Full-time: Donegal 0-19 Kerry 1-26
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Finally today, here’s Seán Moran’s match report from Croke Park on the day that Kerry beat Donegal in the All-Ireland final. Thanks very much for joining us today and there’ll be plenty more coverage of today’s game to follow in The Irish Times throughout the week.
[ Kerry unveil another final masterpiece to leave Donegal standingOpens in new window ]
Next, here’s Donegal’s player ratings on a day where they failed to capture their third All-Ireland. Denis Walsh delivers the verdict on their individual performances on a tough day for Jim McGuinness’ team.
[Donegal player ratings: Conor O’Donnell impresses at both ends but key men fail to make impact]
The player ratings for today’s winners Kerry are in, with standout performances from captain Gavin White, Paudie Clifford, and, David Clifford, writes Ian O’Riordan.
[Kerry player ratings: The Clifford brothers star as Kingdom lift Sam Maguire]
Here are the Kerry player ratings on the day they lifted their 39th All-Ireland football crown.
Jack O’Connor tells RTÉ Radio that he is stepping away as Kerry manager. Going out on top, what a send off! Whoever comes next has a hard act to follow to say the least.
And here’s Jack O’Connor, another great day for the legendary manager.
David Clifford and goalscorer Joe O’Connor speak on the Sunday Game after their victory.
That’s Kerry’s 39th All-Ireland win, their second in four years. For Donegal, they’ve now won two finals (1992, 2012) and lost two (2014, 2025) as well.
Great interview with Paudie Clifford, who talks about the feeling of being disrespected that motivated Kerry this year.
Here’s the moment Joe O’Connor rattled the back of the net for Kerry.
Gavin White is such a deserving captain today, he was superb throughout. Donegal’s running game was lauded in the buildup, but White was the back who punched the most holes in Croke Park today. There’s a big roar for Jack O’Connor, who has won his fifth All-Ireland as Kerry manager today.
Jarlath Burns singles out Michael Murphy in his speech, before he hands the trophy over to Gavin White. The captain of Kerry lifts the Sam Maguire cup!
Full-time: Donegal 0-19 Kerry 1-26
Kerry are the All-Ireland football champions for 2025!
69 Mins: Mícheál Burns and Tom Leo O’Sullivan are on for Kerry. The Kingdom are in cruise control.
GOAL! Joe O’Connor punts it beyond Shaun Patton, a great finish, and a fitting end to the game for Kerry. Donegal 0-19 Kerry 1-26
68 Mins: Kerry keeping it well through the hands. They have this sewn up here now. Great play by Paudie to play through Looney, but the effort after drops short. Donegal don’t really have the time to get seven though. That is not helped whatsoever by Jamie Brennan looping a one-point effort into Shane Ryan’s hands. Donegal 0-19 Kerry 0-26
66 Mins: Just like the first half, Ó Baoill floats poor ball in. Then McBrearty tries a two-pointer and wellies it way up in the air. It lands in Kerry hands. Donegal 0-19 Kerry 0-26
65 Mins: Great ball up by Graham O’Sullivan into David Clifford. Out on the wing, he skins McCole and puts a super score over. Then a massive goal chance for Clifford after the kickout, but O’Donnell gets back to clear the ball off the line as it beats Patton. Shane Ryan misses the 45. Donegal 0-19 Kerry 0-26
64 Mins: Joe O’Connor sends one a fair bit wide. Evan Looney comes on for Kerry in place of O’Beaglaoich. Patton goes long. Donegal win the break, but Langan is pulled back. No foul says the ref. Kerry have it back, but McCole finally wins a ball in front of Clifford. Donegal 0-19 Kerry 0-25
61 Mins: Great score by Ó Baoill, looked to be going wide at first. Lovely dummy solo from him there too. Donegal 0-19 Kerry 0-25
