GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final – Dublin 3-18 Kerry 3-11

McManamon returns to haunt Kingdom

Dublin 3-18 Kerry 3-11

By John Fogarty GAA Correspondent for the Irish Examiner newspaper

In the end, it was inevitable. The portents were all there as the sides gushed four first-half goals and swapped the lead six times: Kerry just don’t win Croke Park classics. Go on, look back over the years. You’ll struggle to find a game where they came out on top of an epic. Armagh in 2006? Good but not great. Go fish and keep fishing. This will rank up there with the best ever seen but that will provide cold comfort for Eamonn Fitzmaurice after his side endured a lot longer of this semi-final than they had been expected to.

Had Declan O’Sullivan not shot wide in the final minute of normal time, Kerry might have had something to protect. Instead, as they went in hunt of a lead and pushed up only for Michael Darragh Macauley’s fingertips to unlock their entire defence following a midfield mix-up which prompted Kevin McManamon to don his super sub cap once more. The 2011 All-Ireland final goal hero was again the personification of composure as he deftly lifted a left-footed shot over the advancing Brendan Kealy and provoked an almighty crescendo of celebration among most of the 81,553 in attendance.

Kerry right there and then were beaten but Dublin weren’t convinced. Diarmuid Connolly followed up with a point and then Eoghan O’Gara cracked a shot off the bar and across the line although Dean Rock was on hand to ensure it crossed the whitewash. It was the second seven-point win for Dublin this Championship but like the Leinster final win over Meath it was a misleading margin. On paper, the difference between the counties might deceive those who review its attributes in future but it was a blockbuster in every sense.

Stephen Cluxton, who remains the leading All Star contender for goalkeeper, was forced to pick the ball out of his Hill 16 net three times in the first 20 minutes. Jim Gavin was that spooked he called ashore two of his defenders by the start of the second half and yet they were just two behind at the break, 3-5 to 1-9. Against Kildare, Dublin had shown an ability to absorb a shock to the system. Here they were confronted with three and each time they came back.

But what was most impressive was their speed of recovery. After James O’Donoghue tidily finished a dazzling move involving Colm Cooper and Donnchadh Walsh in the seventh minute and then Walsh beat Cluxton after being spotted all alone by Cooper five minutes later, Dublin were trailing by five. In just four minutes, they were a point ahead as they reeled off 1-3 without reply. Shane Enright was all at sea when Paul Mannion rose to direct a Connolly ball past Kealy with a perfectly-timed palmed effort. Cluxton followed that up with a free and then Bernard Brogan, showing a marked return to scoring form, added one from play and a free.

Cooper, thriving at centre-forward, landed a close-range right-footed point to level it in the 18th minute before Walsh, a real nuisance for Jack McCaffrey, was brought down by Cluxton for a penalty. O’Donoghue’s shot was true and good but Dublin were back up and running with scores from substitute Philly McMahon and Cian O’Sullivan. Cooper and O’Donoghue were on the mark once more to push Kerry out to three ahead but Ciarán Kilkenny, who was dutifully shadowed by Fionn Fitzgerald before being replaced in the 43rd minute, was the final scorer of the half.

As if sensing Kerry wanted to make the most of the first half, the period where they had been so potent in previous games, Dublin pushed 13 men behind the ball in the final six minutes of the half. With Denis Bastick on for an out-of-sorts Ger Brennan and O’Sullivan switching to defence, Dublin were more adventurous following the interval as much as Kerry had to make do with a Paul Galvin point when a slight Darran O’Sullivan mistake foiled a goal chance. Galvin’s second score in the 44th minute stretched Kerry’s advantage to four but Dean Rock was the first off the mark in a purple patch that amounted to five Dublin points without reply in as many minutes.

With Kerry struggling on their kick-out, Dublin even managed to squeeze in a goal chance although Kealy was level to Brogan’s shot. Dublin were blessed, though, when Jonny Cooper escaped a second yellow card in the 56th minute when he upended his namesake Colm with a trip. The Kerryman then dusted himself off to convert the free but Rock, who had scored two points in all of his previous four Championship games coming off the bench, stayed true to form on the hour mark.

