All-Ireland finalists Armagh and Galway to meet on opening Saturday of football league

Hurling finalists Clare and Cork open their campaigns agaisnt Kilkenny and Wexford

Armagh's Oisin Conaty and Dylan McHugh of Galway in action during this year's All-Ireland football final. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Armagh's Oisin Conaty and Dylan McHugh of Galway in action during this year's All-Ireland football final. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho

The new rules, drawn up by the Football Review Committee (FRC), will be trialled for the first time in top-class competition when the league starts on Saturday, January 25th. They will feature in a number of attractive fixtures, including the All-Ireland final reunion of champions Armagh and Galway.

Other fixtures on that first weekend include league holders Derry travelling to Tyrone – both under new management, as Paddy Tally and Malachy O’Rourke, respectively, take charge – and in Croke Park, Dublin taking on old rivals, Mayo.

Ulster champions Donegal, with Michael Murphy back in action after calling time on his two-year retirement, will travel to Killarney in a re-run of the league decider in the Covid season of 2020 when Kerry beat the visitors to secure the title.

There is championship significance in the Division Two fixtures as well, with league positions potentially determining championship status. Last year’s relegated teams in the division, Kildare and Fermanagh, were directed to the Tier 2 Tailteann Cup, but a year previously, Meath, who finished sixth in the division, also lost their Tier 1 Sam Maguire position.

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The 2025 Division Two begins with Meath, under new manager Robbie Brennan, travelling to Cork and neighbouring rivals Cavan and Monaghan facing off under lights in Kingspan Breffni.

Next year, the hurling league opens on the same weekend for the first time in five years, a season that ended in turmoil after the coronavirus pandemic shut down all fixtures in March and they weren’t resumed until October in football, and not at all in hurling.

Limerick’s championship opener against Clare doubled up as the league final, as both sides had topped their respective groups.

Next year, the competition starts with All-Ireland finalists Cork heading to Chadwicks Wexford Park for the opening fixture in the newly constituted Division 1A.

The balance of the opening fixtures in hurling’s top flight sees a repeat of this year’s All-Ireland hurling semi-final between champions Clare and Kilkenny and Galway, with Micheál Donoghue restored as county manager, entertaining Tipperary in Salthill – the second match of the weekend in which Pearse Stadium’s newly installed floodlights will be put to use.

As has been the case in recent years, the league will be completed to a tight schedule, beginning on January 25th and concluding on the weekend of March 22nd-23rd with hurling finishing up on the Saturday and football a day later.

This year there will be no hurling semi-finals and so the top two teams will contest the divisional finals. All of the football finals will take place on the weekend of March 29th-30th – against the now familiar jeopardy for some team that their championship may be starting a week later – as will the Division 2, 3 and 4 hurling finals.

The Division 1A and 1B finals are to be played a week later.

Championship action starts in hurling with both the Leinster and Munster championships on the weekend of April 19th-20th. The pick of the opening fixtures are the All-Ireland rematch of champions Clare and finalists Cork in Ennis, and in Leinster, the clash of champions Kilkenny and Galway, under new management and who massively underperformed last year – failing to reach the All-Ireland stages for the first time in five years.

Provincial football finals will take place in May. Munster and Connacht are first up, on the weekend of May 3rd-4th with Leinster and Ulster following a week later.

There is ambiguity about the All-Ireland under-20 football final, listed for the weekend of May 17th-18th, with the proviso that it could go ahead on May 20th if the counties involved need the quarantine period of 60 hours to facilitate those players involved with the seniors.

The Tailteann Cup semi-finals, which were originally given assurances that they would be stand-alone fixtures on a Sunday but were nearly shunted to a Saturday last June, are again scheduled for the same weekend as the All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals, which last year caused controversy when the first, between Cork and Dublin, was forced by television requirements to throw in at lunchtime in Thurles.

The Central Competitions Control Committee will decide which fixtures next summer go on a Saturday and a Sunday.

The All-Ireland finals are down for July 20th and 27th.