59 Mins: Ó Baoill misses a shot for just one point. They need to start pushing for two-pointers or goals, as Paudie Clifford races through to put the gap back out to seven. Donegal 0-18 Kerry 0-25
58 Mins: Bad miss by Conor O’Donnell’s standards there. For Kerry, Shane Ryan was coming up for another two-point free there, but Seán O’Shea shoos him away, and boots over the two-pointer. Jamie Brennan on for Donegal. Donegal 0-18 Kerry 0-24
56 Mins: Patrick McBrearty does something really daft and chooses not to go down on a break off Ryan’s kickout, kicking it up the line to no one. Looks like a miscommunication. Donegal are tackling tougher down the other end, but too tough for Cawley’s liking. Shane Ryan comes up from goal and slips, the kick is well short. Donegal 0-18 Kerry 0-22
54 Mins: Gavin White gets on the ball, solos, sees space and just keeps going. Eventually he splits the post with a fist pass. Dylan Geaney is off and Killian Spillane on. McGee gets on the resulting kickout and is fouled later on in the move for another easy free for Murphy. Donegal 0-18 Kerry 0-22
52 Mins: Murphy races out directly away from goal to try and get on the loop. Foley trips him up and Murphy points the free. Donegal 0-17 Kerry 0-21
51 Mins: Great bit of skill by O’Beaglaoich to get into space but he puts it wide off the left. Donegal 0-16 Kerry 0-21
49 Mins: Joe O’Connor turns it over too handily with a bad pass. Donegal race forward, but Ó Baoill’s two-point attempt is blocked by the same Kerry man. McBrearty is on for Gallen, and puts a simple one wide immediately. Diarmuid O’Connor comes in for Sean O’Brien. Donegal 0-16 Kerry 0-21
48 Mins: Great fetch from Jason McGee, and Shane O’Donnell pops one over on his left. Donegal 0-16 Kerry 0-21
47 Mins: Slow from Kerry again, under no pressure outside shooting range. Somehow they let Geaney find tonnes of space to tap one over. Donegal work it forward quickly, and a little bit of indecision means they only get a point chance, which Conor O’Donnell takes. Donegal 0-15 Kerry 0-21
45 Mins: Better from Langan, catching the Ryan kickout. Feeds Conor O’Donnell who pops it over. Donegal 0-14 Kerry 0-20
44 Mins: Michael Langan takes a shot standing stock still and blazes it a mile wide. Shane Ryan’s kickout doesn’t reach the arc, and Paul Murphy decides to step in and prevent Michael Murphy getting his hands on it for a goal chance. A lovely free by the Donegal man to cut it back to seven, the lead at half-time. Donegal 0-13 Kerry 0-20
42 Mins: Kerry keep a hold of the ball and Donegal let them have it outside the arc. Geaney spins inside, and feeds Sean O’Brien. He pats it down to O’Shea who feeds Paudie Clifford for an easy finish - great score. Donegal 0-12 Kerry 0-20
39 Mins: Daire Ó Baoill tries to get a look at a two-pointer, but the gap won’t open. They work it slowly, and Gallen is held up by Foley and O’Connor. Referee Brendan Cawley sees it as a free, so Murphy adds another to the Donegal tally. McHugh is off injured, Jason McGee on. Donegal 0-12 Kerry 0-19
38 Mins: Donegal free in after Murphy is tackled high by Foley. The big man points it. Donegal 0-11 Kerry 0-19
37 Mins: Kerry are outnumbering Donegal massively where the ball is landing on Patton’s kickouts. Gavin White gets the break this time. They build up slowly, Paudie slips it to the brother David, and the Cliffords have gotten another score for Kerry. Donegal 0-10 Kerry 0-19
35 Mins: One sub at half-time for Donegal - Hugh McFadden on for Caolan McColgan. Seán O’Shea gets the first score of the second half then. Ryan McHugh is being treated after a rough collision with White. Donegal 0-10 Kerry 0-18
Kerry are out for the second half now, things will be back underway soon. Will we see a big turnaround in an All-Ireland final again after last week?
Scorers so far in the All-Ireland final.
