PREVIEW: Go-Ahead Ireland Senior 1 Football Championship Quarter Finals

The race for the Clerys Cup heats up yet another notch this weekend as the Go-Ahead Ireland Senior 1 Football Quarter-Finals take place.

Quarter-Finals

Kilmacud Crokes and Lucan Sarsfields meet in the first of the four quarter-finals at Parnell Park on Saturday (throw-in 3:30pm).

Crokes have a 100% record so far after an impressive Group 4 showing, winning all three of their group games. The 11-time winners look determined to put last year's final heartbreak behind them and their form so far gives them a real chance to go all the way.

Firstly, they will have to get past surprise package Lucan Sarsfields, who finished runners-up in a very tough Group.

They beat Thomas Davis, lost to Cuala and then rallied to beat Raheny 0-25 to 2-11 in a winner-takes-all game for a last-eight spot. Lucan know they will be made to work for a semi-final spot by Crokes, who have shown their quality in spades this year.

Cuala and Clontarf are Saturday’s second game at 5:30pm as the pair look to continue their championship campaigns.

Cuala won every single Group 3 game, including a thrashing of Lucan Sarsfields, and they look great value to defend their county title, which they won for the first time last year. They scored at least three goals in each of their group games and will be a massive hurdle for Clontarf to jump this weekend. 

Clontarf edged into the quarters despite losing their first two games. They finished level on two points with St Judes, beating them by four points to advance on the head-to-head rule, but they will have to be at their very best and take their chances if they’re to pull off a shock and advance.

Ballyboden St Endas and Castleknock play in Sunday’s first quarter-final at 2pm, with a place in the last four up for grabs.

Boden have hugely impressed during the Championship this season, winning every Group 1 game. The Firhouse Rd men beat Na Fianna, Ballinteer St Johns and St Vincents and will be full of confidence that they can go all the way in 2025.

Castleknock earned the right to play this Sunday's quarter-final with two wins and a draw in the group stage.

They won their first game of the 2025 championship against Whitehall Colmcille before losing to group winners Ballymun Kickhams. They then sealed their runners-up spot in the group with a good win over Templeogue Synge Street. Castleknock have a tough test ahead of them but will definitely give Boden a run for their money.

Ballymun Kickhams and Na Fianna bring down the curtain on the first round of knockout action at 4pm on Sunday at Dublin HQ.

Ballymun won Group 2, picking up two wins on the bounce after a draw on the opening weekend against Templeogue Synge Street. They beat Castleknock and Whitehall Colmcille to secure their passage to the knockouts. Looking for a first title since 2020, Kickhams will be determined to improve on last year's semi-final exit this season.

Na Fianna finished runners-up in Group 1 and secured their spot in the last eight with a one-point victory over Ballinteer St Johns. They haven't won a Dublin senior football title since 2001 and were last in the final in 2022. Just like Ballymun, they will hope to start building on last year's championship run that saw them exit at the semi-final stage.

They appear to have done that after their opening-day defeat to Ballyboden St Endas with back-to-back group wins but must now keep that momentum going.

With championship dreams on the line this weekend, expect this weekend's action to serve up some crackers.

Relegation Play-Offs

There are two relegation play-off games this weekend too; both take place at O’Toole Park on Saturday.

St Vincents take on Templeogue Synge Street at 3:15pm, and that’s followed up by Thomas Davis against St Sylvesters at 5:15pm.

Vinnies lost every Group 1 game this year in a tough group alongside Ballinteer St Johns, Na Fianna and Ballyboden St Endas. But they have a fight on their hands to save their Senior 1 status.

Despite a well-earned draw against Ballymun Kickhams in round one of Group 2, Templeogue finished bottom of the pile. After being promoted to senior football’s top flight last year, they’ll be hoping to avoid an instant return to Senior 2.

Thomas Davis have had a championship to forget and have lost every game so far. This Saturday, they must put that behind them somehow, regroup and battle to save their Senior 1 status.

Sylvesters are fairly unfortunate to find themselves battling to save their Senior 1 status. Three of the four teams in Group 4 finished on two points, but despite beating Clontarf, their points difference, alongside their defeat to St Judes, meant they finished bottom of the pile and will now need to beat Thomas Davis to secure their place in the Senior 1 Championship for 2026.