Allianz League Fixtures 2025
Saturday January 25th

Allianz Football League Division One

Galway v Armagh, Pearse Stadium, Salthill 5.15; Tyrone v Derry, O’Neills Healy Park, Omagh, 6.0; Dublin v Mayo, Croke Park, 7.30;

AFL Division Two

Cork v Meath, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 5.0; Cavan v Monaghan, Kingspan Breffni, Cavan 6.0;

AFL Division Three

Leitrim v Laois, TBC, 2.30; Kildare v Fermanagh, Cedral St. Conleth’s, Newbridge, 5.0;

AFL Division Four

Carlow v Tipperary, Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow, 6.0; Wexford v London, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 7.0.

Allianz Hurling League Division 1A

Wexford v Cork, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 5.0.

AHL Division 1B

Offaly v Carlow, Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore, 2.0;

Westmeath v Laois, TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 2.0; Dublin v Antrim, Croke Park, 5.0;

AHL Division 2

Down v Kildare, McKenna Park, Ballycran, 2.0; Tyrone v Derry, O’Neills Healy Park, Omagh, 4.0;

AHL Division 3

Mayo v Cavan, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, 2.0;

AHL Division 4

Louth v Fermanagh, Páirc Naomh Bríd, Dowdallshill, 2.0; Longford v Warwickshire, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 2.0; Lancashire v Leitrim, GAA Abbottstown, 2.0.

Sunday, January 26th

AFL Division One

Kerry v Donegal, Killarney, 1.45

AFL Division Two

Roscommon v Down, King & Moffatt Hyde Park, 2.0; Westmeath v Louth, TEG Cusack Park, 2.0

AFL Division Three

Antrim v Clare, Corrigan Park, 1.0; Offaly v Sligo, O’Connor Park, 2.0

AFL Division Four

Wicklow v Waterford, Aughrim, 2.0; Longford v Limerick, Pearse Park, 2.0

AHL Division 1A

Clare v Kilkenny, Cusack Park, 2.0; Galway v Tipperary, Pearse Stadium, 3.45

AHL Division 2

Meath v Donegal, Trim, 2.0

AHL Division 3

London v Roscommon, Ruislip, 1.0, Sligo v Wicklow, Markievicz Park, 2.0.

Saturday February 1st

AFL Division One

Armagh v Tyrone, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 6.0; Donegal v Dublin, Ballybofey, 7.30.

AFL Division Four

Tipperary v Longford, FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles, 5.0.

AHL Division 1A

Cork v Limerick, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 7.30.

AHL Division 1B

Carlow v Waterford, Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow, 6.0

AHL Division 2

Kildare v Kerry, Cedral St. Conleth’s, Newbridge, 1.0; Derry v Down, Owenbeg, 2.0.

AHL Division 3

Wicklow v London, Echelon Park, Aughrim, 1.0; Cavan v Sligo, Kingspan Breffni, Cavan, 3.0.

AHL Division 4

Monaghan v Louth, TBC, 2.0.

Sunday February 2nd

AFL Division One

Derry v Kerry, Celtic Park, 1.45; Mayo v Galway, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, 3.45.

AFL Division Two

Down v Cork, Páirc Esler, 1.0; Louth v Roscommon, Páirc Mhuire, Ardee, 2.0; Meath v Cavan, Páirc Tailteann, Navan, 2.0; Monaghan v Westmeath, St. Tiernach’s Park, Clones, 2.0

AFL Division Three

Clare v Leitrim, Cusack Park, Ennis, 2.0; Sligo v Kildare, Markievicz Park, 2.0; Fermanagh v Antrim, St. Joseph’s GAA, Ederney, 2:30.0; Laois v Offaly, O’Moore Park, 4.0

AFL Division Four

London v Wicklow, McGovern Park, Ruislip, 12:30.0; Waterford v Carlow, Fraher Field, 2.0; Limerick v Wexford, Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale, 2.0

AHL Division 1A

Kilkenny v Galway, UPMC Nowlan Park, 1.45; Tipperary v Wexford, FBD Semple Stadium, 3.45.

