As it happened: Galway v Armagh, All-Ireland football final
Pic: Lifts Sam Inpho/laszlo The Armagh's Orange: Geczo Cup Aidan Forker Brilliant Maguire
Thanks for your company throughout the afternoon. We'll have plenty of reaction and analysis throughout the evening and in Monday's edition.
To paraphrase Aidan Forker's instant-classic of a speech from the steps of the Hogan Stand: 'don't stop believing.
John Fogarty finals his final on-the-whistle report from the 2024 GAA championship.
Here's how he saw that game unfold.
'This belongs to you...'
A clearly emotional Jarlath Burns is giving a rousing speech from the Hogan Stand. He'll hand over the Sam Maguire to his own county's captain Aidan Forker in a few moments and will congratulate his son, Jarly Óg.
What a finish to the game!
Galway goalkeeper Gleeson came out the putch to win a kickout but they ultimately lost possession. Armagh countered but their shot came off the post. Still the ref played on and Conroy was blocked down brilliantly by McElroy before Armagh eventually ran the clock.
Dylan McHugh takes on the shot but it clips the outside of the post and goes wide.
Galway are trying to find a way through, it's coming down to the last minute or so with a point in it.
Shane Walsh drops the free short once again!
We'll have six minutes of added time.
One in it. McDaid points and Armagh have completly handed over the impetus.
Shane Walsh will have a free kick at goal.
Darcy whips over a geat score - his third of the day. Badly needed for Galway, two in it.
Oisín O'Neill scores an inspirational point to put a goal between the sides, after Jarly Óg Burns finds he has the freedom of Croke Park.
Damien Comer is called ashore. Galway are in serious bother now.
Huge minute or so there.
Shane Walsh dropped an effort short; the Ulster side go up the other end and Niall Grimley knocks one of the upright and over the bar.
Cillian McDaid adds another bad wide for Galway .
Ten minutes left now of nomal time and the tension is cranking up.
Jarly Óg Burns, son of the GAA uachtarán, has been sent on for Armagh in place of Connaire Mackin.
Hawk-Eye is required to confirm a Darcy effort is no good.
From John Fogarty: Sixteen points should be the golden total here. It would have won this year's All-Ireland SFC round game and was Armagh's winning score in the corresponding fixture last year.
Cian Darcy snaps a shot over the bar to bring Galway abck to within one. In the next phase, Shane Walsh hits another wide. His sat-nav is off today.
Rory Grugan is carted off with a serious looking knee injury, after a lengthy delay.
Rian O'Neill drags a free wide.
Campbell is only and he's had a huge impact!
He punched across the face of the goal and Aaron McCay arrives to punch home.
It's all happening. Skipper Sean Kelly is on for Galway to a huge ovation. Stefan Campbell follows him a few moments later with Conor Turbitt making way for the Orchard.
Shane Walsh converts a free after a Galway breakaway ends in a pull back, after some initial good defending.
Rian O'Neill draws in a superb score for Armagh and Shane Walsh responds with an effort equally as good. Tiernan Kelly levels it up again.
Cillian McDaid stretches Galway's lead to two but Oisin Conaty pegs it back to the minimum again.
Paul Conroy absolutely funts a point over the black spot to get Galway going and he's having a big say in this final.
Here we go for the second half.
John Fogarty writes at half-time: The teams were level five times in the first half, Galway going ahead the same amount of times and being pulled back each time. It was a largely forgettable period only memorable for the shot-taking of midfielders Paul Conroy and Ben Crealey who each stepped up with a brace and perhaps the welfare of a lame seagull who laboured around the field.
The teams’ respective stars were conspicuous by their absence. Shane Walsh, who put two frees wide, and Rian O’Neill were outscored by their markers Barry McCambridge and Liam Silke.
Conor Turbitt, who himself sent a free wide and should have made more of a darting Conaty pass later in the half, wasn’t performing either. Nor was Damien Comer, although he did some great spadework to feed John Maher for a 26th minute point.
Galway led by two points for less than a minute early on but were reeled back to level terms within four minutes. After that, Rob Finnerty had to leave the field with a leg injury and Johnny Heaney replaced him. Finnerty had taken a blow five minutes early in winning a free he sent over.
