Results:
All-Ireland SFC quarter-final
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Final
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Stay tuned for Denis Walsh’s match report to come, he’ll be mentioning that Farrell has left the job I’m sure.
Meanwhile, here’s the report from the Donegal v Monaghan game:
“In what was their ninth game of the campaign, and their fourth in June alone, Donegal hauled themselves back from that precipice with a brilliant second-half performance.”
[ Donegal’s second-half turnaround leaves Monaghan wondering what hit themOpens in new window ]
That’s all from me for this evening, good night!
BREAKING: Dessie Farrell has stepped down as Dublin manager.
From Denis Walsh in Croke Park:
In the end it was clear-cut. Tyrone kicked the last five scores, and a game that looked like it might go either way for much of the last quarter was blown apart. Niall Morgan kicked free from outside the arc in the last minute to add the coup de grace to Tyrone’s 0-23 to 0-16 victory.
Dublin kicked just six points in the second half, and only scored once in the closing 12 minutes. And yet they trailed by just a point when Stephen Cluxton stood up to a two point free, 50 metres from the Tyrone. His shot, though, drifted wide at the near post and Dublin’s threat petered out in the time that remained.
Overall Tyrone’s defending was superb, although Dublin will reflect on two goal chances that Cormac Costello failed to take, one from an acute angle early in the game and another from a much more promising position early in the second half. By the end, though, Dublin could have no complaints.
Peter Harte: “If Dublin get ahead of you, they’re very hard to reel back in. It’s knitting it all together, we have some fresh new faces, we have 20 odd new players since the last All-Ireland. We want a crack at the semi-final now. You have to make sure you don’t give up the easy opportunities, they had some chances but they didn’t take it. It may have been a gap at the end, but didn’t feel like that when we were playing it.”
Mattie Donnelly: “It feels good, that was the plan here today. There are a lot of mistakes, it felt tetchy at times. Neither team played their best. We did what we wanted to do, we probably didn’t bring the energy in the first half, we upped it there and probably shaded it in the end.”
70 mins: O’Callaghan leaves it short from a chance and Tyrone pour forward again. Darragh Canavan goes for the insurance score and his first in the air, straight over! Four ahead. Then they hound Howard from the kickout, and his brother Ruairi knocks it over. Five ahead.
A two-pointer for the road for Morgan. What a finish by them.
Full-time: Tyrone 0-23 Dublin 0-16
Well deserved win for Tyrone, intense second half performance by them and their bench made a big difference, quality forwards. Kieran McGeary wins man of the match from defence, brilliant defending too.
Dublin go out of the championship scoring only six points in the second half, look a pale imitation of the glory sides of the 2010s. It happens, that’s sport. Con O’Callaghan’s injury was unfortunate and he couldn’t make much impact off the bench, other than one good point.
68 mins: An exciting finish here, Tyrone putting everything into it. But McGeary kicks the ball straight out of play after winning a free out. Dublin probe, but again Tyrone’s defending is great.
Dublin maybe expecting Tyrone to try to kill the game, watch McDonnell fly through and then fist it over to go three ahead! Crucial score.
66 mins: Breathnach gets a fine point from the left to bring it back to one point! A tense finish here as Dublin and Tyrone battle, Tyrone give away a two-point free opportunity. Cluxton walks up... but it’s wide. 10th wide of the day. It was a tough one.
Tyrone win the kickout and Donnelly bursts through, Ruairi Canavan scores a point!
63 mins: There’s the young talent showing his class. McElholm with an electric piece of play, speeds past his marker and straight over. Ruairi Canavan comes in as O’Callaghan kicks one wide.
61 mins: Oh dear, bad miss by Bugler from close range after another storming attack by Dublin from a kickout. Big tackles going in all-round. Kennedy goes for a two-pointer but goes wide.
59 mins: Point for Tyrone, big man Kennedy wins it and Tyrone stream forward, Ciarán Daly puts it over without much challenge. Dublin respond immediately, Paddy Small knocks it over. 16 to 15.
Then a big goal chance for Dublin after Howard punched down in midfield, Breathnach is two on one with Morgan and tries to punch it across but Morgan makes a big interception in the air and clears the danger. Good goalkeeping.
57 mins: Superb block by McGeary on Costello saves a point, then Harte unnecessarily fouls Costello. Frustrating for Tyrone. From the free, Dublin recycle and Kilkenny finds space and a fine shot over the bar. Good spell for Dublin.
