Results
National Football League
Division One:
FT – Galway 1-12 Armagh 0-9 (Read the full match report here)
FT – Tyrone 2-13 Derry 1-9
FT – Dublin 1-17 Mayo 1-15 (Read the full match report here)
Division Two:
FT – Cork 2-19 Meath 0-21 (Read the full match report here)
FT – Cavan 0-12 Monaghan 1-10 (Read the full match report here)
Division Three:
FT – Kildare 2-24 Fermanagh 1-12
Division Four:
FT – Carlow 2-13 Tipperary 1-16
FT – Wexford 2-24 London 2-6
All-Ireland Club JFC Final
FT – An Cheathrú Rua (Galway) 0-9 Naomh Pádraig (Donegal) 0-8
And Gordon Manning’s report from Croke Park is in.
“A star turn by Seán Bugler threatened to upstage the new rules as the headline act at Croke Park on Saturday night.
“Bugler scored seven points, all from play, to earn Dublin a two-point victory in their Division One National Football League opener in front 24,160 spectators on a chilly, clear night in the capital.
“But if Bugler was man of the match, the new rules also delivered a decent performance on their first competitive showing in Croke Park.”
Read his full match report below:
[ Dublin’s fresh faces hold off Mayo to open league with a winOpens in new window ]
That’s all from me for today. We’ll be back for more of the same tomorrow. Until then, oíche mhaith.
“Galway manager Pádraic Joyce won’t have been sorry to see the back of 2024. A wafer-thin All-Ireland final defeat spoiled an otherwise impressive championship and the league was spent under awful pressure trying to scoop sufficient points to keep the county afloat in Division One, which he managed to do,” Seán Moran writes.
“On Saturday in Salthill, he was able to reflect on a good win against their All-Ireland tormentors, champions Armagh.
“Galway may have been flattered by a two-point half-time lead but they stretched away in the second half, harnessing the new FRC rules to strike three two-pointers within as many minutes from Man of the Match Cillian Ó Curraoin, Shane Walsh and Paul Conroy.”
Read the post-match quotes from Pádraic Joyce and Kieran McGeeney below:
[ Two-point scores crucial for Galway in win over Armagh, says JoyceOpens in new window ]
“Old derby, new rules, familiar result,” Paul Fitzpatrick reports from Cavan and Monaghan’s Division Two encounter at Breffni Park.
“The home side have only won five of these Drumlin Clasico clashes in the last 20 league and championship meetings going back to 1990 so it wasn’t exactly a shock but Monaghan deserved their win over the noisy neighbours.
“Cavan registered four two-pointers in the first half, three of them from play, but still trailed at the interval, Conor McCarthy’s third-minute penalty helping them to a 1-10 to 0-12 half-time lead.
“There wasn’t much between them in the first half but wind-assisted Cavan registered seven wides – they had 12 in total – and messed up a couple of good goal chances while the visitors had just one wide, an uncharacteristic missed free from the influential Rory Beggan.”
Read his full match report below:
[ Monaghan have the edge on Cavan as Rory Beggan lands three two-pointersOpens in new window ]
And the full-time hooter has sounded at Croke Park.
The last of the day’s three Division One fixtures ends in Dublin’s favour.
Gordon Manning is at GAA HQ. He’ll have a full report for us shortly.
FT: Dublin 1-17 Mayo 1-15
In Division Four, Wexford got an 18-point win over London, ending 2-24 to 2-6 at Wexford Park.
They’re into the last five minutes at Croke Park and a point from Luke Breathnach has put Dublin two to the good.
Dublin 1-16 Mayo 1-14
Seán Moran’s report on Galway’s Division One win over Armagh has landed.
“Galway overcame the challenge of All-Ireland champions Armagh and the new rules in a rainswept Pearse Stadium on Saturday. A largely ineffectual first half, despite which they led at the break, gave way to some more energetic attacking play, which yielded the contest’s only three two-pointers, all swept over in as many minutes.
“The impact on the scoreboard turned it into a double-scores advantage, 1-11 to 0-7 and the champions never looked like retrieving that sort of a deficit.
“Manager Pádraic Joyce was content afterwards with the win and the improved second-half display. Unlike last year, he is playing with nearly a full deck with no long-term injuries.”
Read his full report below:
[ Galway ride the storm and hit Armagh hard in the second halfOpens in new window ]
Back at Croke Park, Dublin quickly closed their half-time deficit to Mayo through points from Kevin Lahiff and Ciarán Kilkenny.
But Mayo aren’t sitting back, the sides trading points.
Dublin 1-12 Mayo 1-12
“Cork have had their opening-day struggles in the past decade but they got their Division Two campaign off on the right foot with a four-point victory against Meath at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh,” Stephen Barry reports from Cork.
