Live GAA updates: Donegal hammer Kerry after massive half-time melee, Cork welcome Meath to Páirc Uí Rinn

Saturday’s fixtures

All-Ireland SFC, Round 1

Donegal 2-19 Kerry 0-14 (FT)

Cork v Meath 5.40pm; Galway v Kildare, 7.30pm

Tailteann Cup

Laois 1-29 London 1-14 (FT)

Wicklow 2-6 Limerick 2-10 (HT)

Clare v Longford (5pm), Leitrim v Carlow (5.30pm). Offaly v Down (6.00)

Full-time: Donegal 2-20 Kerry 0-16.

A hammering for Kerry, a rare home defeat in the championship. This was a hell of a game in the first half but the melee just before half-time changed everything. The red card for Micheál Burns left Kerry with too much to chase. Donegal are one game away from the All-ireland quarter-final. Kerry are playing knock-out football from here on out.

That’s that. Well, it’s been that for a long time but Malone has put the tin-lid on it now. His first ever championship goal is nicely taken, dummying his way aorund Shane Murphy and finishing off the crossbar.

67 mins: Donegal 2-19 Kerry 0-14

Donegal run the bench and Murphy’s day is done. Shea Malone gets himself on the scoresheet and it’s just a clock-killing exercise now. The sending off has left Kerry with no chance here - the new rules make it close to impossible to play against a possession team like Donegal with 14 men.

62 mins: Donegal 1-19 Kerry 0-12

Donegal send Mark McHugh back on, with a huge bandage on his head. Bit of a flex by McGuinness there.

All the fight has gone out of Kerry. Joe O’Connor is on the pitcgh but lands a two-point attempt well short. That’s three shorts for Kerry in this half, handing possession right back to Donegal. At the other end, Mogan puts up his second of the day and the lead is out to 10. Some of the crowd are leaving now, with 12 minutes still to go.

Biggest Donegal cheer of the day, as Murphy does the neccesary, to the annoyance of every Kerry person in the ground. Easy for Donegal now.

56 mins: Donegal 1-16 Kerry 0-11

But that’s Kerry’s problem in a nutshell. They can’t stand by and let Donegal toss the ball around at their ease but once Evan Looney broke out of the defensive shell to chase them down, Donegal were able to find Shane O’Donnell in space and he makes it a seven-point lead again.

54 mins: Donegal 1-15 Kerry 0-11

That’s more like it for Kerry. Tony Brosnan pulls off a neat dummy solo and swings over a classy two-pointer. Kerry’s first score for 20 minutes and it cuts the gap to six.

51 mins: Donegal 1-14 Kerry 0-11

Kerry haven’t scored since the 31st minute and they’re struggling to get up the pitch. David Clifford tries his luck from a sideline free but it drops short. In the absence of a goal or a spate of two-pointers, Donegal are so comfortable here. At the other end, Peadar Mogan taps over in a world of space.

48 mins: Donegal 1-14 Kerry 0-9

Paudie Clifford is off, replaced by Tony Brosnan. This is Kerry’s problem - not only are they down to 14 men but they can’t get their best players on the pitch to begin with. Joe O’Connor is still sitting in the stands. But there’s Briain Ó Beaglaoich on for Graham O’Sullivan.

Kerry are going to have to disrupt the pattern of this game somehow. Donegal are just holding onto the ball until a shooting chance presents itself. Langan does the honours this time and Donegal are seven ahead.

44 mins: Donegal 1-13 Kerry 0-9

Boos from the Kerry crowd every time Michael Murphy gets the ball. Chants of Donegal-Donegal-Doengal in response from the visiting crowd. Donegal are patient, making Kerry chase them and finding Gallen to finish it off. This could be a long half hour for the home side.

39 mins: Donegal 1-12 Kerry 0-9

And we’re back at it. Kerry have the wind but they’re down to 14 men. Graham O’Sullivan makes a hames of a good early chance to cut the margin. Five in it.

37 mins: Donegal 1-11 Kerry 0-9

Donegal come out at last. Huge chorus of boos. McHugh hasn’t come back on. Hurson has given the two managers a big dressing down. Evan Looney gets yellow, which seems a strange one to pick out. Burns gets red! He can have no complaint.