54 mins: Tyrone hounding Dublin, 2003 against Kerry style, three men on Howard and he kicks it out to concede a 45. Young star McElholm is on for Tyrone. Morgan from the 45 curls it over, lead back to three.
O’Callaghan makes an instant impact, dummies Donnelly and completely does him, then shows composure to kick it over. Two points in it. This has livened up quite a bit last few minutes.
51 mins: Brilliant intensity by Tyrone as they turn it over, but good defending by Dublin in response to win it back. Costello gets his sixth point of the game, as there is a big roar in Croke Park for Con O’Callaghan to come on. Brian O’Leary off.
48 mins: Con O’Callaghan warms up, the game could do with his impact. Good score though by Ciarán Daly on the overlap. Tyrone two ahead. Canavan getting into it, brilliant ball inside into Daly who lays it off for Devlin to score.
45 mins: Over carrying by Kilpatrick and Dublin do the solo and go, Paddy Small puts over the bar but questionable decision not to go for goal when they had more men forward than Tyrone had back. Canavan responds though, finds space well in a tight area and slots over. Donnelly penetrated the defence.
42 mins: Not the best start to the half by either team, nothing on Donegal’s riproaring second half earlier. Plenty of mistakes. First big moment of the half as Costello has a big goal chance, but he snatches at it and goes wide of the goal. No scores this half.
The teams are out for the second half. Skies have brightened and rain stopped at Croke Park.
38 mins: Early free for McCurry, slightly soft, but he misses the target. Spirited start to this half by Tyrone, they turn the ball over, Canavan misses to the left this time. Tyrone’s inside forwards not quite at it yet.
From Denis Walsh at Croke Park:
Tyrone lead by a point at the break, 0-11 to 0-10, after a decaffeinated first half in which neither team could impose their authority. Tyrone stormed out of the blocks and kicked three two-pointers in the opening ten minutes, but they couldn’t build on that early advantage.
Dublin inched their way back into the game, despite some slopping finishing. Cormac Costello kicked five points, three from play, and the Dubs took the lead for the only time in the first half after 21 minutes. It only lasted until Peter Harte’s second two pointer 90 seconds later.
Darren McCurry put Tyrone in front at the break with the last kick of the half.
35 mins: Dublin patiently probing, waiting for the hooter, which goes and they up the tempo immediately but somehow after all that they almost rush it. Lose the ball and make a mess of it. Tyrone go up and score, excellent point from McCurry. Tyrone lead at half-time.
Half-time: Tyrone 0-11 Dublin 0-10
You’d have to say Dublin were better from general play there, but Tyrone picking off the two-pointers has them ahead. All to play for second half. An example of some of Tyrone’s fine shooting:
33 mins: McCurry converts a free to put Tyrone back ahead. McGinnis responds as the rain eases off.
Meanwhile, Waterford are All-Ireland minor hurling champions! A low-scoring affair at Semple Stadium, but the Deise won’t care.
30 mins: Back level after a Costello free. McCurry misses one but Dublin give the ball back to Tyrone a few moments later. Morgan tries a long range two-pointer but can’t repeat what Beggan did earlier. A soft free for Dublin on Hampsey, Costello misses this free though.
27 mins: Tyrone miss a two-pointer, straight into the keeper’s hands, to go three ahead. Costello does the same, into the keeper. Brennan snuck into space near the goal for Tyrone but his shot was well blocked by Dublin.
23 mins: Dublin are purring this half in their interplay, Scully peels off his marker and taps it over to take the lead.
But who needs control of the game when you can kick two pointers? Peter Harte scores Tyrone’s fourth of the game, to take the lead again.
20 mins: Canavan, who had been quiet so far, scores from a rebound after Cluxton punched a long ball to him. The scores are level once more as Costello turns his defender and gets his fourth score of the game.
18 mins: A second point by O’Leary, justifying his selection, in just his fourth Championship appearance, the scores are level.
14 mins: Costello gets his third of the game, another turnover, they are winning most of the battles so far but the two-pointers make the difference. Dublin will be satisfied with their performance so far though, Small and Bugler hound Tyrone out of play, then O’Leary scores the other end.
11 mins: Costello gets another one after a good turnover by Dublin, he fists it over rather than going for goal. Dublin win it again after the kickout. Small kicks it wide.
Then a third two-pointer of the game, Tyrone’s only scores, Peter Harte easily strokes it over from distance.