Kerry, with scores from O’Donoghue and Declan O’Sullivan in the space of a minute, went ahead for a third time with seven minutes left. But with more than a shade of 2011 their lead was a bar of soap. Connolly, even though Cluxton had advanced up some of the field to take it, coolly booted over a free after Andrews had been felled by Jack Sherwood. McManamon then took his cue. As a heartbreaker for Kerry and hero for Dublin, he may be typecast but there are worse pigeon holes.

Scorers for Dublin: B Brogan (0-6, 2fs), D Connolly (0-4, 1f), P Mannion, K McManamon, E O’Gara (1-0 each), D Rock (0-2), MD Macauley, S Cluxton (free), P McMahon, C O’Sullivan, C Kilkenny, P Andrews (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kerry: J O’Donoghue (2-3, 1-0 pen), C Cooper (0-4, 2 fs), D Walsh (1-0), P Galvin (0-2), Declan O’Sullivan, Darran O’Sullivan (0-1 each).

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; K O’Brien, R O’Carroll, J Cooper; J McCarthy, G Brennan, J McCaffrey; MD Macauley, C O’Sullivan; P Flynn, C Kilkenny, D Connolly; P Mannion, P Andrews, J O’Donoghue. Subs for Dublin: P McMahon for K O’Brien (17), D Bastick for G Brennan (ht), D Rock for C Kilkenny (43), E O’Gara for P Mannion (60), K McManamon for B Brogan (65).

KERRY: B Kealey; M Ó Sé, M Griffin, S Enright; T Ó Sé, F Fitzgerald, P Crowley; A Maher, J Buckley; D Walsh, C Copper, P Galvin; Darran O’Sullivan, Declan O’Sullivan, J O’Donoghue. Subs for Kerry: E Brosnan for M Griffin (blood 49-50), D Moran for J Buckley (50), E Brosnan for S Enright (52), K Donaghy for P Galvin (53), A O’Mahony for M Griffin (62).

Red card: A Maher (70+2, second yellow).

Referee: Cormac Reilly (Meath)

Dublin into final after Kerry thriller

Report from the GAA.ie web site

GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final: Dublin 3-18 Kerry 3-11

Dublin will play Mayo in the All-Ireland football final on September 22 after they defeated Kerry in an amazing semi-final on Sunday. Three first-half Kerry goals had stunned Dublin, and the Kingdom lead by two at the break. Dublin came storming back in the third quarter to move into the lead, but Kerry went back in front as the game entered the last five minutes. However, Dublin finished brilliantly, and in a finale incredibly reminiscent of the 2011 All-Ireland football final, Kevin McManamon came off the bench to hit the crucial goal with time almost up.

Kerry had no answer to that score, and as chaos reigned in the closing moments, Anthony Maher was sent off for Kerry. Dean Rock completed the game’s scoring with a goal with the last kick of the game to leave seven in it at the end, and Dublin marched on. It was a finish becoming of a truly remarkable game. Kerry had put up a great challenge to Dublin, and Colm Cooper and James O’Donoghue gave outstanding displays up front for the Kingdom. Cooper pulled the strings throughout, and he set up Kerry’s first two goals with pinpoint passes, while O’Donoghue was electric in front of the posts and finished with 2-3.

However, Dublin’s third quarter display put them into the ascendancy, and although the game was still very much in the balance in the final few minutes, Dublin’s extra energy proved significant. McManamon’s goal came about after he burst onto a break around the middle, but he showed great courage to go for the jugular and have an effort at goal, when it would have been much easier to take a point. The score at the end of the first-half was Kerry 3-5 Dublin 1-9. It was an incredible opening 35 minutes of football, and it’s hard to know where to begin in terms of summarising.

Dublin took an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead, but Cooper’s brilliance soon cut Dublin open. The first Kerry goal stunned Dublin, and Cooper created it. He sold a dummy, and played a clever pass inside to Donnchadh Walsh. Walsh flicked to O’Donoghue, whose low finish to the net past Cluxton was sublime. That made it 1-1 to 0-3, and it wasn’t long before Kerry had their second goal. Again, Cooper was at its heart. Kerry worked the ball across the field with a few clever passes, and Cooper eventually had the vision to pick out Walsh, who was free inside.

Walsh showed great composure to slip the ball under Cluxton, and Kerry lead 2-2 to 0-3 with 13 minutes played. However, the drama continued as Dublin found the net themselves just seconds after Walsh’s strike. A long ball inside from Diarmuid Connolly was flicked to the net by Paul Mannion, and when that score was followed by points from Cluxton (free) and Bernard Brogan, the sides were level.

