The next steps on the road to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship have been mapped out, with Kerry travelling to Kildare, Tyrone hosting Mayo, and Louth drawn against Armagh in one of the most intriguing ties of the next round.
The draws for Round 2A and Round 2B were made on RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland, setting up eight fixtures to be played across the weekend of June 13th and 14th.
For four counties in Round 2B, the weekend will mark the end of the road. For the winners, it will be another step deeper into a championship summer that is taking shape.
The headline tie is perhaps Kerry’s visit to Newbridge to face Kildare. It will bring Jack O’Connor back to a county he previously managed, this time in charge of the reigning Sam Maguire Cup holders.
Kerry’s travelling support will add to what is certain to be a bumper occasion at St Conleth’s Park, while Kildare will see the fixture as one capable of delivering both a strong sporting challenge and a major championship day in the county.
Cavan have also been handed a major home draw, with Dublin set to travel to Kingspan Breffni. The counties last met in knockout championship football in the 2020 All-Ireland semi-final, while Dublin also won a round-robin meeting between the sides in 2023.
Elsewhere in Round 2B, Derry will host Meath at Find Insurance Celtic Park, while Monaghan will play a third successive championship match at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones, this time against Roscommon.
Roscommon goalkeeper Conor Carroll said the challenge of travelling to Monaghan would be treated with full respect.
“Monaghan’s track record speaks for itself,” he told Morning Ireland.
“Very unlucky to lose the last day against Mayo and the game before that again against Armagh in the Ulster final, they’re an excellent side. They’ll get our full respect and our full attention, and we’ll be ready to go on game day.”
In Round 2A, Tyrone and Mayo will meet in what looks like a standout championship occasion in Omagh. Malachy O’Rourke’s Tyrone side will be looking to build on their win over Roscommon and complete back-to-back victories over Connacht opposition.
Louth and Armagh will meet in championship football for the first time, though the venue remains to be confirmed. Louth have been using Inniskeen while work continues on their new stadium, but Grattan Park is unlikely to be large enough to meet the expected demand for this fixture.
As a result, Louth will be permitted to nominate a neutral venue, with discussions likely to follow over the best location for a game that should attract a sizeable travelling support from both counties.
Donegal will host Cork, with GAA President Jarlath Burns confirming that Ballybofey is available again after being unavailable for Donegal’s Ulster Championship defeat to Down.
Galway, meanwhile, will welcome Leinster champions Westmeath in a meeting of the maroon jerseys.
The draw has thrown up strong regional, historical and commercial storylines, with several fixtures likely to drive strong attendances, significant local economic activity, and heightened broadcast interest across the weekend.
All-Ireland SFC Round 2A
Winners advance to Quarter Finals, Losers play the winners of Round 2B to do likewise
Tyrone v Mayo
Louth v Armagh
Donegal v Cork
Galway v Westmeath
All-Ireland SFC Round 2B
The winners advance to play the losers of Round 2A in a knockout; the losers are eliminated from this year’s competition
Derry v Meath
Kildare v Kerry
Monaghan v Roscommon
Cavan v Dublin
All fixtures will be played on June 13th and 14th, with exact dates, times, venues and broadcast details to be confirmed.
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