AHL Division 1B:

Antrim v Westmeath, Corrigan Park, 2.0; Laois v Offaly, O’Moore Park, 2.0

AHL Division 2

Donegal v Tyrone, O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny, 2.0

AHL Division 3

Roscommon v Armagh, King & Moffatt Hyde Park, 2.0

AHL Division 4

Fermanagh v Longford, TBC, 1.0; Warwickshire v Lancashire, Páirc na

hÉireann, Birmingham, 2.0.

February 8th

AHL Division 1A

Wexford v Kilkenny, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 5:30; Galway v Clare, Pearse Stadium, 7:30.

AHL Division 4

Warwickshire v Louth, Páirc na hÉireann, Birmingham, 2.0; Leitrim v Longford, Shane McGettigan Park, Drumshanbo, 2.0

February 9th

AHL Division 1A

Limerick v Tipperary, TUS Gaelic Grounds, 3:45

AHL Division 1B

Offaly v Antrim, Glenisk O’Connor Park, 1.45; Waterford v Laois, Walsh Park, 2.0; Westmeath v Dublin, TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 2.0

AHL Division 2

Kerry v Derry, Austin Stack Park, Tralee, 1.0; Down v Donegal, McKenna Park, Ballycran, 2.0; Tyrone v Meath, Eoghain Ruadh, Dungannon, 2.0

AHL Division 3

London v Cavan, McGovern Park, Ruislip, 1.0; Armagh v Wicklow, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 2.0; Sligo v Mayo, Markievicz Park, 2.0

AHL Division 4

Fermanagh v Monaghan, Brewster Park, Enniskillen, 2.0

February 15th

AFL Division One

Derry v Galway, Celtic Park, 5.0; Kerry v Dublin, Austin Stack Park, Tralee, 7.30.

AFL Division Two

Cork v Westmeath, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 5.0; Down v Meath, Páirc Esler, 6.0

AFL Division Four

Waterford v Tipperary, Fraher Field, 6.30; Wexford v Carlow, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 7.0

February 16th

AFL Division One

Mayo v Tyrone, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, 1.45; Donegal v Armagh, MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey, 3.45

AFL Division Two

Cavan v Louth, Kingspan Breffni, Cavan, 2.0; Roscommon v Monaghan,

King & Moffatt Hyde Park, 2.0

AFL Division Three

Clare v Fermanagh, Cusack Park, Ennis, 1.30; Leitrim v Kildare, TBC, 2.0; Offaly v Antrim, Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore, 2.0; Laois v Sligo, Laois Hire O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, 2.0

AFL Division Four

London v Limerick, McGovern Park, Ruislip, 12.30; Wicklow v Longford, Echelon Park, Aughrim, 2.0

February 22nd

AFL Division One

Armagh v Mayo, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 5.0; Dublin v Derry, Croke Park, 7.30

AFL Division Three

Antrim v Leitrim, Corrigan Park, Belfast, 2.30; Kildare v Laois, Cedral St. Conleth’s, Newbridge, 7.0

AFL Division Four

Tipperary v London, FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles, 5.0; Carlow v Limerick, Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow, 6.0

AHL Division 1A

Tipperary v Cork, FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles, 7.30

AHL Division 1A

Dublin v Offaly, Croke Park, 5.0

AHL Division 2

Derry v Kildare, Owenbeg, 3.0

AHL Division 3

Mayo v London, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, 6.0

AHL Division 4

Longford v Lancashire, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 2.0, TBC, 2.0

February 23rd

AFL Division One

Tyrone v Kerry, O’Neill’s Healy Park, Omagh, 1.45; Galway v Donegal, Pearse Stadium, Salthill, 3.45

AFL Division Two

Monaghan v Cork, St Tiernach’s Park, Clones, 1.30; Westmeath v Cavan, TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 2.0; Louth v Down, DEFY Pairc Mhuire, Ardee, 2.30; Meath v Roscommon, Páirc Tailteann, Navan, 2.30