Incredibly, Kerry found the net for a third time a few minutes later. O’Donoghue’s effort hit the post and fell to Walsh, who was clearly fouled close to goal by Cluxton. O’Donoghue, who was electric in the first half, sent the Parnells man the wrong way with the kick, and it was 3-4 to 1-8. The frenetic pace finally dipped in the closing stages of the half, and O’Donoghoe and Ciarán Kilkenny traded scores to leave it at 3-5 to 1-9 at the break. Kerry started the second half well, with Paul Galvin’s point putting them three ahead, but Dublin emerged one point ahead, 1-15 to 3-8, at the of a third quarter in which their pace and power overcame Kerry.

Points from Brogan (2), Dean Rock and Paddy Andrews had Dublin a point clear, but just when it looked as though Kerry were fading out of the game, they regained the lead through points from Cooper (free) and Darran O’Sullivan. Dublin levelled when Connolly nervelessly stroked over a free from a tight angle, and then, McManamon’s entrance reminded everyone of his cameo in September 2011, when he burst through the middle to find the net and change the course of the game.

Following Connolly’s free the sides were level, and a Cluxton kick-out looked like it would reach Kerry hands. However, the ball broke to McManamon around the middle, and he found himself with a clean run on goal as Kerry had a huge amount of players pushed up the field. McManamon raced in on goals and despite having options to his right and left, he went for goal himself. Whether his shot was definitely aimed at the net, or if it was a miscued effort at a dinked point, it sailed over Brendan Kealy’s head, dipped under the bar and into the right hand top corner.

Kerry had no answer. Connolly’s point and Rock’s goal gave Dublin a seven-point win. The margin was not reflective of an epic, highly competitive game of football but it did say plenty about Dublin’s immense fitness and energy, and their ability to provide a compelling challenge for the full 70 plus minutes.

***

Scorers for Dublin: B Brogan 0-6 (2f), D Rock 1-2, D Connolly 0-4 (1f), K McManamon 1-0, P Mannion 1-0, MD Macauley 0-1, S Cluxton 0-1 (1f), P McMahon 0-1, C O’Sullivan 0-1, C Kilkenny 0-1, P Andrews 0-1

Scorers for Kerry: J O’Donoghue 2-3 (1 pen), C Cooper 0-4 (2f), D Walsh 1-0, P Galvin 0-2, Declan O’Sullivan 0-1, Darran O’Sullivan 0-1

Kerry: B Kealy; M Ó Sé, M Griffin, S Enright; T Ó Sé, P Crowley, F Fitzgerald; A Maher, J Buckley; P Galvin, C Cooper, D Walsh; Darran O’Sullivan, Declan O’Sullivan, J O’Donoghue. Subs: E Brosnan for M Griffin (Temporary, 49-51), D Moran for J Buckley (50), E Brosnan for S Enright (52), K Donaghy for P Galvin (53), A O’Mahony for M Griffin (62), J Sherwood for P Crowley (66).

Dublin: S Cluxton; K O’Brien, R O’Carroll, J Cooper; J McCarthy, G Brennan, J McCaffrey; MD Macauley, C O’Sullivan; P Flynn, C Kilkenny, D Connolly; P Mannion, P Andrews, B Brogan. Subs: P McMahon for K O’Brien (18), D Bastick for G Brennan (HT), D Rock for C Kilkenny (43), E O’Gara for P Mannion (60), K McManamon for B Brogan (65)

Attendance: 81,553

Referee: Cormac Reilly (Meath)

Fixture Details

01.09.2013 (Sun)

GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Semi Final

Páirc an Chrócaigh 15:30

Áth Cliath v Ciarraí

Referee: Cormac Reilly (An Mhí)

Match Coverage

This game will be shown live on RTE

Team News

DUBLIN (SF V Kerry) – Stephen Cluxton (Parnell’s); Kevin O’Brien Naomh (Mearnóg), Rory O’Carroll (Kilmacud Crokes), Jonny Cooper (Na Fianna); James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams), Ger Brennan (St Vincent’s), Jack McCaffrey (Clontarf); Michael Darragh Macauley (Ballyboden St Enda’s), Cian O’Sullivan (Kilmacud Crokes); Paul Flynn (Fingallians), Ciarán Kilkenny (Castleknock), Diarmuid Connolly (St Vincent’s); Paul Mannion (Kilmacud Crokes), Paddy Andrews (St Brigid’s), Bernard Brogan (St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh)

