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Kerry to face Donegal in blockbuster All-Ireland Football Championship Round 1 tie

Ryan McHugh of Donegal, left, shakes hands with David Clifford after 2026 Division 1 final
The finalists of the most recent All-Ireland and league finals will meet again later this month

Kerry will face Donegal in the first round of the All-Ireland Football Championship in a rematch of last year's final and the 2026 Allianz League decider.

In the first edition of the new format for the Sam Maguire, the Kingdom will take on Jim McGuinness' side as part of eight ties drawn.

There will be another meeting of Dublin and Louth following their Leinster SFC semi-final clash at the weekend.

Mayo, still reeling from a heavy defeat to Roscommon, must travel to Monaghan to take on the Ulster finalists.

There will be an all-Ulster clash of Armagh and Derry, while Cork and Meath will renew rivalries.

Westmeath will meet Cavan, Galway take on Kildare, and Roscommon host Tyrone.

All provincial finalists will have home advantage. The Munster and Connacht finalists will be played on the weekend of 23/24 May. The Leinster and Ulster finalists will be in action on the weekend of 30/31 May.

The eight winners of the Round 1 ties will be drawn against each other in Round 2A. The four winners from this stage progress to the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals.

The eight losers of the first round ties will be drawn against each other in Round 2B. The four losers at this stage will exit the championship.

The four losers of the Round 2A ties will be drawn against the four winners of the Round 2B ties. The four winners at this stage will advance to the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals, where they will be drawn against the four winners from Round 2A.

The provincial finals, which have no impact on the All-Ireland series, take place in the next two weekends before the race for Sam begins.

ALL-IRELAND SFC ROUND 1 DRAW
(Weekend of 23/24 May)

Kerry v Donegal
Cork v Meath
Galway v Kildare
Roscommon v Tyrone

(Weekend of 30/31 May)
Dublin v Louth
Monaghan v Mayo
Westmeath v Cavan
Armagh v Derry


Watch Kerry v Cork in the Munster Football final (1.45pm) and Roscommon v Galway in the Connacht Football final (4.15pm) on Sunday from 1.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1

Watch The Saturday Game and The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on the RTÉ News app and on rte.ie/sport

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