8 mins: First miss of the day for Tyrone, McCurry pulls it wide from the right. Poor play by Dublin as Tyrone let McGinnis stroll through the defence unchallenged, but his kick is well short of the goal. Kennedy fouls Ó Cofaigh Byrne and Costello gets his first of the day from a free.
5 mins: Tyrone lose the ball after a slip and Murchan tears up the pitch on the counter, plays in Costello who takes a powerful shot that is well saved by Morgan. Slippy conditions, Cluxton takes a 45 and floats it over into the wind.
Then another two-pointer by Tyrone! Teague with a superb kick, taking advantage of the conditions.
3 mins: First shot of the game by Dublin from McGinnis, but he hits the post. A very clever quick free kick catches Dublin napping and Tyrone score a two-pointer, McGeary with a fine kick into the side with the wind behind.
From Denis Walsh at Croke Park:
The rain has eased a little at Croke Park before the second quarter-final but the surface will be like polished marble. In the second half of the Donegal Monaghan game players were slipping all over the place.
One late change to the published line-ups for each team, but not the one that Dublin supporters were hoping for. Brian O’Leary takes the place of Lorcan O’Dell with Con O’Callaghan starting on the bench. For Tyrone Peter Harte comes in for Mark Bradley.
After 31 minutes in the minor hurling final, it is Waterford 1-12 Clare 0-5. Dominant performance so far by the Deise.
Next up at Croke Park, it’s Dublin against Tyrone.
Here are the teams. O’Callaghan doesn’t start.
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Eoin Murchan, David Byrne, Seán MacMahon; Brian Howard, John Small, Lee Gannon; Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne, Killian McGinnis; Seán Bugler, Ciarán Kilkenny, Niall Scully; Paddy Small, Cormac Costello, Brian O’Leary.
Subs: Evan Comerford, Luke Breathnach, Theo Clancy, Nathan Doran, Ethan Dunne, Alex Gavin, Tom Lahiff, Greg McEneaney, Ross McGarry, Cian Murphy, Con O’Callaghan, Niall O’Callaghan, Lorcan O’Dell.
Tyrone: Niall Morgan; Cormac Quinn, Padraig Hampsey, Niall Devlin; Peter Teague, Rory Brennan, Kieran McGeary; Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick; Seanie O’Donnell, Mattie Donnelly, Ciarán Daly; Darren McCurry, Peter Harte, Darragh Canavan
Subs: Oisin O’Kane, Aidan Clarke, Michael Rafferty, Frank Burns, Shea O’Hare, Ben McDonnell, Michael O’Neill, Mark Bradley, Conor Meyler, Ruairi Canavan, Eoin McElholm.
Shane O’Donnell named as man of the match, he said McGuinness had to have a few harsh words at half-time to get them motivated. “We’re back to where we were last year, we had a tough few games in a row, looking forward to a week off and focus on the next opponent.”
69 mins: A stylish two-pointer by Langan, languid style and straight over. What a performance by Donegal in this half, you can see why they’re favourites for the All-Ireland.
Finally a two-pointer for Monaghan in his half, superb kick by Garland. But too little, too late. No score for 23 minutes before that.
Beggan’s free goes straight into the net, but it’s ruled out for some reason. The hooter goes anyway, unlikely to have mattered. Donegal come back to win by six points!
Full-time: Donegal 1-26 Monaghan 1-20
67 mins: A masterclass by Donegal defensively in this half but Monaghan have lost their composure and really struggling to make an inroads on the Donegal team. Bannigan with yet another miss, 11 wides, McCarron makes it 12.
64 mins: The rain is coming down a lot at Croke Park, with the wind swirling, Monaghan’s two-point plan in tatters this half, the conditions not playing ball. Not too many two-pointers by Donegal either, but an abundance of ones, another super one by McBrearty, turn shot. Classic McBrearty. Six-point lead.
Early lead for Waterford in the hurling minor final, 1-3 to 0-1 after seven minutes over Clare.
60 mins: Another point for Donegal, McBrearty with a superb point off the bench. Seven points without reply for Donegal. Make that eight as Conor O’Donnell knocks over his fourth.
57 mins: Just three points in the last 20 minutes from Monaghan as McCarthy pulls up injured. Then Peadar Mogan plays a one-two and then punches the ball over to go three points ahead. Another miss for Monaghan, Mohan kicks wide.
54 mins: Shane O’Donnell steals the ball off McCarron for a big turnover and wins a free. Murphy puts it over to finally put Donegal ahead again.
