All-Ireland SFC Round 3 fixture details confirmed as Kerry prepare for Armagh sell-out

Initially, the game was being considered for a Sunday billing, which may have seen it screened on RTÉ, but it is believed Armagh were not keen on the 1.15pm start in Killarney.

Instead, that slot will be filled by the Dublin-Donegal fixture, which will be staged in Croke Park and televised by the national broadcasters. Dublin manager Ger Brennan had looked for the game to be played in Parnell Park, which would have been the county’s first SFC game there in 22 years. However, an agreement was made to stage the game in GAA HQ where a crowd far exceeding Parnell Park’s 8,500 capacity is anticipated and there was a belief in the capital that no supporters should be discommoded.

The lunchtime throw-in is the only one available on Sunday due to RTÉ’s World Cup coverage and their live screening of the Cork-Offaly All-Ireland SHC quarter-final in Thurles.

Over 32,000 people attended the Kerry-Cork provincial decider in Killarney and a similar figure could be recorded for the visit of Armagh given their strong support. In 2019, 31,312 were in Fitzgerald Stadium when Kerry met Mayo in their opening Super 8 game.

Mayo meet Meath in Castlebar on Saturday evening (6.15pm), a game that will also be streamed live by GAA+ as will the meeting of Monaghan and Westmeath in Clones the following day (4pm).

The Tailteann Cup semi-finals have been moved to Saturday for the first time but both the Down-Fermanagh and Offaly-Wicklow games will be televised on RTÉ channels.

Explaining the decision, GAA president Jarlath Burns said there was a determination to give the hurling quarter-finals greater prominence and so the second tier football games were switched to the previous day.

Burns joked that he had not done his native Armagh any favours with the draw – “just in case anybody thought this was a fix."

On the same theme, he continued: "The general feeling in Armagh this morning will be, 'Burns, you had one job'. I cannot believe that, nobody wants to go down and play away to Kerry, though I will say in the National League, Armagh love to be away to Kerry because a lot of people book a weekend away.”

SATURDAY

All-Ireland SFC, Round 3

Kerry v Armagh, Fitzgerald Stadium, 4pm (D. Coldrick, Meath) Live GAA+.

Mayo v Meath, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, 6.15pm (P. Faloon, Down) Live GAA+.

All-Ireland SHC quarter-final

Dublin v Clare, FBD Semple Stadium, 7pm (J. Owens, Wexford) Live RTÉ.

Tailteann Cup semi-finals

Down v Fermanagh, Croke Park, 3pm (F. Kelly, Longford) Live RTÉ.

Offaly v Wicklow, Croke Park, 5pm (S. Lonergan, Tipperary) Live RTÉ News.

SUNDAY

All-Ireland SFC, Round 3

Dublin v Donegal, Croke Park, 1.15pm (M. McNally, Monaghan) Live RTÉ.

Monaghan v Westmeath, St Tiernach’s Park, 4pm (N. Mooney, Cavan) Live GAA+.

All-Ireland SHC quarter-final

Cork v Offaly, FBD Semple Stadium, 3.30pm (S. Stack, Dublin) Live RTÉ.

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