On the Line
Mike Finnerty | 12 June 2025
Exclusive to GAA+ this Weekend, All-Ireland Football Championship Round 3.
On the Line
The Sam Maguire Cup was returned to Croke Park this week by Armagh. Time will tell whether or not the defending champions get to reclaim it at the end of July, but the list of contenders to their throne will be shortened this weekend.
There is something riding on every game across the group stages of the All-Ireland SFC series, but it’s easy to see why the ‘Group of Death’ is attracting most of the attention.
Two screens will be required for the GAA die-hards on Saturday evening as Group 4 reaches its climax with Armagh facing Galway in Cavan and Dublin taking on Derry in Newry.
The All-Ireland champions are already assured of top spot and their place in the quarter-finals, but the other three teams are competing for two golden tickets to the knock-out stages.
So between the knock-out element of the contests, and the fact that both group games throw-in at 6.30pm, it’s easy to see why these matches are dominating the previews and podcasts this week.
A lot of the speculation is around whether Kieran McGeeney will stick with his winning team or use this weekend as an opportunity to bring the likes of Joe McElroy, Niall Grimley, Aaron McKay, Oisin O’Neill and Aidan Forker back into his starting XV again.
The fact that four of the aforementioned players started last summer’s All-Ireland Final while the fifth, Oisin O’Neill, came off the bench to score a point, underlines Armagh’s current strength in depth.
It’s also a reminder that changes won’t necessarily weaken McGeeney’s hand. Galway won’t need any reminding of Armagh’s capabilities after what happened last July, plus this is the fifth time the counties have met in the championship in the last four seasons.
Believe it or not, the Orchard County haven’t lost in 70 minutes in any of those meetings. The permutations are very straightforward for Padraic Joyce and his players.
A defeat to Armagh, combined with a win for Derry over Dublin, would knock them out. A Galway victory, allied to a Derry victory, would see the Tribesmen qualify.
A draw may even be enough for Galway, but only if Derry don’t beat Dublin. Speaking of which, nobody seems too sure what way the hammer will fall in Newry.
Dublin have mixed the rough with the smooth in the championship so far — between losing to Meath, turning over Galway, and kicking wides to beat the band (and lose the game) against Armagh. Dessie Farrell knows that a Dublin win at Pairc Esler will secure second place.
A defeat, however, combined with a Galway win over Armagh, would knock the Dubs out. A draw would be enough to secure second place in the group though.
They might even sneak through on the back of a loss – if Galway don’t manage to beat Armagh. As for Derry, it’s worth remembering that this weekend marks the one-year anniversary since the Oak Leafers last won a competitive match – against Westmeath.
Paddy Tally’s team looked set to end that barren run when they led by eight points on two occasions last time out against Galway. But they left the door open, ended up having to come from behind to snatch a draw themselves, and now find themselves standing at a crossroads again.
A first win of 2025 would propel them into the next round. Another defeat might even do if Armagh take care of business in their game. The permutations are many and varied. It’s all to play for in Cavan and Newry as the championship pace starts to pick up.