Monaghan trying to regroup after this Donegal power show but O’Hanlon’s shot is blocked and Donegal burst forward again, no sign of any six day turnarounds here. Michael Murphy scores another, this time from play.
51 mins: We’re level! Langan takes advantage of sloppy play by Monaghan to knock it over. McCarville off for Monaghan, Louis Kelly on. Mohan wins a kickout, Bannigan takes a shot from a tight angle but wide.
49 mins: The GAA+ commentary says it is an old-fashioned Ulster derby, but there is something very modern about this scoring chaos as the O’Donnells are in the groove, Shane this time with a point to reduce it to one. Less than 50 minutes gone and this score already! Beggan finally misses one as he hits the post and Monaghan can’t score the rebound.
46 mins: Shane O’Donnell waltzes through the middle under not much contest and puts it over. Donegal much stronger this half so far. Then
GOAL FOR DONEGAL! Michael Langan with a brilliant goal, one-two with Murphy, drops the shoulder and smashes it into the roof of the net. Only two points in it now.
Helter skelter now, O’Hanlon left with another one on one, but opts to hit it over. Then Conor O’Donnell scores straight from the following kickout. 1-18 to 1-16 now.
43 mins: McCarthy fields the ball well in midfield, McFadden clatters into him and gets a yellow card. Then some brilliant interplay by Monaghan, in a blink of an eye, O’Hanlon one-two and Donegal can’t keep up with him. A goal chance but over the bar. Another point then soon after for Monaghan, McCarthy with the pace this time, leaving McFadden for dust, gets his revenge for that earlier foul.
41 mins: Gallen gets his third point of the day, shows his pace and quality to hit it over. Back to five.
A blow for Monaghan as McAnespie looks badly injures, an Achilles it looks like. Jack McCarron comes on. Conor O’Donnell brings it back to four with a point, as Ó Baoill comes on for Donegal.
38 mins: Early point from Murphy from a free to knock into the deficit. Expect Donegal to come on strong in the next 10 minutes. Moore wins the kickout and a free, Mohan catches him in the face. Yellow card for Mohan.
Here are the half-time highlights, worth skipping ahead to 1.48 for that wonder score by Beggan:
35 mins: Point for O’Donnell and Donegal go again but they’re hounded out of it by a Monaghan team full of energy. The hooter goes with Monaghan hanging around the arc. Then Beggan goes for a stunning two pointer from his hands from 55 metres. What a shot!
Half-time: Monaghan 1-15 Donegal 0-11
Monaghan the much better team here, more energy and finally got their shooting boots on after a slow start. Beggan and Woods with some brilliant points. What will Jim McGuinness come up with in the second half? Donegal are well behind here, but should have the wind after the break.
33 mins: Another two-pointer for Andrew Woods, his second of the match. Monaghan’s long-range shooting remains unmatched. Earlier Ryan O’Toole scored a good one on the overlap. A free for Bannigan puts Monaghan six points ahead after Patton was penalised at the kickout. Who would have thought that?
29 min: GOAL FOR MONAGHAN! Micheál Bannigan with a low shot under Patton after the keeper made a mistake and Donegal lost the short kickout. Immediately afterwards, Thompson then scores a two-pointer. As with all Monaghan games this year, it’s pure attacking chaos. It’s Monaghan 1-9 Donegal 0-10.
27 mins: Ciarán Thompson gets Donegal’s first two-pointer of the day, at a crucial time too as Donegal had hit a rough spot. Back to a point in it. Then Ryan McHugh takes advantage of a Wylie slip to hit a superb point over the middle. Back level again!
Another half-chance for a goal by Monaghan as they attack in waves, Mohan all hustle and bustle, McAnespie couldn’t get room for a shot but eventually falls to McNulty who taps over.
23 mins: Murphy takes his eye off the ball and Duffy nips in and Monaghan counter again, always passing forward. O’Hanlon bursts past his man and goes for goal, Patton saves! But he scores the rebound over the bar. Monaghan three up.
Here is Andrew Woods’s point earlier
20 mins: Murphy does his marker with a burst of acceleration, you wouldn’t know his age and gets Donegal back to within a point. McCarville and Carey turn the ball over well and they go again. O’Hanlon with a few bursts of pace, but Donegal keeping it tight. They try to find a way through, but McAnespie’s shot is blocked and out for a 45. Beggan scores it, just brilliant at long-range shooting.