“This was an open, entertaining game played under the new rules, although it should be noted that these two produced an exciting 3-14 to 0-19 encounter in the equivalent fixture two years ago.
“Colm O’Rourke got his managerial term off to a winning start that day but Robbie Brennan’s intercounty debut went the other way as Cork grabbed the goals this time through Matty Taylor and Chris Óg Jones.”
Read the full report below:
[ Cork’s accuracy key as they come out on top against misfiring Meath sideOpens in new window ]
It’s half-time at Croke Park and Kevin McStay’s Mayo lead Dessie Farrell’s Dublin 1-10 to 1-8.
Quick update on the day’s National Hurling League fixtures.
In Saturday’s only Division 1A fixture, Cork got a 2-21 to 0-12 win away to Wexford.
Meanwhile in Division 1B, Niall Ó Ceallacháin got his tenure with Dublin off to a winning start, beating Antrim 1-25 to 0-14, while Offaly and Carlow played out a draw at O’Connor Park, ending 0-19 to 1-16.
In Division Two, Down beat Kildare, 2-19 to 0-22, Meath beat Donegal by the minimum in Trim, 2-12 to 1-14, and in a reversal of the outcome of Tyrone and Derry’s meeting in the National Football League, the Oak Leaf county’s hurlers snatched a two-point win over their hosts at Healy Park, 1-13 to 0-14.
[ Niall Ó Ceallacháin completes dream week as Dublin tenure starts with big winOpens in new window ]
[ Cork make promising start as Wexford already look in trouble after opening defeatOpens in new window ]
Mayo have shot back with a goal to level things at Croke Park.
Conor Reid makes it 1-9 apiece with 23 minutes gone.
Dublin 1-9 Mayo 1-9
The 6pm throw-ins have all wrapped up, with wins for Tyrone and Monaghan and a draw between Carlow and Tipperary. Here’s how those games panned out...
Division One: Tyrone 2-13 Derry 1-9
Division Two: Cavan 0-20 Monaghan 2-20
Division Four: Carlow 2-13 Tipperary 1-16
Only a minute on the clock and there’s a goal for Dublin.
Kevin Lahiff makes it 1-1 to no reply for the Dubs, adding to Greg McEneaney’s opening point.
Dublin 1-1 Mayo 0-0
Now it’s over to Croke Park, where old rivals Dublin and Mayo are meeting in Division One.
Mayo have made two changes to the above ahead of throw-in, Fenton Kelly replacing Diarmuid O’Connor and Paul Towey coming in for Bob Tuohy.
A far from perfect game, but signs of good things to come.
The first half had some bleak moments, Galway running back and forth along the 40-metre arc looking to set up a chance for a two-point score comes to mind, but when the game was in full flow the added pace afforded by the rule changes was clear.
The solo-and-go was used well by both teams and seems to have achieved the FRC’s goal of reducing stoppages in play, but ensuring the fouled player isn’t tackled immediately after taking the solo-and-go will be something referees will need to keep an eye on.
As Galway saw in the second half, the new two-point scores can quickly change the complexion of a game, and Shane Walsh and Paul Conroy’s two-pointers in particular were great examples of why such sharpshooting should be rewarded.
FT: Galway 1-12 Armagh 0-9
And there’s the full-time hooter. Galway take their opening win of the 2025 National Football League, ending 1-12 to 0-9 at Salthill.
On RTÉ co-commentary duty, Eamonn Fitzmaurice (who’s a member of the FRC) clarifies that Armagh can now have just two outfield players in either half of the pitch due to Niall Grimley’s sending off.
Armagh’s Niall Grimley shown a straight red for a needless foul.
The visitors are down to 14 for the remaining 10 minutes, the last thing they need given they’re trailing by seven points.
And Pearse Stadium has had its first two-pointers.
Cillian Ó Curraoin slotted over the first, before Armagh were pulled up for another breach of the 3/3 rule. Shane Walsh stepped up to take the resulting free and decided to take it outside the 40-metre arc to go for the two points.
And then it was the turn of Paul Conroy, raising a red flag with a beautiful shot from play. When it rains it pours.
The Tribesmen are now 1-11 to 0-7 to the good.
It’s half-time in the 6pm throw-ins.
Full-time scores from Newbridge and Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
In Division Two, Cork beat Meath 2-2-15 to 0-1-19, or 2-19 to 0-21 in old money. In Division Three, Kildare took a big win over Fermanagh, ending 2-24 to 1-12 at St Conleth’s Park.
A two-point attempt from a free doesn’t go Matthew Tierney’s way. The kick drops well short and Armagh go on the attack.
Galway 1-5 Armagh 0-7
Second half is under way in Salthill. It’s Galway 1-4 Armagh 0-5.
At Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork are 2-19 to 0-17 up against Meath in Division Two. Matty Taylor and Chris Óg Jones with the Rebel goals. Less than five minutes left in the second half there.
