KERRY TO PLAY ARMAGH IN ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINAL ON SATURDAY, JULY 13

Kerry’s All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final against Armagh will be played on Saturday, July 13. The first of the semi-finals has been confirmed for a 5.30pm throw-in at Croke Park, with the game to be broadcast on RTE and BBC. The game will be preceded by the Tailteann Cup final between Down and Laois at 3pm.

Saturday week’s semi-final will be just the seventh Championship meeting between Kerry and Armagh, and their first Championship encounter since the 2006 All-Ireland quarter-final by 3-15 to 1-13. Jack O’Connor was Kerry’s manager that day, while current Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney played for the Orchard county on that occasion.

Prior to that, Armagh’s only win over Kerry in six championship games came in the 2002 All-Ireland final with the Joe Kernan managed Armagh team beating Páidí Ó Sé’s Kerry by 1-12 to 0-14 with McGeeney becoming the only Armagh man to lift the Sam Maguire cup.

In 2000, Kerry and Armagh drew an All-Ireland semi-final before the Kingdom came good in the replay, before going on to win the final against Galway.

In 1982 Kerry were 3-15 to 1-11 winners over Armagh in an All-Ireland semi-final as the Kingdom chased a fifth All-Ireland title in a row, but that dream was dashed by Offaly in the infamous Seamus Darby final.

The first Championship meeting between Kerry and Armagh was the 1953 All-Ireland final which Kerry won by 0-13 to 1-6.

Meanwhile, the second SFC semi-final between Donegal and Galway has been fixed for Sunday, July 14 with a 4pm start in Croke Park. That game will be preceded by the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship final between the winners of the USGAA versus London and the New York versus Warwickshire semi-finals, with a 1.30pm throw-in for that final.

Friday July 12

All-Ireland JFC Semi-Finals

New York v Warwickshire, GAA CoE, Abbottstown, 5pm, Sport TG4