Kerry Team Vs Dublin GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final

The Kerry Senior Football Team to play Dublin in the GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Semi Final in Croke Park on Sunday shows three changes from the side that started the Quarter Final against Cavan. Mark Griffin comes into the defence for the injured Killian Young, Anthony Maher, a late withdrawal in the Quarter final, returns in place of David Moran at midfield and James O’Donoghue returns to the full forward line after injury in place of Kieran Donaghy. Both Bryan Sheehan and Aidan O’Mahony, who had been on the injured list, are named among the substitutes.

The team will lineout as follows:

1. Brendan Kealy Kilcummin

2. Marc Ó Sé An Ghaeltacht

3. Mark Griffin St Michaels/Foilmore

4. Shane Enright Tarbert

5. Tomás Ó Sé An Ghaeltacht

6. Peter Crowley Laune Rangers

7. Fionn Fitzgerald Dr Crokes

8. Anthony Maher Duagh

9. Johnny Buckley Dr Crokes

10. Paul Galvin Finuge

11. Colm Cooper Dr Crokes (Capt)

12. Donnchadh Walsh Cromane

13. Darran O’Sullivan Glenbeigh/Glencar

14. Declan O’Sullivan Dromid Pearses

15. James O’Donoghue Killarney Legion

Subs:

16. Brian Kelly Killarney Legion

17. Kieran Donaghy Austin Stacks

18. David Moran Kerins O’Rahillys

19. Eoin Brosnan Dr Crokes

20. Kieran O’Leary Dr Crokes

21. Jack Sherwood Firies

22. Bryan Sheehan St Marys

23. Patrick Curtin Moyvane

24. Aidan O’Mahony Rathmore

25. Michael Geaney Dingle

26. Paul Geaney Dingle

Panel members also travelling:

27. Brian McGuire Listowel Emmets

28. Jonathan Lyne Killarney Legion

29. James Walsh Knocknagoshel

30. Michael O’Donoghue Spa

The following players are unavailable for Selection due to injury:

Killian Young Renard

Additional Players not in the match day squad:

Stephen O’Brien Kenmare

Pa Kilkenny Glenbeigh/Glencar

Conor Cox Listowel Emmets

Additional Information

• Mark Griffin from the St Michaels Foilmore Club in South Kerry made his Championship debut against Cork in the Munster Final having made his full AFL debut in the game vs Cork earlier in the year. The 22 year old won a Hogan Cup Medal with Colaiste na Sceilge in 2009 when Jack O’Connor managed the side and the same year he won a Munster Minor medal with Kerry and also an All Ireland Intermediate Club title with his Club (came on as a sub in the semi final). He was a member of the Under 21 team for the past 2 years (2011 & 2012).

• The team features 10 of the side that took the field in Kerry’s defeat by Donegal in the All Ireland Qtr Final tie last August while Johnny Buckley and Darran O’Sullivan were introduced as subs. Aidan O’Mahony, Eoin Brosnan, Kieran Donaghy and Bryan Sheehan, who are named among the substitutes, and the injured Killian Young, are the absent five.

• 8 of the side that started in the 2011 All Ireland Final against Dublin survive, Brendan Kealy, Marc Ó Sé, Tomas Ó Sé, Anthony Maher, Darran and Declan O’Sullivan, Donnchadh Walsh and Colm Cooper. Paul Galvin was introduced as a substitute on that day.

• The evergreen Tomás Ó Sé, in his 16th Championship season, will make his 88th Championship appearance in the Green and Gold. He has scored 3 – 35 in Championship games.

• Fionn Fitzgerald of the Dr Crokes Club in Killarney made his Championship debut against Tipperary earlier this year having made his full Allianz Football League debut against Down in Tralee in March. He played against Waterford in the Munster Semi final and was introduced as a sub against Cork in the Munster Final. Fionn, a Munster Minor medallist in 2008, has 3 County Senior Championship medals, and 2 Munster Club medals to his credit and is a nephew of former Kerry Goalkeeper, Eamonn Fitzgerald who won 2 NFL medals with Kerry in 1972 and 1973.