Half-time: Donegal 0-10 Kerry 0-17
35 Mins: Ridiculous Mexican standoff now, as neither side is incentivised strongly enough to do anything for the last minute of the half. The hooter sounds and David Clifford shakes off McCole way too easily, takes a pass and shoots over for a two-pointer.
34 Mins: Daire Ó Baoill plays an aimless ball in, presumably for Murphy to contest, but it’s nowhere near the full-forward. Kerry start playing for the hooter now. Donegal 0-10 Kerry 0-15
32 Mins: Lovely score by Shane O’Donnell, jinking past Jason Foley. Donegal 0-10 Kerry 0-15
31 Mins: Paudie Clifford goes for another two-pointer, but it’s another wide. That’s three from outside the arc missed by him, but he’s playing well regardless. Then there’s the first Donegal wide by Conor O’Donnell, followed by a Shane Ryan kickout that goes out for a sideline. It’s the first spell of low quality so far, as Murphy gives away a handy fist pass, and Clifford hits a shot short at the other end. Odd enough given how good it’s been. Donegal 0-9 Kerry 0-15
30 Mins: Lovely feet by Conor O’Donnell and he pops that one over into the Hill. Donegal haven’t hit a wide yet. Donegal 0-9 Kerry 0-15
28 Mins: Kerry are winning nearly all the breaks on Donegal’s kickouts. Paudie Clifford goes haring up the field with it, but a misplaced hand pass leads to another slow play from the Kingdom. Eventually, Mark O’Shea and Geaney link up after a switch of the play, and the corner forward puts it over. Donegal 0-8 Kerry 0-15
26 Mins: The Cliffords and O’Shea dictate play very, very slowly, out around midfield. Paudie gets inside and gets a shot away, pressurised by Roarty, and gets a soft free when it hits the post. O’Shea points it. Donegal 0-8 Kerry 0-14
24 Mins: Big roar as three Donegal men go giant slaying and ground David Clifford, ripping the ball away from the Fossa man. They work it slowly, and then it’s their giant, Michael Murphy, who puts it over. Great score. They get a turnover off the kickout, and Murphy eases up the goal charge and chooses a point. Donegal 0-8 Kerry 0-13
22 Mins: Another really good score by Gallen. Shane O’Donnell nearly played Langan in for a goal, but it fell away and Gallen did well to clear it up. Conor O’Donnell wins the break from the kickout and then made a beeline for goal and popped it over well. Donegal 0-6 Kerry 0-13
Ciarán Thompson has gone off after that collision earlier, and Daire Ó Baoill is on.
21 Mins: Shaun Patton fires a low kickout to Murphy, but amazingly O’Beaglaoich gets out in front and gets it clean. Probably could have been a free in to Donegal as Thompson gets into a shooting position, but Dylan Casey ends up getting muddled up and overcarrying for a handy one for Murphy, but the legend hits the post. Maybe it’s one of those days... Donegal 0-4 Kerry 0-13
18 Mins: Peadar Mogan wins the ball and goes sprinting out. He’s nearly taken out of it by a check by a Kerry player, but he’s sent flying by the corner-back’s momentum. Donegal turn it back over to Kerry really easily, and David Clifford gets a handy score. Donegal 0-4 Kerry 0-13
16 Mins: Donegal get on the ball and slow things down to try and work the score. The ball gets to Roarty, who realises he has space a bit too late, and his kick is blocked down, falling back to Kerry hands. Donegal 0-4 Kerry 0-12
15 Mins: McCole gets caught behind Clifford again, and trips trying to catch the Kerry man. He knocks over Clifford, and it’s a handy free for Seán O’Shea to pop over for two. Donegal 0-4 Kerry 0-12
13 Mins: Donegal have set up to try and make Kerry attack slowly, but between their shot accuracy and their on the ball ability, they keep finding good space for scores. Sean O’Brien gets the next one. Donegal break out from the kickout and Gallen gets a score. Donegal 0-4 Kerry 0-10
11 Mins: Paudie Clifford goes for another two-pointer, but it’s well-short, and wide too. The Kingdom win another kickout then. They work it slowly this time, and David Clifford comes out on his usual loop run, and he just throws it over off the left, from outside the arc again. Donegal 0-3 Kerry 0-9
