What are the details about the event?
The All-Ireland SFC final will see Armagh lock horns with Galway, scheduled to take place at Croke Park on the coming Sunday at half past three in the afternoon. If the game ends in a draw post extra time, a replay is scheduled for 3rd August. This is the 137th football final.
Where can I tune in?
The match can be viewed on RTÉ2, with the build-up beginning from 2.15pm. BBC Two NI will kickstart its coverage from 3pm.
How can I get my hands on tickets?
Contrary to earlier games, the tickets for the Croke Park final are not available for purchase through customary outlets such as Ticketmaster and local SuperValu stores.
The majority of tickets are allocated to the county boards of the participating teams for the All-Ireland finals. These are further disseminated to their clubs who further allocate them to their club members. Ticket access is also open for Croke Park’s season ticket holders from the start of the year. In addition, a specific number of tickets are set aside for club officials, team mentors and members. Past and current players also have the opportunity to acquire tickets.
Tickets are currently priced at €100 for the stands, exhibiting a hike of €10 since 2023, and €55 for Hill 16 with an added €5 surge.
What was the path to the finals for the teams?
Armagh’s journey to the finals consisted of triumphs over Fermanagh and Down in Ulster before being defeated by Donegal in the Clones final following penalties. Later victories over Westmeath and Derry in the group stage led them to draw with Galway, their final opponents, 1-12 to 0-15 in Sligo. Their spot in the finals was confirmed by their six-point victory over Roscommon in the quarter-finals and a momentous win against Kerry in the semi-finals that was decided during extra time.
Galway advanced to the Connacht finals following victories over Sligo and London, and clinched the title by winning an exhilarating deciding game against Mayo by a single point. Similar to Armagh, they defeated Westmeath and Derry in the group stages, before settling for a draw in their subsequent match. The team went on to defy expectations by defeating reigning champions Dublin by a point in the quarter-finals and proceeding to win against Donegal in the semi-finals by two points.
The final match promises to showcase high-standard gameplay, with both teams having yet to lose a game in a 70-minute championship encounter. Armagh, who secured the prestigious All-Ireland title in 2002, are targeting their second title and are heading towards their fifth All-Ireland final. On the other hand, Galway are seeking their 10th All-Ireland, after last winning it in 2001. This implies that both teams have been waiting for over 20 years to reclaim the Sam Maguire glory.
As for team updates, Padraic Joyce from Galway has announced that the team has no health concerns aside from Cian Hernon, who will be unable to play in the final due to a severe hand injury incurred before their triumph over Donegal. Team captain Sean Kelly, who was absent from the Donegal game, is back in training, while Shane Walsh was rested during the Donegal match as he was recuperating from an injury.
Armagh’s Kieran McGeeney stated that his team is in good health for the final, with no new injuries reported. However, long-term injuries have ruled Ciaran Mackin and Conor O’Neill out of the game. The finalised team line-ups will be announced in due course.
As to officiating matters, Sean Hurson from Tyrone has been tasked with refereeing the final match. Hurson has had previous experience of refereeing a game involving Armagh and Galway, as well as the 2022 All-Ireland final where Galway lost to Kerry.