Kerry are back out. Donegal are still in the dressing room. No move from the referee yet.

All eyes on the referee now. Jim McGuinness went after Diarmuid O’Connor in the middle of all that, clearly fuming at the fact that McHugh has been split open. GAA+ have footage that seems to show the Micheál Burns was more at fault. What will Hurson do?

Half-time: Donegal 1-11 Kerry 0-9

Mayhem as the teams go off at the break. David Clifford nailed the Donegal keeper Mulreaney after the hooter went and then there were skirmishes all over the place. One of theDOnegal players - Ryan McHugh maybe? - has blood streaming down his face. Jim McGuinness and Kieran Donaghy are nose to nose. Everybody gets down the tunnel safe and sound but it will be interesting to see if Sean Hurson takes any action after the break.

With both Cliffords getting bottled up here, Dylan Geaney is having to step up. That’s his third of the day, off his left this time.

31 mins: Donegal 1-10 Kerry 0-9

Oisin Gallen kicked Donegal’s first wide a couple of minutes ago but he’s made amends now, a cracking kick from the right hand side. That’s a five-point lead for Donegal again.

30 mins: Donegal 1-10 Kerry 0-8

It’s all getting a bit ratty around the place here. David Clifford and Caolán McGonagle had a bit of a skirmish, Paudie Clifford and Roarty are thick as thieves. Sean Hurson tells them all to get on with it. Great stuff.

And that’s another score for Geaney, a lovely shake-and-bake from a tight angle and a gorgeous finish. But Langan hits back at the other end, landing a bomb of a two-pointer from just inside the Kerry 45.

25 mins: Kerry 0-8 Donegal 1-8

Kerry are fairly content to build up slowly here, knowing that the onus is on Donegal to build a score with the wind at their backs. Dylan Geaney finishes that one, finding space just between the arcs.

22 mins: Kerry 0-7 Donegal 1-6

The best thing to watch off the ball here is Paudie Clifford v Finbarr Roarty. The young Donegal dervish isn’t giving the elder Clifford an inch, whather the ball is there or not. Tadhg Morley takes advantage of a little space inside to get up for a score, set up by Sean O’Brien. But Donegal hit back with a lovely score for Ciarán Moore.

19 mins: Kerry 0-6 Donegal 1-6

Kerry have recovered from that brilliant start for Donegal but that’s a fine score from Gallen. He was double-marked along the endline but wriggled through to squeeze it over the bar.

14 mins: Kerry 0-5 Donegal 1-5

It’s all action now. Ryan McHugh swishes a gorgeous two-pointer but Kerry hit back with three wuick scores. Both Clifford score from play before Gavin Munreaney is pinged for taking too long over a kick-out and David Clifford ices the free.

10 mins: Donegal 1-4 Kerry 0-5

Oisín Gallen puts over a lovely two-pointer for Donegal.

Kerry hold possession to settle themselves and eventually launch Micheál Burns who takes their opening score of the day.

6 mins: Kerry 0-1 Donegal 1-2

Goal for Donegal. Ciarán Moore slots home after a wide for Kerry down the other end.

3 mins: Kerry 0-0 Donegal 1-0

Here we go, the 2026 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship is officially under way.

Sean Hurson is on the whistle.

Some quick predictions before throw-in.

Paddy Andrews tips Donegal, as does Patrick McBrearty (albeit after some soul-searching), and Stefan Campbell thinks Kerry will take it after extra-time.

We’ll see about that.

Of the Donegal changes, Shane O’Donnell will be a big miss if he’s injured. It may well be that Jim McGuinness has just decided to go with size around the middle - having Magee and Langan maybe points to them seriously going after Shaen Murphy’s kick-outs. But O’Donnell generally plays when he’s fit so that will be one to keep an eye on.

All eyes on the late changes for both sides. Big news is that Michael Langan starts. So does Oisin Gallen, Jason Magee and under-20 star Max Campbell. For Kerry, as expected, Paudie Clifford starts and Sean O’Brien comes in as well.

The first game of the All-Ireland series and it’s a biggie - Kerry v Donegal in Killarney. Throw-in is at 3pm and there’s already a hefty crowd in sun-drenched Killarney. Kerry playing in blue today.

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