9 Mins: Clifford strikes! Two-pointer from David to join his brother on the scoresheet. The first two-pointer in an All-Ireland final. O’Connor wins another kickout, this time on the break. Donegal 0-3 Kerry 0-7
8 Mins: Ciarán Thompson is fouled while shooting, so it’s a 13m free for Michael Murphy to pop over. Big press on the kickout from Donegal, but Joe O’Connor fetches it brilliantly, and Paudie Clifford strikes over at the end of the move. Donegal 0-3 Kerry 0-5
5 Mins: Late addition to the side, Caolan McGonagle gets a nice score off his left foot. At the other end, White gets on the ball again, shimmies inside and out, and flicks a point over on his left, a great start for the wing back. Donegal 0-2 Kerry 0-4
4 Mins: Bit of a goal chance there. Paudie Clifford sends a two-point attempt in, it goes short, and Sean O’Brien punches it over as Patton comes out. Joe O’Connor wins the next kickout well and Gavin White beats a couple of men to get in for a fisted point. Donegal 0-1 Kerry 0-3
2 Mins: Great response from Donegal. Gallen looks to be forced wide by Paul Murphy, but he slots it over off the right to tie things up. Donegal 0-1 Kerry 0-1
1 Mins: Here we go, the All-Ireland football final is underway. Gavin White emerges through the middle from the throw-in, feeds Dylan Geaney who puts a lovely shot over. Donegal 0-0 Kerry 0-1
Donegal broke away from the parade early, in front of Hill 16, as expected. Kerry finish it out all the way. The usual old mental warfare pre-match as we gear up for the final. A moment of silence, followed by the national anthem, and then we’ll be throwing in.
Could be another slightly delayed start, as the players are only lining up for the parade now - Donegal slightly hesitantly as they do an extra bit of warming up.
Michael D. Higgins is out greeting the players now. It’ll be his last men’s final as president, unless of course this ends up a draw after extra time!
Finally, ten minutes until throw-in, just time to read Seán Moran’s preview of today’s game. It’s going to be a tight one!
[Donegal can find sufficient elevation to clear final hurdle against Kerry]
Malachy Clerkin is also in Croker and brings news of the coin toss!
Gavin White has won the toss for Kerry and immediately pointed down towards the Canal End goal. There isn’t a significant wind in Croke Park but as ever, what win there is is coming down from Hill 16.
[Well over twice as many two-pointers scored into Canal End than Hill 16]
Seán Moran has news of a late change in the lineups before throw-in:
News from Croke Park is of one change to the published line-ups. Donegal have, as widely rumoured during the week, brought in Caolan McGonagle to start the All-Ireland final. Less expected was that Hugh McFadden would make way but the big centrefielder switches to the bench.
Weather is warm and the pitch has been given a slightly psychedelic cut. Kerry have already been represented by the jubilee team, their 2000 All-Ireland winners, led by Séamus Moynihan and featuring The Irish Times football columnist Darragh Ó Sé, among others.
Both teams are out warming up now anyways, just over twenty minutes til throw-in. Kerry in blue, Donegal in white.
Ian O’Riordan’s column this weekend pays tribute to a great of Irish journalism.
One feature of last week’s hurling final was the dynamics at both ends of Croke Park. 4-30 was scored into the Canal End, while only 0-15 was scored into Hill 16. It’s a pattern that’s also emerging in football with the advent of two-pointer, writes Ciarán Kirk.
[Well over twice as many two-pointers scored into Canal End than Hill 16]
Donegal have arrived up at Croker now, not too long until they’ll be out warming up.
Just over an hour now until throw-in at GAA HQ for the biggest occasion of the football calendar. Excitement is building as Croke Park starts to fill up with green and gold.
Jack O’Connor is looking forward to his eighth All-Ireland final as manager of Kerry today. He spoke to Ian O’Riordan earlier this week about this weekend’s game and his extended experiences in finals before this.
