperary - on hurling’s biggest day.

Giant flags, drummers and flames will complete the build-up. As is tradition, the teams will march behind the Artane Band, and they will perform Amhrán na bhFiann before throw-in at 3.30pm with this year marking the centenary of the song being officially adopted as the national anthem.