By John Fallon
THE six teams who have dominated the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship for the past 24 years have all advanced to the quarter-finals where they will be joined in the title race this season by two counties who have never won the Brendan Martin Cup.
The two counties without a crown, Ulster three-in-a-row champions Armagh and Kildare will meet in the quarter-finals with the winners going on to play either Galway or Mayo in the semi-finals.
Dublin, who won their seventh title since 2010 last year, will put their title on the line in the quarter-finals against a Cork side looking for their first crown since they won their 11th All-Ireland a decade ago.
The victors of that clash will take on either last year’s runners-up Meath or Munster champions Kerry in the last four.
Dublin, Kerry and Galway had already secured home quarter-finals before this weekend’s action.
Armagh also booked home advantage in the last eight when they held off a spirited late rally from Waterford to emerge 2-15 to 1-15 victors after an exciting clash where Chloe Fennell’s last gasp free which would have forced a draw was deflected off the crossbar.
Meath reached their sixth straight quarter-final with a 1-12 to 1-10 away to Tyrone in Healy Park with Meadhbh Byrne shooting 1-2 to send the 2021 and 2022 TG4 All-Ireland champions into the last eight.
Mayo, looking for their first title since they made it four in five years in 2003, earned a quarter-final away to 2004 champions Galway by virtue of an impressive 1-15 to 2-6 win away to Donegal, with a Lisa Cafferky goal wrapping up the win after they led by 0-8 to 1-1 at the break.
Kildare also scored an away win in their shootout with Tipperary to advance to the last eight with Mayah Doyle’s goal helping them lead by double scores, 1-5 to 0-4, at the interval before they pushed on to advance by 1-13 to 0-9 in the end.
Meanwhile, Waterford will play Donegal and Tipperary will take on Tyrone in the relegation qualifiers. The defeated counties in these two ties will then meet in the relegation play-off with the loser dropping to the intermediate grade for 2027.
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-finals – to be played over the weekend of July 4th/5th. (The team named first has home advantage.) Dublin v Cork
Galway v Mayo
Kerry v Meath
Armagh v Kildare
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-finals on Saturday, 18th July 2026 Dublin/Cork v Kerry/Meath
Galway/Mayo v Armagh/Kildare
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship relegation qualifiers to be played on Saturday, 4th July.
Waterford v Donegal
Tipperary v Tyrone
The losers of the above two fixtures will then play in the relegation play-off on Saturday, 11th July.
Results:TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 1: Armagh 2-15 Waterford 1-15
Group 2: Kildare 1-13 Tipperary 0-9
Group 3: Mayo 1-15 Donegal 2-6
Group 4: Meath 1-12 Tyrone 1-10
TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship
Group A: Derry 7-26 Kilkenny 0-2
Antrim 6-20 Longford 1-7
Group B: Carlow 5-18 London 1-7
