SUNDAY 1 SEPTEMBER
All-Ireland SFC final
Dublin v Kerry, Croke Park, 3.30pm
All-Ireland MFC final
Cork v Galway, Croke Park, 1pm
Online
Live blog on RTÉ.ie and on the RTÉ News Now app from 11.30am.
Radio
Live commentary of the senior final on Sunday Sport, RTÉ Radio 1 from Daragh Maloney and John Casey. Analysis from Aidan O'Rourke, Colm Cooper and Bernard Flynn. Minor final commentary from Brian Carthy and Eamonn O'Hara on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra from 1pm.
Both finals also live on Spórt an Lae, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.
TV
The Dressing Room - On the morning of the All-Ireland football final join Jacqui Hurley and Darren Frehill at 11am for The Dressing Room live on RTÉ Player, RTÉ International Player and RTÉ News Now, a unique preview programme ahead of the big match.
Don't miss #thedressingroom this All-Ireland final morning at 11am on @RTEplayer, @RTENewsNow and @rtesport website. @jacquihurley and @Darrenfrehill will be joined in the @crokeparkhotel by @whelo35, @bernardflynn15, @DeniseMasterso6, @colmcooper13 and special guests #rtegaa pic.twitter.com/SfxXrAH0f9
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) August 28, 2019
Jacqui and Darren will be joined by panellists Ciaran Whelan, Colm Cooper, Bernard Flynn and Denise Masterson along with special guests who will share their insight, opinions and expertise as the throw in gets nail-bitingly close.
The Sunday Game Live from 2.15pm on RTÉ 2, presented by Joanne Cantwell, will have commentary from Ger Canning and Kevin McStay and analysis from Ciarán Whelan, Joe Brolly and Pat Spillane.
Live coverage also on Sky Sports Arena from 2.30pm and on GAAGO. Due to the TV rights contract, viewers in Great Britain must watch the All Ireland final via Sky Sports and the SkyGo app.
For more on how to watch the All-Ireland worldwide, click HERE.
Highlights of both senior and minor finals, including the Football Team of the Year announcement, on The Sunday Game, RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 9.30pm.
Joining Des Cahill on the panel will be Colm O'Rourke, Seán Cavanagh, Tomás Ó Sé, Ger Brennan, Eoin Liston and Michael Murphy. Joanne Cantwell will be live from the winner's hotel.
WEATHER
Sunday will be a fresh and cool day with sunny spells and scattered showers. Some of the showers will be heavy, especially in the northwest. Highest temperatures just 14 to 17 degrees with moderate to fresh west to northwest winds. For more, go to met.ie.
Dubs gear up for unprecedented Five-in-a-row, reports @MartyM_RTE #rtegaa #DUBvKER #AllIrelandfinal pic.twitter.com/YhPu8Hlxab
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) August 29, 2019
Kerry eye the sweet smell of perhaps their greatest success
Dare we mention the number five. A historic moments beckons on Sunday afternoon if Dublin can achieve what has never been done before in the men's championship race. Wexford and Kerry have failed in times past in the pursuit of the quintet. Those in the Kingdom don't need reminding of that soggy Sunday afternoon in 1982.
In the words of the late Michael O'Hehir, Offaly full-back Liam Connor played in "a high, lobbing, dropping ball" to Seamus Darby. A slight push in the back and a few jigs from Seamus Darby in between the ball finding the corner of the net would crush Kerry dreams.
Back then, the Faithful were perhaps at their peak under the watchful eye of the late Eugene McGee.
Peter Keane's Kerry, while not doubting the potential in their side, are still very much in the development phase as they continue to reap the dividends from a run of underage success in recent years. And while some may take issue with that assertion, with Jim Gavin telling RTÉ Sport this week that Kerry are not a team who are in development, but rather a side "who are accomplished and polished".
Fans in the Kingdom, while always confident that their side will be competitive on final day, know that a bit more of a shine is needed if they are to inflict Dublin's first championship defeat in five years. .
Mick O'Dwyer's 1975 team, brimming with youth and abandon, were too slick for Heffo's charges back then. The state of play and the lie of the land is much different now. Victory for the Green and Gold on the biggest day of the year in 2019 would take some capping. A case of glory well before its time.
Quite simply, the Kingdom don't want the Dubs to create their own bit of history, similar to Man United fans not wanting Liverpool to win the Premier League. How much of that can help the Green and Gold in their quest only time will tell?
