The details for the draw of Round 1 of the 2026 GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship have been officially announced. This event is set to take place on Monday, May 4th, and will be available for live viewing.
Details of the All-Ireland SFC Round One Draw
The draw will start at 1:00 PM as part of “The View” on GAA+. Fans can watch the live broadcast free of charge on the GAA+ YouTube channel and through various official GAA social media platforms.
Key Participants in the Draw
Round 1 will feature eight provincial finalists who will face off against the eight highest-ranked teams from the National Football League standings. However, there is a notable exception for Kildare. As the 2025 Tailteann Cup champions, Kildare will enter the draw unless they advance to the Leinster Provincial Final. In that case, they will replace the lowest-ranked team from the League.
Draw Structure
The teams involved in the draw are categorized into two bowls:
- Bowl 1: Galway, Roscommon, Dublin, Westmeath, Cork, Kerry, Armagh, Monaghan
- Bowl 2: Donegal, Mayo, Meath, Louth, Derry, Tyrone, Cavan, Kildare
This will be an open draw with a total of eight fixtures scheduled for Round 1. Each provincial finalist will have the advantage of playing at home during their respective matches.
Match Schedule
The upcoming match dates are as follows:
- May 23–24: Games for Munster and Connacht provincial finalists
- May 30–31: Games for Ulster and Leinster provincial finalists
Fans eager to follow the draw and subsequent matches should mark these dates in their calendars. Stay tuned for more updates on the All-Ireland SFC Round One proceedings.
