LGFA - Dublin looking forward to Croke Park clash with Kildare

Preview – TG4 Leinster SFC Final 2026

Sunday May 17th | 12:00 noon

Croke Park (Live on TG4 YouTube)

Dublin v Kildare

Both teams have met twice this season once in the NFL and for the second occasion just two weeks ago when both teams played in the second round of the provincial championship. On each occasion Dublin emerged victorious but not before Kildare had given their near neighbours a good test of character in all sections of the pitch.

Derek Murray and Paul Casey will be very mindful of the threat posed by Kildare and will be preparing their side accordingly fully aware that the wide-open spaces in Croke Park will suit a fit Kildare side who are full of running.

This will be the first ladies football fixture played under the new rules at Croke Park. It will be interesting to see the influence of same in Sunday’s game. Which team will adapt best to the new rules in GAA HQ and will the bigger pitch have an impact on the game.

Kildare regained their senior status following their 2023 Intermediate All Ireland final victory over Clare.

Since returning to senior championship football Kildare have yet to register a win over Dublin. However, the winning margin has been significantly reduced across those three seasons. In 2024 Kildare lost out to Dublin by seventeen points just two weeks ago the deficit was six.

Just nine players who began last Sunday’s third round group game against Meath in Parnell Park featured on the starting team which began the 2025 Leinster final.

Several players who lined out for the Dubs in 2025 are for various reasons no longer available including household names such as Jess Tobin, Martha Byrne, Sinéad Goldrick, Aoife Kane, Éilish O’Dowd, Grace Kós, Rebecca McDonnell, Nicole Owens and Hannah Tyrrell.

Dublin management handed sixteen players senior debuts across their league campaign with the likes of Kate Donaghy, Elsa Kearney, Orla Keighran, Keeva Kenehan and Catarina Almeida making their impact on the squad. Donaghy and Kearney have since made their senior championship debuts.

Dublin have welcomed back to the fold Lauren Magee who has recovered from an ACL injury which occurred on the 31st of May 2025. A remarkable feat to be back to full fitness in less than a year and to have acquired the level of fitness to feature in both of Dublin’s championship games to date versus Kildare and Meath. A testament to the character of the player and her love of the sky-blue jersey.

Caoimhe O’Connor has also made a welcome return to form having picked up an injury in the All-Ireland semi final victory over Galway last July. She had made a welcome return during the early stages of the NFL only to endure a setback. Caoimhe finished last Sunday’s game versus Meath as her sides top scorer bagging a personal tally of 1-02.

This Sunday’s Croke Park encounter has all the makings of another hard-fought championship encounter between Dublin and Kildare. Dublin aiming for their twentieth senior provincial title Kildare aiming for the first. A game not to be missed!

The action gets underway at Croke Park at 12 noon. The GAA Leinster final between Dublin and Westmeath follows at 2pm.

Tickets are on sale now from www.ticketsmaster.ie or from usual GAA ticket outlets.

Dublin v Kildare will be streamed live by TG4 via their YouTube Channel, 11:55am.