Very well set up wj. Adds to the interest at the weekend. All takes time , your work as always is appreciated

Handicaps:
Galway -3 points
Donegal -3 points
Dublin -1 points
Armagh -1 points

One gets the feeling 1 of the above 4 won't advance.

In 2023 - only 1 of the 4 Pre-Lim winners advanced (Monaghan beat Armagh on Penos)
In 2024 - only 1 of the 4 Pre-Lim winners advanced (Galway beating the Dubs)

Donegal, Tyrone, Galway and Armagh

After the League and Connacht Final I still can't shake this feeling Galway will find a way to the final and maybe even steal the whole thing, but Meath might be the good banana skin for them. That coupled with injuries, I hope I get that result wrong

@Damien

Ah God don't be saying that about Galway but maybe it's time to accept it that they are in a great position to go & win the whole thing now .
I'll definetly need the passport if they do win it though .

Though if Kerry find their feet and manage to beat Armagh they could be the ones to stop Galway .

@clare I've been wrong few times before so here's hoping

@Damien

Yeah I hope your wrong again to then haha

God it's depressing looking at a quarter final weekend that we are not involved in yet again .

Great games. It hurts not to have a part in what is the most anticipated weekend of matches in a few years. Only ourselves to blame. Hopefully change can happen soon. Kevin McStay was appointed on 22nd August 3 years ago, already you can see the County Board dragging any review process to Autumn so save money.

Kerry to shock Armagh for me. A dangerous animal.

I'd love Meath to end the run of Galway but I think Sam is headed west.

Con plays Dubs win. If he doesn't they won't.

Monaghan to stick with Donegal but fall short.

Enjoy it all

Did we ever think kerry would be bottom of an 8 team poll. I went Galway, Armagh, Tyrone and Donegal but wouldn't be surprised if I'm telling ye at the weekend that i thought we had to pick the 4 losers.

Monaghan Tyrone Armagh and Meath to win

Monaghan, Dublin , Kerry and Galway .

Monaghan; Donegal are wobbling a little imo.

Dublin; tough one to call but Tyrone didn't want to chase us around Healy Park. That attitude is going to catch up with Tyrone at some stage.

Meath; Galway just waiting for someone to put them out of their misery imo.

Armagh; backing them as a team over, Kerry's individuals.

I've backed ; Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Armagh.
Should be great matches, I'm going to stick 20 on one the above.

Going for Donegal Tyrone Galway and Armagh.i wouldn’t think Galway are waiting to be put out of their misery unfortunately.probably feeling their luck is in after the last few matches

For me it’s Donegal, Tyrone, Armagh and Galway to advance to the semi-finals. Three Ulster teams to make up the final four and it tells you how strong football is in the province at the moment. Armagh are still my favourites to win it out. What a great weekend of football we have to look forward to!

Galway Kerry Tyrone Donegal
Hope I am wrong with at least 2

Kerry were in a similar position in 2006 I remember..v same opposition in a quarter final. They had to get the northern team beating them off their back.. everyone tipped Armagh but kerry had news for them and came up with a big performance..could Sunday be similar? We'll see. Donegal Tyrone Galway to progress

Galway will hammer Meath. Galway will win Sam. Name on the cup.

Monaghan will beat Donegal. Jimmy knows they’re goosed. He’s setting the excuses since they bet ye in the Hyde. Failing to top group was not part of the plan. Jimmy’s system requires rest. They played about 7 games to win Sam in 2012. Already they have 7 played, with little to no recovery. Ge over.

Armagh just too organised and battle hardened for Kerry..

Tyrone to beat Dublin. Farrell out the door an a few players with him.

Galway will beat Meath. I can see Meath being very over-awed by the occasion unfortunately and I do not think they have the physicality to keep up with Galway.

Kerry will give Armagh plenty of it, but you'd expect Armagh to have enough given Kerry's injury problems of late. A written off Kerry is always a danger though, and if complacency or arrogance creeps into the Armagh camp, there's every possibility they get caught.

Dublin's season is riding on Con. I'm sure he will play, whether he is 100% is another question. Either way, I think Tyrone will actually be happy with this draw because it's a chance for them to really see where they're at and to get a big occasion in Croke Park. Might be a year too soon for them, but mark my words, they are building, and with some very good underage players about to come through. They will win another Sam this decade.

Donegal and Monaghan has the potential to be the game of the weekend. A rested Monaghan will fancy their chances to pull off an upset against a Donegal team that's been doing back to back weekends. I tip this one to go to extra time with Donegal's fitness pulling them through.

Dreamy.
I went Galway, Armagh, Tyrone and Monaghan.
I think extra time is the last thing Donegal needs.

For the first time since facing Dublin in 2019 I don't think we will do it on Sunday.

We are just missing too many key players and have lads back that have played very little football.

Clifford is trim and fit and in the form of his life kicking 3.7 last Sat and he should have had 6 goals.

