Armagh bow out of 2026 Senior Football Championship

Galway were too strong for Armagh at the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, as a superb team performance with ten different scorers powered them to a 13-point win and booked their spot in the TG4 All-Ireland senior final.

The Connacht champions got the first two scores on the board through two Noones, Eva and Hannah, before Aimee Mackin got Armagh up and running from a free.

The Tribeswomen began to take control during the middle phase of the first half, with two points from Leanne Coen and scores from Niamh Divilly and Kate Slevin putting them 0-6 to 0-1 ahead after 15 minutes.

Scores from Kelly Mallon (free) and Aimee Mackin either side of an Olivia Divilly point provided Armagh with some optimism, but Galway closed out the first half in style, with points from Kate Thompson and two from Olivia Divilly seeing them take a commanding seven-point lead into the changing rooms.

Daniel Moynihan's side almost had the perfect start to the second half when Nicola Ward broke three tackles and supplied Slevin to the right of goal, but she was denied superbly by the outstretched leg of Brianna Mathers.

Galway did increase their lead to eight when Coen notched her third point of the game, and although Mallon pointed a free at the other end, the Armagh goalkeeper was called into action once more.

Again Ward caused the Armagh defence problems, this time playing a give-and-go with Thompson, but Mathers again stepped up to the mark, denying the centre half back in a one on one.

Galway didn't go empty handed however, as Roisin Leonard stroked over the score of the game from the resulting '45, raising an orange flag.

Galway pulled 11 points clear coming into the final ten minutes with Niamh Divilly, Shauna Hynes, Ward and Olivia Divilly (free) all pointing, with Armagh's response coming via two Aimee Mackin frees.

Moynihan's side closed out a classy display in style in the closing stages, with two scores from substitute Hynes and one from Eva Noone adding to their tally. Two points from Armagh captain Lauren McConville at the other end were mere consolations, before Hynes closed the scoring with her fourth.

Final score: Galway 0-21 Armagh 0-8

Scorers – Galway: O Divilly (2f), S Hynes 0-4 each, L Coen 0-3, E Noone, N Divilly, R Leonard (1'45) 0-2 each, H Noone, K Slevin, K Thompson, N Ward 0-1 each. 
Armagh: A Mackin 0-4 (3f), K Mallon, L McConville 0-2 each.
 
GALWAY: L O'Halloran; B Quinn, S Ní Loingsigh, K Geraghty (capt.); H Noone, N Ward, E Power; N Divilly, S Divilly; O Divilly, K Slevin, K Thompson; E Noone, L Coen, R Leonard. Subs: L Ward for S Divilly (44), S Hynes for Leonard (45), C Trill for Power (48), R Quinn for Ní Loingsigh (51), S Healy for Quinn (53).
 
ARMAGH: B Mathers; A Donnelly, C McCambridge, C Towe; E Druse, L McConville (capt.), G Ferguson; B Mackin, C O'Reilly; L Marsden, A McCoy, C Marley; A Mackin, C O'Hanlon, K Mallon. Subs: C Henderson for O'Reilly (19), R Mulligan for Marsden (23), C McNally for Mallon (44), E Melanophy for Marley (48), N Reel for O'Hanlon (51).

Referee: Angela Gallagher (Meath).