Awesome Dubs have that settled luck
In a world where often the slightest hint of wonder elicits a flood of gushing, the appreciation you would have to say was genuine for Dublin's blitz of 2-06 that floored Mayo in the space of seven minutes three weeks ago.
Yes, we know that Dublin are capable of putting teams to the sword, but the Green and Red were well and truly dissected in that frenzy of scores in the semi-final.
There is a tendency for this Dublin team to be a bit slow out of the blocks and in truth Mayo should have been further ahead at half-time. Kerry, with more attacking options, will have to make it count on the scoreboard if they have the upper hand for any period of time.
But could this be the day that Jim Gavin's side unleash their fury right from the off and go at a Kerry defence who, despite the presence of the impressive Tom O'Sullivan, will find it hard to curb the likes of Con O'Callaghan and Paul Mannion. Indeed, the Kingdom rearguard was creaking somewhat in the opening half against Tyrone.
If Kerry start Tommy Walsh or throw him in if the game is to be won going down the stretch, will he have the same impact he had in the semi-final. Dublin, you suspect, will have prepared for his inclusion, no doubt hoping to nullify his presence similar to the way Kieran Donaghy was snuffed out in 2015.
Jim Gavin's side, in contrast to recent seasons, now have a settled look to their starting XV. Most questions would seem to surround who makes the squad of 26? As for the starting XV, has Cian O'Sullivan done enough to force his way back in?
Some stats
It's the 30th championship meeting between the sides - Kerry have won 17 to Dublin's 10, with two draws.
The Dubs have prevailed in the last four championship encounters (2011, 13, 15 & 16). Prior to that, the Kingdom won nine and draw one of the ten meetings between 1975 and 2009.
Dublin's last defeat in an All-Ireland final was against Down in 1994.
The 1979 final between the pair was brought forward a week because of the visit of Pope John Paul II.
Between them, Dublin and Kerry hold 65 All-Ireland titles
2019 Top scorers
Dublin
Cormac Costello 1-31 (0-17 frees)
Dean Rock 1-26 (0-20 frees)
Paul Mannion (0-22)
Kerry
Sean O'Shea 1-38 (0-27 frees)
David Clifford 0-22 (0-06 frees)
Paul Geaney 2-13
Men at the helm
As a player Jim Gavin was an All-Ireland winner with the Dubs in 1995. After hanging up his boots, the Round Towers clubman began his coaching career and was part of the management that led the county to All-Ireland U-21 victory in 2003. More success in the grade with Gavin at the helm followed in 2010 and '12.
In October 2012, he took over as senior manager from Pat Gilroy. Since then he has guided Dublin to five All-Ireland wins, a similar number of Allianz League Division 1 victories and seven Leinster titles.
Gavin's only defeat in the championship came at the All-Ireland semi-final stage in 2014. All told, he holds an 83% success as manager of the Boys in Blue.
Jim Gavin works as Assistant Director of the Irish Aviation Authority and previously was a pilot for the Irish Defence Forces.
On the field of play, Peter Keane holds a provincial minor and U21 title with the Kingdom. Prior to taking over the Kerry minors and guiding them to a hat-trick of All-Ireland titles, the Caherciveen native managed his local club St Mary's and the Legion in Killarney.
His occupation sees him own a SuperValu store in Killorglin.
Thoughts of those close to the scene
Tomás Ó Sé: "I think the toughest task that Kerry will face on Sunday is to be in the game with 60-65 minutes gone. You can argue how they'll stay in that game till then. You can break it down tactically. They'll have to be taking all their chances. People talk about how good a forward line they've got, but who is to say that Dublin won't stand up to that threat.
"Possession will be huge. The role of the two goalkeepers will be massive. Dublin base everything on a possession game, so Kerry will have to go after Stephen Cuxton's kick outs more than any other team. Nobody has cracked him yet."
Ciarán Whelan: "The strength that this Dublin team have is that when they smell blood they go after a team. We saw that in the Mayo game when they scored 2-06 in 12 minutes during the third quarter. In the second quarter against Tyrone last year they scored 2-03 in seven minutes. Kerry have to be ready to break that momentum - they have to stop Dublin getting that period of dominance and hang in there until that 65th minute.
"Based on the experience and talent Dublin have in the forward line, the influence of Brian Fenton around the middle, you kind of feel that Dublin hopefully will get that period of dominance.
"If Dublin get ahead it will be a challenge for Kerry to reel them back in.
"I'm tipping Dublin."
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