AFL Division Three

Sligo v Clare, Markievicz Park, Sligo, 1.30; Fermanagh v Offaly, Brewster Park, Enniskillen, 2.0

AFL Division Four

Longford v Waterford, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 1.0; Wexford v Wicklow, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 2.0

AHL Division 1A

Clare v Wexford, Cusack Park, Ennis, 1.45; Kilkenny v Limerick, UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, 1.45

AHL Division 1B

Antrim v Waterford, Corrigan Park, Belfast, 1.30; Laois v Carlow, Laois Hire O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, 2.0

AHL Division 2

Donegal v Kerry, O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny, 1.0; Meath v Down, Trim, 1.15

AHL Division 3

Cavan v Armagh, Kingspan Breffni, Cavan, 2.0; Wicklow v Roscommon, Echelon Park, Aughrim, 2.0

AHL Division 4

Louth v Leitrim, Páirc Naomh Bríd, Dowdallshill, 1.15

March 1st

AFL Division One

Mayo v Kerry, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar 5.0; Armagh v Dublin, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 7.35

AFL Division Two

Cavan v Down, Kingspan Breffni, Cavan, 6.0; Cork v Roscommon, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 7.0

AFL Division Three

Laois v Antrim, Laois Hire O’Moore Park, 5.0; Fermanagh v Sligo, Brewster Park, Enniskillen, 6.0

AFL Division Four

Limerick v Tipperary, Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale, 6.30; Waterford v Wexford, Fraher Field, Dungarvan, 6.30

AHL Division 1A

Cork v Kilkenny, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 5.0; Wexford v Galway, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 5.0

AHL Division 2

Kerry v Meath, Austin Stack Park, Tralee, 3.30

AHL Division 4

Lancashire v Louth, GAA Abbottstown, 2.0; Leitrim v Monaghan, Shane McGettigan Park, 2.0

March 2nd

AFL Division One

Donegal v Derry, Ballyshannon, 1.45; Galway v Tyrone, Tuam Stadium, 1.45

AFL Division Two

Louth v Monaghan, DEFY Pairc Mhuire, Ardee, 2.0; Westmeath v Meath, TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 2.0

AFL Division Three

Clare v Kildare, Cusack Park, Ennis, 2.0; Leitrim v Offaly, TBC, 2.0; London v Longford, McGovern Park, Ruislip, 1.0; Wicklow v Carlow, Echelon Park, Aughrim, 2.0

AHL Division 1A

Limerick v Clare, TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, 3.45

AHL Division 1B

Offaly v Westmeath, Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore, 2.0; Waterford v Dublin, Walsh Park, Waterford, 2.0; Carlow v Antrim, Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow, 2.30

AHL Division 2

Down v Tyrone, McKenna Park, Ballycran, 2.0; Kildare v Donegal, Cedral St. Conleth’s, Newbridge, 2.0

AHL Division 3

Cavan v Wicklow, Kingspan Breffni, Cavan, 2.0; Mayo v Roscommon, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, 2.0; Sligo v Armagh, Markievicz Park, Sligo, 2.30

AHL Division 4

Warwickshire v Fermanagh, Páirc na hÉireann, Birmingham, 2.0

March 8th

AHL Division 1A

Limerick v Galway, TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, 7.30

AHL Division 1B

Dublin v Carlow, Parnell Park, Dublin, 6.0

AHL Division 2

Kildare v Tyrone, Cedral St. Conleth’s, Newbridge, 3.0; Derry v Meath, Owenbeg, 4.0;

AHL Division 3

Roscommon v Cavan, King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park, 2.0;

AHL Division 4

Monaghan v Lancashire, TBC, 2.0; Fermanagh v Leitrim, Brewster Park, Enniskillen, 2.0; Louth v Longford, Páirc Naomh Bríd, Dowdallshill, 2.0

