SUNDAY 30 JULY
All-Ireland SFC final
Dublin v Kerry, Croke Park, 3.30pm
ONLINE
Live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app. Highlights also available later on the day.
RADIO
Live commentary worldwide on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport and Ráidió na Gaeltachta's Spórt an Lae.
TV
Live coverage on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 2.30pm. Also live on BBC2, from 3pm. Worldwide coverage on GAAGO.
Live in Irish, for the first time with full presentation on site, on the RTÉ News Channel (Saorview 21, Virgin Media 200, Sky 200, Eir 517) and RTÉ Player.
Highlights on The Sunday Game on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 9.30pm.
For the first time since the early 1990s, viewers across the UK will be able to to watch an All-Ireland decider free-to-air. BBC and then Channel 4 broadcast the games, with the latter then making the decision to discontinue the coverage.
Above is the listing for the 1981 Kerry v Offaly decider. One would assume that The Golden Goose wasn't shown and that the darts may have started later if the Beeb intended to show the game in its entirety.
WEATHER
A cloudy but dry start for most areas, although a few showers will continue, mainly in Ulster. By midday, more persistent outbreaks of rain will then begin pushing in from the west, gradually extending across the country through the afternoon and evening. Maximum temperatures of 16 to 20 degrees in mainly moderate west to southwest winds. For more go to met.ie.
Familar pairing - last year's semi-final looms large
Here we go again: the footballing heavyweights with 68 All-Irelands between them are the last pair standing in the race for Sam. So much then for those who dreamed of all-Connacht affair when Galway and Mayo had a bit of a strut about them in the month of May.
With Ulster counties well represented when we got to the knockout stage, we thought one representative from the most competitive province might end up gracing the final. Monaghan and Derry did their best to try and fill the slot a fortnight ago but we are left with Dublin and Kerry again.
The sequence of meeting in finals every four years since 2011 continues. The Dubs have come out victorious in the three games contested in that time. The 2019 final went to a replay. Eoin Murchan's goal just after half time characterised the Dubs at their peak, the spring they needed to power on to what was then a first five-in-a-row, something the Kerry team under Mick O'Dwyer could not achieve. The bragging was then a little louder.
Lee Keegan: Dublin's greater range of weapons gives them a narrow edge
The Kingdom, while producing great minor teams as David Clifford was starting to show his undoubted ability, were still a little bit behind Dublin at senior level. In the Covid year of 2020, Cork exposed Kerry's frailties in putting the game to bed in those final seconds of a Munster semi-final. A year later, Peter Keane's men had enough chances to put away Tyrone in a delayed All-Ireland semi, but couldn't convert. The Red Hand were calling the tune at the business end; David Clifford going off late on heightened the frustration.
And then Jack O'Connor came back for a third stint at the helm. He looked north for a bit of help. Paddy Tally came aboard to make Kerry a tougher nut to crack. In the year of 2022, the Kingdom won all the competitions they entered. And for the first time since 2009, they beat Dublin in a championship game.
A sunlit sky overheard was a perfect backdrop for an All-Ireland semi-final. Kerry bossed things in the opening half but Dublin, inspired by James McCarthy's marauding runs forward, found a renewed energy in the second period.
Extra-time was beckoning, that is until Seanie O'Shea's free from well outside the 45-metre line went over with plenty to spare. A few Dublin players tried to shift the posts as O'Shea's kick went into orbit, all in vain, however. Kerry got the win they craved.
In his preview of the final on these pages, Paul Flynn stated that that win some 55 weeks ago "comes with a caveat, there's a bit of an asterisk beside it because it was a watered-down version of Dublin". There were no Stephen Cluxton, Jack McCaffrey and Paul Mannion on the pitch. That trio are now back involved, though McCaffrey has been named on the bench on Sunday.
"Multiple aspects where Stephen adds value" - @tomasquinn on the benefit of Stephen Cluxton returning to the Dublin set-up #rtegaa #rtegaapodcast #football pic.twitter.com/n5DFnYrFFk
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) July 27, 2023
An opportunity then for the Kingdom to banish any doubts, to beat the best of what Dublin has to offer.
As for Dessie Farrell and co, well there was that 2020 All-Ireland success, played out at an eerie Croke Park. The fumes of the Jim Gavin era were still in the air. Back-to-back semi-final losses followed. Much has been said about Dublin getting the band back together for a final push, with three members of the side seeking a record-breaking ninth All-Ireland success, but there is the incentive there to knock Kerry off its perch, to reclaim that spot on the summit.