FAMOUS RIVALRY TO PACK CROKE PARK

With Mayo through to the GAA football All-Ireland senior final, the battle to join them will pack Croke Park next Sunday when Dublin take on Kerry (3.30) in the second semi-final. It will be preceded by the Roscommon v Tyrone minor semi-final (1.30). Dublin and Kerry last met in the championship in the 2011 All-Ireland final when Dublin won by a point. Both are unbeaten in this year’s championship. Dublin are bidding to complete a League-Championship double, having won the Division 1 League title in April.

PATHS TO THE SEMI-FINAL

DUBLIN

Dublin 1-22 Westmeath 0-9

Dublin 4-16 Kildare 1-9

Dublin 2-15 Meath 0-14

Dublin 1-16 Cork 0-14

Average For: 2-18; Average Against: 0-13

Scorers

Bernard Brogan……….1-10

Stephen Cluxton……….0-13

Paul Mannion…………..2-6

Ciaran Kilkenny……….0-10

Paul Flynn………………..1-6

Dean Rock…………………0-8

Paddy Andrews…………1-4

Diarmuid Connolly…….1-4

Eoghan O’Gara…………1-2

Jack McCaffrey…………1-1

Cian O’Sullivan………….0-1

Ger Brennan……………..0-1

Kevin McManamon…….0-1

Denis Bastick……………….0-1

MD Macauley………………0-1

KERRY

Kerry 2-19 Tipperary 0-8

Kerry 4-21 Waterford 1-4

Kerry 1-16 Cork 0-17

Kerry 0-15 Cavan 0-9

Average For: 2-17; Average Against: 0-11

Scorers

Colm Cooper……………1-19

James O’Donoghue……1-8

Johnny Buckley………….0-11

Declan O’Sullivan……….1-4

Paul Galvin………………..0-5

Darren O’Sullivan……..1-2

Anthony Maher…………1-2

Bryan Sheehan………….1-2

Kieran Donaghy……….1-2

Donnchadh Walsh…….0-5

Tomas O Se………………0-3

Marc O Se………………..0-2

Fionn Fitzgerald………0-2

Peter Crowley…………0-2

Kieran O’Leary……….0-1

Brendan Kealy………..0-1

DUBLIN v KERRY: PREVIOUS CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

Dublin and Kerry have clashed 26 times in the All-Ireland championship with Kerry winning 17 to Dublin’s seven while there have been two draws. Dublin’s win over Kerry in the 2011 All-Ireland final was their first championship success over the Kingdom since the 1977 semi-final. In the interim, Kerry had beaten Dublin eight times and drawn once.

2011: Dublin 1-12 Kerry 1-11 (All-Ireland final)

2009: Kerry 1-24 Dublin 1-7 (All-Ireland quarter-final)

2007: Kerry 1-15 Dublin 0-16 (All-Ireland semi-final)

2004: Kerry 1-15 Dublin 1-8 (All-Ireland quarter-final)

2001: Kerry 2-12 Dublin 1-12 (All-Ireland quarter-final replay)

2001: Kerry 1-14 Dublin 2-11 (All-Ireland quarter-final)

1985: Kerry 2-12 Dublin 2-8 (All-Ireland final)

1984: Kerry 0-14 Dublin 1-6 (All-Ireland final)

1979: Kerry 3-13 Dublin 1-8 (All-Ireland final)

1978: Kerry 5-11 Dublin 0-9 (All-Ireland final)

1977: Dublin 3-12 Kerry 1-13 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1976: Dublin 3-8 Kerry 0-10 (All-Ireland final)

1975: Kerry 2-12 Dublin 0-11 (All-Ireland final)

1965: Kerry 4-8 Dublin 2-6 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1962: Kerry 2-12 Dublin 0-10 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1959: Kerry 1-10 Dublin 2-5 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1955: Kerry 0-12 Dublin 1-6 (All-Ireland final)

1941: Kerry 2-9 Dublin 0-3 (All-Ireland semi-final replay)

1941: Kerry 0-4 Dublin 0-4 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1934: Dublin 3-8 Kerry 0-6 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1932: Kerry 1-3 Dublin 1-1 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1924: Kerry 0-4 Dublin 0-3 (All-Ireland final)

1923: Dublin 1-5 Kerry 1-3 (All-Ireland final)

1908: Dublin 0-10 Kerry 0-3 (All-Ireland final)

1904: Kerry 0-5 Dublin 0-2 (All-Ireland final)

1892 Dublin 1-4 Kerry 0-3 (All-Ireland final)

Played 23: Kerry 17, Dublin 7, Draws 2.