Jim McGuinness says he thought about the 2014 final loss to Kerry every day until he took the reins back in Donegal. He has the chance to exorcise those demons today against the same opponents.
[Jim McGuinness will be putting 2014 out of his mind as Donegal face Kerry]
Ryan McHugh debuted the year after Donegal’s 2012 All-Ireland win, so he hasn’t managed to scoop the big one in his brilliant career. At 31, he’s got a great chance to do just that today. He spoke to Gordon Manning earlier this week.
Kerry’s Gavin White was one of the stars of the Kerry team that won the 2022 All-Ireland. After a ‘malfunction’ against Meath, they’re back to top form he says, speaking to Ian O’Riordan.
[Kerry’s Gavin White on going from a ‘complete malfunction’ to the All-Ireland final]
Manager of the first Sam Maguire winning Donegal team, Brian McEniff is 82 now. He spoke to Gordon Manning about his love for his home county and the excitement there as the team prepare to bring home a potential third All-Ireland back to the Forgotten County.
[Brian McEniff: ‘I have a huge grá for the county. I love Donegal, that’s just it’]
With two and a half hours to throw-in, it’s a good time to start getting into the headspace for the All-Ireland football final. Here’s Malachy Clerkin’s piece to perfectly set the scene as the two green and gold counties take centre stage.
[Kerry and Donegal: Two households, both alike in dignity. And in scenery. And, for sure, in roguery]
Earlier in the week, Ciarán Murphy wrote that if Kerry were to win, then the difference maker would, of course, be David Clifford. Denis Walsh takes a different angle to the same idea, asking if the Kerry great will be able to live up to the massive expectations in the All-Ireland final.
[Kerry’s hopes rest on the shoulders of a giant, but can David Clifford bear the weight?]
Conor McManus has had plenty of battles over the years with Donegal, and here’s his guide to their starters for today’s final.
Kerry may not have the same star-studded lineup that they did in years gone by, but they’ve been highly effective, especially in the latter stages of the championship. Darragh Ó Sé guides us through the fifteen who’ll start for the Kingdom today.
[Darragh Ó Sé on the Kerry team: Profiling the 15 men bidding to win the Kingdom’s 39th Sam Maguire]
Key Reads
- Seán Moran’s preview: Donegal can find sufficient elevation to clear final hurdle against Kerry
- Dean Rock: Donegal’s devastating counterattack combined with Kerry’s reliance on Clifford to settle it
- Donegal v Kerry: Breakdown of the 2025 All-Ireland football final by numbers
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2025 All-Ireland football final. Kerry take on Donegal at Croke Park (3.30pm) for the Sam Maguire Cup in a final which has only happened once before, in 2014. The Kingdom won out that day, but have only added one All-Ireland after, while Donegal are appearing in their first final since.
We’ll have updates throughout the buildup, and blow-by-blow coverage during the match.
Both Donegal and Kerry have named unchanged teams for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC final at Croke Park.
Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finnbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Caolan McColgan; Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan; Shane O’Donnell, Ciarán Thompson, Ciarán Moore; Conor O’Donnell, Michael Murphy, Oisín Gallen
Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Stephen McMenamin, Odhrán McFadden Ferry, Eoin McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Aaron Doherty, Patrick McBrearty, Jamie Brennan, Niall O’Donnell, Dáire Ó Baoill, Jason McGee
Kerry: Shane Ryan; Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Dylan Casey; Brian O Beaglaoich, Mike Breen, Gavin White; Sean O’Brien, Mark O’Shea; Joe O’Connor, Séan O’Shea, Graham O’Sullivan; David Clifford, Paudie Clifford, Dylan Geaney
Subs: Shane Murphy, Killian Spillane, Evan Looney, Tom Leo O’Sullivan, Tadhg Morley, Paul Geaney, Micheál Burns, Tony Brosnan, Armin Heinrich, Tomás Kennedy, Diarmuid O’Connor