And so we are set for what should be an entertaining final and seeing how the Dubs counter the threat of the Clifford brothers and Seanie O'Shea. How will Kerry deal with best six forwards they'll face this year? Derry got some joy in running at the Kingdom a fortnight ago. Farrell and co will have taken note.
Edging towards the Kingdom
In terms of calling it, if it's tight coming down the stretch, Dublin's bench is stronger. In midfield, if Brian Fenton can get the better of Jack Barry and if David Clifford is somewhat marshalled, then the Dubs' three-year wait for a title could be at an end.
Dublin will not lack for spirit but they do they have the flesh to see out this assignment. Are they a better side than last year even with the return of key players? Their best performance of the year came in the second half against Mayo, but the westerners were a somewhat creaky unit by that stage.
There was more to like about how Kerry devoured Tyrone and then withstood a stern challenge from Derry. In their pomp, Kerry do have a bit more about them. If things really click for them, they could win with a bit to spare.
Perhaps a bold prediction, given that some of the senior members of Dublin's band are still well tuned.
Teams
Again, no start for Ciarán Kilkenny on the Dublin side, as Dessie Farrell keeps faith with the XV that beat Monaghan in the semi-finals. Ross McGarry replaces Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne on the bench in the only change to the panel. Sean Bugler is named in the 26 despite some concern over a calf injury that kept him out of the semi-final.
Kerry make one change from the victory over Derry, with Stephen O'Brien coming into the half-forward line in place of Adrian Spillane Spillane. O'Brien proved sprightly when introduced against the Ulster champions and kicked the point that put his side ahead and en route for victory.
Former Kerry forward Darran O'Sullivan would prefer if O'Brien again came off the bench. He told RTÉ Radio's The Championship: "I was surprised by the change. I just thought, in terms of what we had on the bench, Stephen was best equipped to come on and make an impact.
"Tony Brosnan being ruled out is a big blow. You’d have a few worries about the strength in depth of the bench.
"For me, Stevo coming in signals Kerry’s intent to start on the front foot and with a high intensity. He is going to get stuck in.
"When I heard it first I thought, 'brilliant, that means they’re meaning push up on kickouts and try and force [Stephen] Cluxton to go long’, because Stevo adds that bit of tenacity around the middle.
"He’s good on the breaks, is hungry and works hard. I’m hoping it’s a sign of positivity on the Kerry front."
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Brosnan's absence for the decider was confirmed this week with the forward ruled out due to a recurrence of a respiratory condition.
Killian Spillane, who has been sidelined by an ankle injury, replaces the Dr Crokes clubman in the Kerry matchday panel of 26.
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Eoin Murchan, Michael Fitzsimons, David Byrne; James McCarthy, John Small, Lee Gannon; Brian Fenton, Brian Howard; Paddy Small, Paul Mannion, Niall Scully; Cormac Costello, Con O'Callaghan, Colm Basquel.
Subs: Evan Comerford, Sean Bugler, Ciaran Kilkenny, Tom Lahiff, Sean MacMahon, Jack McCaffrey, Ross McGarry, Cian Murphy, Daire Newcombe, Lorcan O'Dell, Dean Rock.
Kerry: Shane Ryan; Graham O'Sullivan, Jason Foley, Tom O'Sullivan; Paul Murphy, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White; Diarmuid O'Connor, Jack Barry; Dara Moynihan, Seán O'Shea, Stephen O'Brien; Paudie Clifford, David Clifford, Paul Geaney.
Subs: Shane Murphy (GK), Adrian Spillane, Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Mike Breen, Barry Dan O'Sullivan, Ruairí Murphy, Micheál Burns, Killian Spillane, Dylan Casey, Donal O'Sullivan, Ronan Buckley.
Stat check
The four midfielders in this year's decider come from two clubs - Raheny and Na Gaeil
This will be the 33rd championship meeting between the counties since they first met in 1892. Kerry have won 18 times to Dublin's 11 while there were three draws. Kerry’s win in last year’s semi-final was their first since 2009. Dublin beat them five times and one game was drawn between 2011 and 2019.
They have met in 16 All-Ireland finals with wins 8-7 in Kerry's favour and one draw.
Jack O'Connor leads Kerry into the All-Ireland final for the seventh time in what is his third term, having presided over wins in 2004 (Mayo), 2006 (Mayo), 2009 (Cork), 2022 (Galway) and defeats in 2005 (Tyrone) and 2011 (Dublin).
