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With both Down and Armagh senior footballers playing big games tomorrow in Croke Park it promises to be a day to remember no matter what the results. In fact booking a train or bus ticket to Dublin that actually gets you back home to Newry again is akin to a lottery win. Let's hope the Armagh fans will cheer on Down during their game and vice versa.
Down Manager Conor Laverty will be aiming to bring the Tailteann Cup home to Newry for the first time but Laois Manager, former Armagh all Ireland winner Justin McNulty may have other ideas! Laois will have to improve dramatically from the last time they played Down in the semi final of the tournament in 2023 though. Then Down won with a margin of six goals and four points. But then again McNulty wasn't manager at that stage.
Following that game Armagh and Kerry will take to the field in the All Ireland Semi Final. The pair haven't met in the championship since 5 August 2006 when Kerry emerged victorious 3-15 to Armagh's 1-13. Last time they met was in Tralee 25 February 2023 and again Kerry emerged victorious though much tighter at 0-12 to 0-11. Of course the most memorable Croke Park encounter was the 2002 All Ireland Final when Armagh emerged victorious by a single point winning the All Ireland for the first time.
Have Kerry been tested in this years championship compared to Armagh? That is the big question and we will only know that just before 7pm tomorrow (barring the dreaded penalties) ...
The Down Laois game kicks off at 3pm in Croke Park while Armagh and Kerry take to the stage at 5.30pm. The Tailteann Cup is being shown live on RTE2 and the RTE Player while the Armagh Kerry semi final is live on BBC2 from 5pm.
