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FULL TIME — Mayo 1-20 (23) · Kerry 1-17 (20)
Sunday 26 July 2026 · Croke Park · 82,300. Mayo are All-Ireland champions for the first time since 1951 — a wait of 75 years ended at the sixth final attempt against Kerry. It's Mayo's 4th title. Kerry's bid for a landmark 40th falls short, leaving them on 39.
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All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship finals
Kerry and Mayo first met back in 1905, and their clashes have grown into one of the great rivalries in Gaelic games. Across roughly 29 championship meetings, Kerry still hold the edge — about 19 wins to Mayo's 6, with 4 draws — but Mayo won the one that mattered most. Nearly every meeting has been played at a neutral venue, usually Croke Park.
The two counties have now met five times in the final. Kerry won the first four — then Mayo finally broke through in 2026:
| Year | Result | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Kerry 2-7 – 2-4 Mayo | Mayo's side reportedly included Enda Kenny's father |
| 1997 | Kerry 0-13 – 1-7 Mayo | "The Maurice Fitz final" — nine points from Maurice Fitzgerald |
| 2004 | Kerry 1-20 – 2-9 Mayo | |
| 2006 | Kerry 4-15 – 3-5 Mayo | A commanding display for Kerry's 34th title |
| 2026 | Mayo 1-20 – 1-17 Kerry | Mayo's first final win over Kerry — and a first title since 1951 |
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The Curse of '51 — Mayo's last All-Ireland title came in 1951. Legend has it a priest cursed the team so they'd never win again until every member of that side had died. The last surviving members passed away by 2023. After losing finals in 1989, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021, the drought finally ended on 26 July 2026. Curse lifted.
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How it finished. Mayo led the way to a 1-20 to 1-17 win in front of 82,300, ending 75 years of hurt at Kerry's expense. Andy Moran's side become the 19th county to be crowned champions in the modern era and move to 4 titles; Kerry stay on 39.
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Mayo have enjoyed famous wins over Kerry too — the 1996 semi-final (2-13 to 1-10) and the epic 2014 semi-final that finished 1-16 each before a replay. For 94 years, though, final day always belonged to Kerry — until 2026 broke the pattern.
Sunday 26 July, Croke Park · 82,300 · Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan). Andy Moran's Mayo ended 75 years of hurt; Jack O'Connor's Kerry fell a score short of a 40th title. Half-time: Mayo 0-10, Kerry 1-8.
| Line | Kerry | Mayo |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Shane Murphy — a splendid 2026, measured kickouts and smart reflexes | Jack Livingstone — first year in the team, has delivered all summer |
| Defence | Jason Foley (durable full-back), Mike Breen (assured centre-back), Gavin White | David McBrien (powerful centre-back), Enda Hession & Sam Callinan (attacking half-backs) |
| Midfield | Mark O'Shea & Seán O'Brien — strong aerial fetchers | Bob Tuohy & Jack Carney — energetic engine room |
| Playmaker | Paudie Clifford — pulls the strings with trademark class | Stephen Coen & Conor Loftus — link the lines |
| Talisman | David Clifford (capt) — 1-6, scored with his first touch and goaled on 15 minutes, but on the losing side | Ryan O'Donoghue — 0-5 and Footballer of the Year frontrunner; Darragh Beirne 1-3 and Kobe McDonald 0-3 |
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Man of the match: Ryan O'Donoghue (Mayo) — the Belmullet man was named The Sunday Game All-Ireland final man of the match and also took The Sunday Game player of the season award. He kicked 0-5 in the final, led the press from the front line of attack, and produced the game's defining moment: a 60-yard burst past four Kerry defenders that ended with Darragh Beirne's goal. On the ratings, Jack Carney (9) matched him for Mayo; Mike Breen (8) was Kerry's best.
Sunday Game team of the year — seven Mayo players selected: Sam Callinan, Enda Hession, David McBrien, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn, Ryan O'Donoghue and Kobe McDonald. Kerry supply four: Shane Murphy, Jason Foley, Paudie Clifford and David Clifford. Dara McDonnell (Louth), Matthew Whittaker (Westmeath), Conn Kilpatrick (Tyrone) and Niall Scully (Dublin) complete the fifteen.
Source: RTÉ — O'Donoghue man of the match and TSG player of the season
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Superstition watch, settled — David Clifford captained Kerry in place of the injured Paul Geaney and switched from his usual No.13 to No.14 to dodge the old jinx that no Kerry captain has won an All-Ireland wearing 13. It made no difference: he finished with 1-6 and no Sam Maguire. Mayo, meanwhile, wore a one-off all-white kit — an echo of 1951, the last time they won.
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