Galway’s scores were largely the product of deliberate build-up play, while Armagh’s came as either returning fire or in flashes. Céin Darcy’s 20th minute point was an exception as Galway put together a slick move having won a free from a kick-out.
Five minutes afterwards, Armagh captain Aidan Forker resurrected an attack that appeared to be running out of gas with a smashing point to bring Armagh level once more.
Maher and McCambridge exchanged points and after another beautiful Conroy effort Crealey equalled it in the final minute of additional time.
Like last week's hurling decider, the sides go in level at the break. What did you make of that: adrian.russell@examiner.ie
Ben Creally scores his second of the afternoon and they're level for the fifth time today.
One added minute to come.
From John Fogarty: Scoreless Shane Walsh and Rian O'Neill currently being outscored by their markers. A poor game. Windy conditions not helping but neither does each team's set-up particularly Armagh's.
Joe McElroy calls a amrk, has a go but misses. Not long til the break now an both managers will have plenty to say about some of the opportunities that have been left behind.
Paul Conroy drops over an excellent point to put Galway in the lead.
Shane Walsh has another sight at the posts but he manages to miss a free on the other side. A noticeable murmur runs through the crowd.
Barry McCambridge opens his account with a big effort that looked to be drawing wide but came back in for a great point.
A captain's score from Aidan Forker - his point levels it up and ends a wait of almost 15 mins for an Armagh score.
John Maher -- who's been excellent so far -- points for Galway.
With Finnerty off the pitch, Shane Walsh takes on a free with his left leg but it's way off.
The seagull is off the pitch, we're told.
Armagh are given a handy free in and the chance to go ahead but Conor Turbitt's attempt is surprisingly wide.
D'arcy finishes a brilliant Galway move moments later to see them edge ahead.
Couple of wides as we hit a bit of a lull with Cillian McDaid the cuplrit for Galway.
We should note, there's an injured seagull on the pitch.
Hawkeye adjudges a Damien Comer effort as just wide, as I type.
RTÉ's comms team correct the record - Oisin Conaty is wearing 12 and has kicked the opening points for Armagh.
No case of mistaken identity as Ben Crealey is on the end of a great Armagh move.
Rob Finnerty leaves the pitch injured meanwhile, that's sad to see.
"Rob Finnerty off after taking a blow having won a free. Johnny Heaney on in his stead and Matthew Tierney has moved into the full-forward line," John writes.
Early match-ups from John Fogarty:
Paddy Burns v Rob Finnerty
Aaron McKay v Damien Comer
Barry McCambridge (sweeping at times) v Shane Walsh
Connaire Mackin v Cillian McDaid
Tiernan Kelly v Céin Darcy
Aidan Forker v Matthew Tierney
Niall Grimley v Paul Conroy
Ben Crealey v John Maher
Johnny McGrath v Conor Turbitt
Seán Fitzgerald v Andrew Murnin
Jack Glynn v Rory Grugan
Dylan McHugh v Joe McElroy
Liam Silke v Rian O’Neill
Seán Ó Maoilchairáin v Oisín Conaty
Rob Finnerty drops over a free after Armagh lose their own kick out.
Joe McElroy adds to his tally and this start has been fast.
Almost immediately, the Orchard level it up through Joe McElroy.
First blood Galway. After a sustained period of possession, Paul Conroy lofts over a great opener.
Sean Hurson throws it in and we're up and running.
A bold move by Armagh to break away from the parade in front of the Hill 16 terrace, long before it was supposed to end. Galway hung on for another 10 seconds or so before veering off as a group to observe the national anthem in a line along the 45-metre line at the Davin End. The Armagh players are in a line together along the 45 at the Hill end. PK
We're set for the anthem and moments away from throw-in in the 2024 All-Ireland football final. Some atmosphere.
In the absence of Sean Kelly, who was named to start but has been replaced by Cein Darcy, Oughterard's Matthew Tierney is leading Galway in the pre-match parade. Regular Armagh captain Aidan Forker is at the head of the Orchard team.
The Artane Band are leading the teams around the pitch in one of our favourite Irish sporting customs.