Last Five All-Ireland semi-finals

2012: Mayo 0-19 Dublin 0-16

2011: Dublin 0-8 Donegal 0-6

2010: Cork 1-15 Dublin 1-14

2007: Kerry 1-15 Dublin 0-16

2006: Mayo 1-16 Dublin 2-12

Won 1, Lost 4

****

2011: Kerry 1-20 Mayo 1-11

2009: Kerry 2-8 Meath 1-7

2008: Kerry 3-14 Cork 2-13 (Replay)

2008: Kerry 1-13 Cork 3-7 (Draw)

2007: Kerry 1-15 Dublin 0-16

Won 4, Drew 1.

Last Championship Clash

Dublin 1-12 Kerry 1-11 (2011 All-Ireland final)

Kerry led by four points after 63 minutes but a goal by sub, Kevin McManamon ignited Dublin. Stephen Cluxton kicked the winning point from a late free.

Dublin: Stephen Cluxton (0-2); Cian O’Sullivan, Rory O’Carroll, Michael Fitzsimons; James McCarthy, Ger Brennan, Kevin Nolan (0-1); Denis Bastick (0-1), Michael Darragh Macauley; Paul Flynn, Barry Cahill, Bryan Cullen; Alan Brogan (0-2), Diarmuid Connolly, Bernard Brogan (0-6).

Subs: Philip McMahon for McCarthy; Kevin McManamon (1-0) for Flynn; Eoghan O’Gara for Cahill; Eamonn Fennell for Bastick.

Kerry: Brendan Kealy; Marc O Se, Tom O’Sullivan, Killian Young; Tomas O Se, Aidan O’Mahony, Eoin Brosnan; Anthony Maher, Bryan Sheehan (0-4); Donnchadh Walsh, Darran O’Sullivan, Kieran Donaghy (0-2); Colm Cooper (1-3), Declan O’Sullivan (0-1), Kieran O’Leary.

Subs: Paul Galvin (0-1) for O’Leary; Barry John Keane for Walsh; Daniel Bohan for Brosnan.

Last Competitive Clash

Dublin 1-11 Kerry 0-4 (Allianz FL, 10 February 2013, Killarney)

It was all one-way traffic as Dublin, who led by 0-8 to 0-2 at half-time, powered to the easiest of wins.

Dublin: S Cluxton; J Cooper, R O’Carroll, K O’Brien; J McCaffrey, G Brennan, D Daly; MD Macauley, C O’Sullivan; P Flynn, T Brady, C Reddin; P Andrews (0-3), D Connolly, B Brogan (0-7).

Subs: P Ryan (0-1) for Connolly; C Dias (1-0) for Reddin; D Nelson for Daly; D O’Mahony for Ryan; P Quinn for Flynn.

Kerry: B Kealy; M O Se, A O’Mahony, K Young; T O Se (0-1), P Crowley, J Lyne; A Maher, J Walsh; M Geaney, Darran O’Sullivan, M O’Donoghue (0-01); J O’Donoghue (0-1), P Curtin (0-1), BJ Keane.

Subs: K Donaghy for Walsh; Declan O’Sullivan for Keane; B Sheehan for Geaney; BJ Walsh for O’Donoghue; C Cox for Curtin.

Patron Match Day Information

The GAA and An Garda Síochána would like to inform patrons attending Sunday’s GAA Football All-Ireland semi-finals at Croke Park that Jones Road will only be open to patrons holding tickets for the Premium Level, Hogan Stand and Nally Terrace.

This means that the Hogan Stand entrance or the Croke Park hotel cannot be used as a meeting point for ticket exchange and collection etc by patrons holding tickets for other areas of the stadium.

Supporters are also advised to arrive one hour before the senior semi-final (minor-throw in 1.30; senior throw-in 3.30) to ensure that the expected capacity attendance is in situ before the start of the game.

Supporters are also reminded that this fixture has been sold out and no tickets will be on general sale on the day.