March 9th

AHL Division 1A

Kilkenny v Tipperary, UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, 1.15; Clare v Cork, Cusack Park, Ennis, 3.15

AHL Division 1B

Antrim v Laois, Ballycastle, 12.30; Westmeath v Waterford, TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 2.0

AHL Division 2

Kerry v Down, Austin Stack Park, Tralee, 1.0

AHL Division 4

London v Sligo, McGovern Park, Ruislip, 1.0; Armagh v Mayo, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 2.0

March 15th

AFL Division One

Kerry v Armagh, Austin Stack Park, Tralee, 5.30; Dublin v Galway, Croke Park, 7.30

AFL Division Two

Down v Westmeath, Páirc Esler, Newry, 6.0

AFL Division Three

Laois v Clare, Laois Hire O’Moore Park, 6.0

AFL Division Four

Carlow v Longford, Netwatch Cullen Park, 5.0; Wexford v Tipperary, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 6.30; Waterford v London, Fraher Field, Dungarvan, 7.0

March 16th

AFL Division One

Derry v Mayo, Celtic Park, Derry, 1.30; Donegal v Tyrone, O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny, 3.30

AFL Division Two

Cork v Louth, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 2.0; Meath v Monaghan, Páirc Tailteann, Navan, 2.0; Roscommon v Cavan, King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park, 2.0

AFL Division three

Antrim v Sligo, Corrigan Park, Belfast, 2.0; Leitrim v Fermanagh, TBC, 2.0; Offaly v Kildare, Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore, 2.0

AFL Division Four

Wicklow v Limerick, Echelon Park, Aughrim, 2.0

March 22nd

AHL Division 1A

Cork v Galway, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 7.30; Limerick v Wexford, TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, 7.30; Tipperary v Clare, FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles, 7.30

AHL Division 1B

Carlow v Westmeath, Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow, 5.0; Waterford v Offaly, Fraher Field, Dungarvan, 5.0; Laois v Dublin, Laois Hire O’Moore Park, 5.0

AHL Division 2

Donegal v Derry, O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny, 2.30; Meath v Kildare, Trim, 2.30; Tyrone v Kerry, Páirc Colmcille, Carrickmore, 2.30

AHL Division 3

Armagh v London, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 2.30; Roscommon v Sligo, King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park, 2.30; Wicklow v Mayo, Echelon Park, Aughrim, 2.30

AHL Division 4

Longford v Monaghan, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 2.0; Lancashire v Fermanagh, GAA Abbottstown, 2.0; Leitrim v Warwickshire, Shane McGettigan Park, Drumshanbo, 2.0

March 23rd

AFL Division One

Armagh v Derry, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 3.45; Galway v Kerry, Pearse Stadium, Salthill, 3.45; Tyrone v Dublin, O’Neills Healy Park, Omagh, 3.45; Mayo v Donegal, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, 3.45

AFL Division Two

Cavan v Cork, Kingspan Breffni, Cavan, 1.30; Louth v Meath, Inniskeen, 1.30; Monaghan v Down, St. Tiernach’s Park, Clones, 1.30; Westmeath v Roscommon, TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 1.30

AFL Division Three

Clare v Offaly, Cusack Park, Ennis, 2.0; Fermanagh v Laois, Brewster Park, Enniskillen, 2.0; Kildare v Antrim, Cedral St. Conleth’s, Newbridge, 2.0; Sligo v Leitrim, Markievicz Park, Sligo, 2.0

AFL Division Four

Limerick v Waterford, Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale, 1.0; London v Carlow, McGovern Park, Ruislip, 1.0; Longford v Wexford, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 1.0; Tipperary v Wicklow, FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles, 1.0

March 29th/30th

AFL finals, Divisions One, Two, Three and Four

AHL finals, Divisions 2, 3 and 4

April 5th/6th

AHL finals, Divisions 1A and 1B

Seán Moran

Seán Moran

Seán Moran is GAA Correspondent of The Irish Times