The RTÉ panel are split 2-1 in favour of Galway, as they give their predictions.
The stadium announcer has confirmed to us what's also written on page three of the match programme - that there'll be a replay on August 10 back at Croke Park if it's still a draw after extra-time. So no penalties, good news perhaps for Armagh.
From Paul Keane: Galway spent five minutes or so doing a one v one drill at the Davin End, opening out into a 3 v 3. Padraic Joyce was at the centre of it, playing a wall pass to begin the one v one. They'll be well prepped for when they're bearing down on goals at that end. They moved on to a group chat after that and finished up with some unstructured, free shooting for points.
Armagh, meanwhile, have gone through the ubiquitous three-man weave drill with a shooting opportunity at the end of it. Then there were some small sided games before their own group chat. They're lining up now for the pre-match parade and formalities.
Armagh have won the coin toss and captain Aidan Forker has chosen to face into the Hill 16 end in the first half.
Paul Keane writes
from Croke Park: "If the All-Stars were picked now - a notional pre-match All-Stars selection from the All-Ireland SFC match programme. Should create plenty of debate.
Niall Morgan (Tyrone); Johnny McGrath (Galway), Brendan McCole (Donegal), Tom O'Sullivan (Kerry); Dylan McHugh (Galway), Barry McCambridge (Armagh), Peadar Mogan (Donegal); Paul Conroy (Galway), Niall Grimley (Armagh); Robert Finnerty (Galway), Rian O'Neill (Armagh), Conor Turbitt (Armagh); Shane McGuigan (Derry), Oisin Gallen (Donegal), Darragh Canavan (Tyrone)."
Team news from John at HQ: Galway captain Seán Kelly starts on the bench as Pádraic Joyce opts for the same team as that which started against Donegal. Cein Darcy is once again brought in from the start for Kelly who is not fully fit.
Armagh are to start as named.
C. Gleeson; J. McGrath, S. Fitzgerald, J. Glynn; D. McHugh, L. Silke, S. Ó Maoilchiaráin; P. Conroy, C. Darcy; M. Tierney, J. Maher, C. McDaid; R. Finnerty, D. Comer, S. Walsh. Subs: C. Flaherty, J. Daly, E. Kelly, E. O’Flaherty, K. Molloy, C. Sweeney, S. Kelly (c), J. Healy, L. Ó Conghaile. T. Culhane, N. Daly.
: B. Hughes; P. Burns, A. McKay, B. McCambridge; C. Mackin, T. Kelly, A. Forker (c); N. Grimley, B. Crealey; J. McElroy, R. O’Neill, O. Conaty; R. Grugan, A. Murnin, C. Turbitt. Subs: E. Rafferty, G. McCabe, P, McGrane, C. Higgins, R. McQuillan, S. McPartlan, J. Duffy, O. O’Neill, S. Campbell, A. Nugent, J. Burns.
Galway out on the field several minutes before their allotted time of 3pm. Armagh were due out at 2.58pm and arrived out a minute late.
Last week, we saw the jubilee hurling team from Cork honoured at Croke Park.
The Meath 1999 All-Ireland winning team led by Seán Boylan are set to be presented to the crowd. A couple of Meath-born journalists wondering will they ever see another silver jubilee team.
The team that denied the Rebel County a second double of the decade are currently on the pitch with the Sam Maguire they won in 1999.
John Fogarty writes from Croker: "A blustery day in Croke Park compared to last Sunday. Wind blowing from the Hill 16 end. The Meath 1999 All-Ireland winning team led by Seán Boylan are set to be presented to the crowd. A couple of Meath-born journalists wondering will they ever see another silver jubilee team."
Some pregame reading? Start with Éamonn Fitzmaurice's final verdict.
And find all our All-Ireland football final coverage at our dedicated hub.
As the Croke Park PA operator often suggests with our favourite Bowie track: let's dance.
We're strapping in for a novel All-Ireland football final decider between Armagh and Galway at GAA HQ.
With input from our team at Croke Park and elsewhere, we'll have insight, reaction and analysis -- as well as every score -- throughout the afternoon.
One member of that team, Maurice Brosnan, is in early and sends this update from the Hogan Stand.