Excitement mounts as stage set for 137th All-Ireland SFC final

July 28, 2024

The teams' parade ahead of the All-Ireland SFC final at Croke Park ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

The buzz is building nicely ahead of this afternoon’s All-Ireland senior football championship final between Armagh and Galway at Croke Park (throw-in 3.30pm).

Favourites Galway are bidding for their first Sam Maguire Cup triumph since 2001, while Armagh (11/8) are looking for their second ever All-Ireland SFC success and first in 22 years.

Both teams have made a change each to the starting line-ups from their respective semi-final victories, with Orchard boss Kieran McGeeney bringing in Connaire Mackin at left half-back and Peter McGrane dropping to the bench from the win over Kerry two weeks ago.

For the Connacht champions, skipper Sean Kelly returns from injury to start at centre-field alongside Paul Conroy, replacing Cein D’Arcy from the Tribesmen’s win over Donegal after a tense 70 minutes at Croker.

Tyrone’s Sean Hurson will referee today’s novel final, marking his second time in charge of a Sam Maguire Cup decider having taken the whistle two years ago when Kerry defeated Galway. Hurson has also refereed the 2021 All-Ireland U20FC final, the 2018 All-Ireland MFC decider and the 2022 All-Ireland club SFC final.

The over 82,000 spectators attending at Croke Park this afternoon can expect warm and sunny spells for the big game, according to the latest forecast from Met Eireann.

Should the match end in a draw, two 10-minute periods of extra time will be played. If it remains level after that, then the teams will return to headquarters for a replay on Saturday, August 3rd.

All-Ireland SFC final
Armagh v Galway, Croke Park, 3.30pm – RTE2 / BBC2 NI

Armagh: Blaine Hughes; Paddy Burns, Aaron McKay, Barry McCambridge; Connaire Mackin, Tiernan Kelly, Aidan Forker; Niall Grimley, Ben Crealey; Joe McElroy, Rian O'Neill, Oisin Conaty; Rory Gurgan, Andrew Murnin, Conor Turbitt.

Subs: Ethan Rafferty, Greg McCabe, Peter McGrane, Ciaran Higgins, Ross McQuillan, Shane McPartlan, Jason Duffy, Oisin O’Neill, Stefan Campbell, Aidan Nugent, Jarly Og Burns.

Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Seán Mulkerrin; Paul Conroy, Sean Kelly; Matthew Tierney, John Maher, Cillian McDaid; Rob Finnerty, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh.

Subs: Conor Flaherty, John Daly, Eoghan Kelly, Daniel O'Flaherty, Kieran Molloy, Cathal Sweeney, Cein D’Arcy, Johnny Heaney, Liam Ó Conghaile, Tomo Culhane, Niall Daly.


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