17 mins: Ward wins a free which gives Beggan a chance in that all-important two-point range. He rarely misses from there and Monaghan are level again. Monaghan win in midfield from the kickout, and after a a bit of probing, Andrew Woods scores a brilliant two-pointer! Monaghan are two ahead all of a sudden.
14 mins: Roarty should score another point for Donegal, but mishits his shot, panics Beggan but goes wide. Then first point of the day by Conor O’Donnell to put Donegal two ahead again.
A third miss of the day by McCarthy, Monaghan’s fourth of the day as they worked it well but kicked it wide from about 30 metres. Can’t afford to be missing chances like that.
10 mins: Ciarán Moore bursts through the middle from wing-back, showing his athleticism and wins a free for Murphy, but he misses. You’d expect him to score that, middle of the pitch, not that far out.
Some possession for Monaghan, but Dessie Ward tries to move out to the two-point lead but Donegal’s Roarty completely reads it and Donegal counter at speed. Beggan ends up making a fine save from Gallagher when Donegal were through on goal. Mogan scores from the rebound.
Then a kickout doesn’t go to plan for Donegal and Bannigan makes it 0-3 to 0-2 with a fine point.
5 mins: Another miss by Monaghan, nervy start, this time by McCarville.
But better from Monaghan, positive football and ends with McCarthy making up for his earlier mistake and punching the ball over the bar. Level at a point apiece.
But not for long, lovely swivel and turn, straight over by Gallen to make it 0-2 to 0-1.
2 mins: The game is under way, Monaghan win an early ball in. Humid, dry conditions at Croke Park. Weak first shot though by Conor McCarthy from a tricky angle, mishits and goes well wide.
Then Oisin Gallen gets the first score of the day after a good kickout by Patton, won by Murphy.
Breaking team news:
Gary Mohan starts for Monaghan, as does Ciarán McNulty, with Gavin McPhillips and Jack McCarron dropping to the bench.
Hugh McFadden and Caolán McColgan come in for Donegal. Jason McGee and Dáire Ó Baoill drop to the bench.
Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Ryan Wylie, Kieran Duffy, Dylan Byrne; Ryan O’Toole, Dessie Ward, Conor McCarthy; Micheál McCarville, Gary Mohan; Aaron Carey, Micheál Bannigan, Ryan McAnespie; Ciarán McNulty, Andrew Woods, Stephen O’Hanlon.
Subs: Kian Mulligan, Ronan Boyle, Louis Kelly, Darren Hughes, Gavin McPhillips, Jack McCarron, Jason Irwin, Killian Lavelle, Stephen Mooney, David Garland, Karl O’Connell
Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finnbar Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Ciarán Moore; Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan; Caolan McColgan, Ciarán Thompson, Shane O’Donnell; Conor O’Donnell, Michael Murphy, Oisín Gallen.
Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Stephen McMenamin, Odhran McFadden Ferry, Eoin McHugh, Odhrán Doherty, Aaron Doherty, Patrick McBrearty, Jamie Brennan, Niall O’Donnell, Jason McGee, Dáire Ó Baoill.
Attendances are high for the quarter-finals today and tomorrow, with the exciting new rules likely to have had an effect, reports Seán Moran.
“By Friday teatime, Croke Park were reporting sales of 63,000 for Saturday’s double bill of Monaghan-Donegal and Tyrone-Dublin with 74,000 shifted for Meath-Galway and the weekend’s box office pairing of All-Ireland champions Armagh and brand leaders, Kerry.
“If the tickets keep going, these quarter-finals could be the best attended in 16 years. Another 10,000 in sales and the combined attendance for the weekend will surpass 2017 and you would have to go back to 2009 to find a bigger turnout.
“A game with additional space for forwards and the incentive to move the ball quickly into attack has blossomed into a spectacle that has captivated spectators.”
[ Turnstiles click for a game transformed and the most open championship in decadesOpens in new window ]
Darragh O’Sé has said that Donegal were right in their statement criticising the six-day turnaround since they beat Louth in the preliminary quarter-final. He says the squeezed season means that player welfare is way down the list behind bums on seats and keeping TV stations happy.
“I don’t think the GAA or the CCCC are out to get Donegal. This isn’t a matter of putting Jim McGuinness back in his box. But I will say this much – if you were going out of your way to punish a county for making too much noise, wouldn’t it look a lot like this?
“Donegal would nearly rather it was a case of the authorities being out to get them because at least then they’d have a cause to rally behind. You’d imagine they will probably convince themselves of it anyway – everyone in the county will travel to Dublin ready for battle.