The new two-point score is being put to good use in Newbridge.
Kildare lead Fermanagh 0-21 to 1-10 with 25 minutes gone in the second half, Kevin Feely and Alex Beirne both raising a red flag for the Lilywhites.
And there’s the new half-time hooter. Very snazzy.
Referee Conor Lane had called a free for Galway just before the hooter sounded, so Sam O’Neill gets to take the shot. As per the new rules, the ball can’t be played, only a direct score will do. He sends it wide so that’s half-time.
HT: Galway 1-4 Armagh 0-5
Galway’s Matthew Tierney nets a penalty for the hosts to make it Galway 1-3 Armagh 0-5.
And Armagh are after being pulled up for breaking the new 3/3 rule, leaving only two outfield players back in their attacking half. Sam O’Neill scores the resulting free to extend Galway’s lead.
A momentous occasion. Armagh’s Stefan Campbell hands the ball to a Galway player for a free with no issue.
At Pearse Stadium, Galway are playing like they want to chance a two-point score, hugging the new 40-metre arc, but yet they’re not having a go.
The new solo-and-go rule is being used well by both sides however.
It’s Armagh 0-5 Galway 0-2 with just over 27 minutes on the clock.
It’s half-time in the 5pm throw-ins. Cork and Meath are level at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Division Two while Kildare lead Fermanagh 0-13 to 0-7 in Newbridge.
The new stop-clock system in action at Pearse Stadium. Referees will now stops the clock to issue cards or, in this instance, while a player receives treatment.
This weekend, all Division One games will use the new clock/hooter system, as is used by the LGFA. However, since not all the venues have scoreboards with countdown clocks, the timers will instead count up to the half-time and full-time hooters, rather than counting down to zero.
Armagh lead by two points with six minutes gone.
As the anthem plays, here are the teams.
GALWAY: C Gleeson, D Ó Flaherty, S Fitzgerald, J McGrath’ S Kelly (capt), J Daly, D McHugh; C McDaid, P Conroy; C Darcy, F Ó Laoi, C Sweeney; S O’Neill, M Tierney, C Ó Curraoin.
ARMAGH: B Hughes; A Forker (capt), B McCambridge, T McCormack; G McCabe, J Duffy, C Mackin; N Grimley, B Crealey; D McMullen, R Grugan, O Conaty; S Campbell, A Murnin, S McPartlan.
And they’re under way at Pearse Stadium.
With all the new rules that will be on show this weekend, spare a thought for the officials tasked with making the FRC’s vision a reality.
Earlier this week, former intercounty referee and FRC member Maurice Deegan shared his thoughts ahead of this weekend’s games.
“Although I’ve retired from intercounty, I was still involved in refereeing a couple of challenge matches and have a sense of what’s involved. I had initial reservations about the whole thing but I’m much more positive now.
“I remember when the black card came in and people weren’t totally sure – to put it mildly – but this time, players are able to challenge you on the actual rules and what they are about because they have read them, a reflection of the huge publicity the changes or enhancements have been getting.”
Read the full article below:
These rules are new to all of us, so a bit of patience may be in order. Don’t they say good things take time?
Proceedings are under way at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, where Meath lead Cork 0-2 to 0-1 after five minutes in the Division Two opener. In Division Three, it’s Kildare 0-3 Fermanagh 0-1 at Newbridge.
Seán Moran has an update from Salthill, where the Division One fixture between Galway and Armagh has been pushed back 15 minutes to 5.30pm.
He says 8,500 tickets for the fixture had been sold by midweek, but hardly any were sold on Friday due to the storm. However, he adds local spirits are high after An Cheathrú Rua’s All-Ireland win in the junior club final earlier.
Ten minutes out from Cork v Meath in Division Two at Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Kildare v Fermanagh in Division Three at St Conleth’s Park.
And an update on the All-Ireland Club Junior Football Championship final. Galway’s An Cheathrú Rua have beaten Donegal’s Naomh Pádraig 0-9 to 0-8.
Galway and Armagh’s Division One meeting at Pearse Stadium has been pushed back 15 minutes. The game will now throw-in at 5.30pm.
Here’s a brief explanation of the seven core enhancements:
The 1v1 throw-in: One player from each time to contest the throw-in at the start of each half. Other two midfielders start the game from the sideline.
The kick-out: Kick-outs must go beyond the 40-metre arc and the goalkeeper doesn’t have to wait for players to be outside the 20-metre line before the kick-out is taken.
Goalkeeper: Goalkeeper can only receive a pass from a team-mate if they are within the large rectangle of it the goalkeeper has gone beyond the halfway line.
3/3 structure: Both teams must keep at least three outfield players in each half of the pitch at all times.
