Defending champions Kerry and the 2026 Div. 1 league decider winners Donegal will meet in Round 1 of the All Ireland championship to be played over the weekends of May 23/24 and May 30/31. It’s a case of the best of three, as Donegal were the defeated finalists at Croke Park last summer and Kerry lost the league final in March.
The draw was made in Dublin on Monday. The county listed first below in each tie, all of them provincial finalists, were seeded and will have home advantage. The first four games will take place the earlier weekend.
Round 1
Kerry vs. Donegal
Cork vs. Meath
Galway vs. Kildare
Roscommon vs. Tyrone
Dublin vs. Louth
Monaghan vs. Mayo
Westmeath vs. Cavan
Armagh vs. Derry
Round 2 (June 13-14): The eight winners of Round 1 will be drawn against each other to compete in Round 2A. And the four winners of Round 2A will then advance to the quarterfinals. The eight losers of the Round 1 ties will be drawn against each other in Round 2B. The four losers of Round 2B will exit the championship.
Round 3 (June 20-21): Each of the four winners of Round 2B will be drawn against one of the four losers of Round 2A, and the four winners of Round 3 will advance to an open draw with the winners of Round 2A for the quarter finals.
Along with the eight provincial finalists, which were in Pot 1, Monday’s draw involved the 2025 Tailteann winners and the highest-ranking seven league teams not in a provincial final, which were in Pot 2.
The outcome of the four provincial finals will not have any bearing on the All Ireland championship. Those games are: Galway vs. Roscommon, Cork vs. Kerry (both next Sunday), Dublin vs. Westmeath and Armagh vs. Monaghan (both on Sunday, May 17).
Ultimately, the top 14 ranked teams in the NFL made the Round 1 draw, with the newly promoted Div. 3 champions Down and Div. 3 finalists Wexford, in 15th and 16th respectively, losing out to Tailteann cup holders Kildare, are who are 17th and newly demoted from Div. 2, and Leinster finalists Westmeath, 19th.
The quarter-finals will be played over the June 27-28 weekend; the semis on July 11-12; and the final on Sunday, July 26.