“But the truth of it is actually way worse. It isn’t that the fixture-makers don’t make allowances for the demands put on Donegal players. It’s that they don’t make allowances for any players, anywhere. When they sat down with the four games in front of them, they weren’t thinking about Michael Murphy or Paul Conroy or David Clifford. They were thinking about numbers, plain and simple.”
Some interesting stats about Monaghan against Donegal, courtesy of Colm Shalvey from the Northern Standard.
Monaghan’s 2025 top scorers:
1. Rory Beggan 0-54 (47f, 4 ’45s)
2. Micheál Bannigan 3-44 (0-13f, 0-1m)
3. Jack McCarron 4-31 (1-0 pen, 0-11f)
Donegal’s 2025 top scorers:
1. Michael Murphy 0-42 (19f, 5 ’45s)
2. Dáire Ó Baoill 1-33
3. Ciarán Thompson 1-31 (0-7f, 0-1m)
2025 average score:
Monaghan 27.5
Donegal 23
Average conceded:
Monaghan 22.6
Donegal 19.4
Total points difference:
Monaghan +5.1 points
Donegal +3.6 points
Percentage of scores from open play:
Monaghan 73 per cent
Donegal 84 per cent
Monaghan man Malachy Clerkin knows more than most on where it usually goes wrong for the Farney county at this time of year. Will today be any different? He looks at it in a feature in today’s paper
“This is usually the point at which any Monaghan bandwagon starts to creak and groan and chug its last. In their best years in the All-Ireland series, they have tended to be the little engine that could, right until it becomes obvious they can’t. There’s no big mystery as to when they arrive at that point, either – it’s generally when they come face to face with a Division One team in Croke Park."
But there is optimism about a new world in the new rules:
“Monaghan have gone about the new game like a backpacker taking on a new identity in a foreign country. Who they were and what they did in the old game is irrelevant, for now at least.
“They know they can only win by going for broke. They are conceding big totals but on the flipside, they are taking a huge amount of shots. If they find the accuracy to go with their sense of adventure, they could finally smash through the glass ceiling.
“After 20 years of trying to beat a big team in Croke Park, this is as good a chance as they could hope for.
“If not now, when?”
Here are the teams that were announced two days ago. Subject to change of course. Don’t be surprised if Lavelle or Mohan sneak into the Monaghan team before the whistle.
Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Ryan Wylie, Kieran Duffy, Dylan Byrne; Ryan O’Toole, Dessie Ward, Conor McCarthy; Micheál McCarville, Gavin McPhillips; Aaron Carey, Micheál Bannigan, Ryan McAnespie; Jack McCarron, Andrew Woods, Stephen O’Hanlon.
Subs: Kian Mulligan, Ronan Boyle, Louis Kelly, Darren Hughes, Gary Mohan, Ciaran McNulty, Jason Irwin, Killian Lavelle, Stephen Mooney, David Garland, Karl O’Connell
Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finnbar Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Ciarán Moore; Jason McGee, Michael Langan; Dáire Ó Baoill, Ciarán Thompson, Shane O’Donnell; Conor O’Donnell, Michael Murphy, Oisín Gallen.
Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Stephen McMenamin, Odhran McFadden Ferry, Eoin McHugh, Odhrán Doherty, Aaron Doherty, Patrick McBrearty, Jamie Brennan, Niall O’Donnell, Caolan McColgan, Hugh McFadden.
Here are GAA correspondent Seán Moran’s takes on who will progress today.
“Monaghan’s vulnerability has been concession totals; they are prolific scorers but so too their various opponents. Micheál Bannigan and Stephen O’Hanlon have led a pacy charge up front with Jack McCarron lending less quicksilver but prolific support off the bench.”
Hello and welcome to live coverage of one of the biggest days of the Gaelic football season, an enticing double header of Monaghan against Donegal (throw-in 4pm), followed by Tyrone against Dublin (throw-in 6.15pm) at GAA HQ.
It is the most open Championship in many years and it’s never been harder to call the winner of the whole thing, or even individual matches. Donegal beat Monaghan in the quarter-finals of the Ulster championship, so that makes them bookies favourites for the first game, but Monaghan have had two weeks off courtesy of topping their group, rather than the controversial six-day turnaround for Donegal. It has been a flawed Dublin so far this year, but they are capable of going on a run with home (or neutral) advantage at Croke Park from here on in, Tyrone will be tough opponents though. There is also the minor hurling final between Clare and Waterford at Semple Stadium.