Advanced mark: A kick from outside the 45-metre line caught inside the 20-metre line will be awarded an advanced mark. The fielding player can play on immediately, with the benefit of advantage. If no advantage accrues, it’s brought back for the original mark.
Solo-and-go: A player awarded a free can opt to solo (toe tap) the ball and proceed with play. The player must go forward and can’t be tackled for four metres.
Scoring: A ‘point’ scored from outside the 40-metre arc will be worth two points. Umpires will signal a two-point score using a red flag.
Right, time to address the elephant in the room. We’re here looking forward to seeing the Football Review Committee’s new rules in action, but what are the new rules?
You might be sorry you asked.
Thankfully, Gordon Manning has done all the hard work for us with this handy explainer:
In short, there are seven ‘core enhancements’ that focus on how the game is played, and then some additional changes focusing on tactical/aggressive fouls, dissent and officiating.
Prior to the postponement of Leitrim v Laois in Division Three, which had been due to be the first of the day’s throw-ins, Malachy Clerkin wrote: “The revolution begins in Ballinamore, Co Leitrim.”
With that match now off until tomorrow, the revolution will instead begin at Páirc Uí Chaoimh (Cork v Meath, Division Two) and St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge (Kildare v Fermanagh, Division Three). But not to worry, the central point still stands: this is an important day for Gaelic football.
“It would be silly to imagine that all the rules will work from the start – or indeed that some of them will work at all. Already, something like the aggressively Corinthian notion of handing the ball to your fouled opponent feels a little unlikely to survive the spring. Too open to interpretation for one thing, too needlessly submissive for another.
“These first few weeks, we’re going to be living in the weeds of it all. So many nutty, granular questions. What happens if a player hands the ball back and his opponent drives into him with a solo-and-go as he’s doing it? Will a backroom member get away with shouting abuse at a linesman if he’s sitting in the crowd rather than on the bench? How do we write down a bloody scoreline any more?”
Read Malachy’s full piece below:
[ Year Zero for football as FRC’s new rules are put to the testOpens in new window ]
For fellow fans of the small ball, the National Hurling League also begins today. No rule changes there, so it’s business as usual.
The schedule has been reduced from 11 fixtures to nine after the Division 1B game between Westmeath and Laois was cancelled due to a frozen pitch at Cusack Park, and Cavan’s trip to meet Mayo in Division 3 was postponed due to damage caused by the storm.
Back to the National Football League. Eight fixtures today. Here’s the agenda:
Division One: Galway v Armagh – Pearse Stadium, 5.15pm; Tyrone v Derry – Healy Park, 6pm; Dublin v Mayo – Croke Park, 7.30pm
Division Two: Cork v Meath – Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 5pm; Cavan v Monaghan – Breffni Park, 6pm
Division Three: Kildare v Fermanagh – St Conleth’s Park, 5pm
Division Four: Carlow v Tipperary – Cullen Park, 6pm; Wexford v London – Wexford Park, 7pm
Division Three is down a fixture after Leitrim v Laois was put off until tomorrow due to electrical issues caused by Storm Éowyn.
Seán Moran and Gordon Manning have gone through each of the weekend’s football fixtures and given their verdicts. Will we give them a bit of grace given the level of unknowns with the new rules? Naaah.
Read their preview below:
While much of the focus today will be on the new rules, there’s one fixture that will be sticking to the old ways – the All-Ireland Club Junior Football Championship final between Naomh Pádraig of Donegal and Galway’s An Cheathrú Rua.
The game got under way at Croke Park at 3.10pm and the sides are currently level on two points apiece. We’ll keep you posted on that one.
Good afternoon everyone and welcome along to The Irish Times live blog for the opening round of the Allianz National Football League.
Hope you all got through the storm okay. Storm Éowyn has had a slight impact on the weekend’s GAA schedule, but nothing too hectic – we’ll fill you in on the changes shortly.
But first, let’s focus on the reason why we’re here. Much and all as we’re glad to have intercounty games back once again, what we’re all undoubtedly eager to see is the Football Review Committee’s new rules in action.
Has the National Football League ever been met with such anticipation? Let’s be honest, probably not.
“This is the weekend the GAA swings open its doors to the most consequential league in living memory,” Gordon Manning wrote ahead of this weekend’s fixtures. “This is a seminal moment for Gaelic football, the next few weeks will define how present and future generations play the game.
“After the storm, here come the winds of change.” Oh the excitement.
We’ll be keeping you updated on the action across the NFL throughout the rest of the day. Séan Moran has been dispatched to Salthill for Galway v Armagh, Gordon Manning is in Croke Park for Dublin v Mayo, and we’ll have reports from Tyrone v Derry, Cork v Meath and Cavan v Monaghan.
There are eight fixtures on the NFL agenda today, so we’re in for a busy one.