I just can't see us competing with the absentees.

I see an article about young player of the year for this year and it mentioned since it started in 1997 only 3 players have won it twice.. I'll give 2 free tickets for the Donegal v mayo game in the Hyde to the 1st poster to name the 3 players.

Galway, Tyrone, Armagh and Monaghan for me

It's incredible that David Clifford will be 27 in Jan 2026 and only has one Senior All Ireland.
He will won more I am sure but years keep rolling by as we know in Mayo only too well

No doubt the game is over Mayo v Donegal

https://mayogaa.com/2025/06/25/mayo-senior-football-management-are-relieved-from-their-roles/

Mayo management relieved of their roles.

And full managment team too , ok we mean business it allows new potentail management to review all county championship games and potential new talent

@no doubt
Diarmuid
Cillian
Oisin

If you can email the tickets to me that would be grand!

Wow.
Decisive action needed and Decisive action very much taken.

Thanks to the boys but I think it's fair to say their time had come. New voices needed, Andy hopefully, get a bit a passion and the crowds back

I suppose it’s very raw at the moment but I’d just like to pay Kevin and his team a huge thank you for the last 3 years. I’ll admit I was very vocal against them but I also very much envy them. They put in massive work to try and make mayo football better, and for that they deserve huge thanks.

Thought Rochford got tactics spot on against Donegal. If we had not butchered 2 open goal chances would have been a very different story. Still they got 3 years so let's see who can do something better.

In the circumstances, did he really have to be sacked?

Id imagine everyone knew it was very much the end. I'm sure they could have met and put out a statement along the lines of "we have mutually decided to part ways"

To be plain sacked seems harsh no matter what words they use to dress it up and the statement reads slightly cold also, especially given the circumstances

Maybe it's just me

Donegal Tyrone Meath and Armagh. Have to throw in one upset to keep it real.

I presume they were offered the chance to step down
But …

Agree Stephanite... a terrible way to conduct it..
No mention of Kevin's health issue, for all that he has given Mayo football, it's fairly cold ..
No respect for him. Considering he won a national title and brought through some young talent...

Monaghan Meath Tyrone and Armagh

I'm with you Stephenite, I hope the offer was put to them to walk before the decision was made. Comes across as crass to sack someone on sick leave

Agree Stephenite. Not sure kicking men while down was needed. But felt we would be still be in the news when the team were gone out of the championship. Are we ever not?! I suppose better now than in several months.
Thank you to Kevin and his team. Unfortunately wasn’t the end we all hoped for.

@Mind the House. Well done.. . 3 mayo players
I'll meet you at the gate with the tickets

That was my initial feeling too Stephenite, especially given the circumstances.

It's the right call, and the board is probably trying to show that they have rightly taken swift decisive action, but it feels a bit harsh. Unless they didn't want to step down, in which case there probably wasn't any better way to handle it. All speculation for now anyway. Sad to see it end like this all the same, for everyone involved. We all wanted them to succeed. So many what ifs and should haves.

Now let's hope the recruitment campaign goes smoothly - it's a role that should appeal with all the young talent we have - and that a new management team is in place by the end of the summer.

Everyone knew there was to be a change of management but to announce it in this manner when Kevin is hopefully recovering from his recent bout of illness is nothing short of a disgrace. Kevin and his team have been great servants to Mayo football and deserved to be treated with the respect that was sadly lacking on this occasion. This is not the Premier League.
I know most people on the blog will be happy with this news but surely no one can defend the way it has happened. As it appears the decision was only made at tonight's meeting I ask when were Kevin and his team informed.

@no doubt.
I read the article myself earlier.

Will you be offering a cash equivalent for the tickets? !!

Ruthless stuff from the Mayo County Board. I suppose they would say they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t

If the meeting was only this evening, they did remarkably well to piece together the comms so rapidly. Perhaps there was a draft ready…

Thank you to Kevin and everyone involved. No person ever sets out to not reach their highest potential, managers or players. Overall it didn't work out for Kevin. But that's life.

Have anyone on here not considered that it's possible Kevin did not want his current health situation mentioned or discussed? It's a private matter after all. I would just hope that the county board would have the professionalism, respect and manners to hold a full discussion with the departing management team...

JJ Kelly, it's all speculation at this stage maybe they were digging in and board had no choice or maybe it was as you say, impossible for us to know based on the release alone.

Thanks to all involved for their time and efforts, management at all levels is difficult. There can only be one winner of a competition, everyone else is a ....
So thanks again and good wishes into the future. It takes great courage to even put name in for these roles and they have to be commended for it.

Harsh!!! It’s typical top table stuff from us - let’s get a ballsy statement out which has no balls at all attached to it. The man did his county some service on and off the field, was treated like sh1t by prior county boards and his tenure was over now anyway and he earned the right to deliver it himself and now especially in light of post medical recovery matters. No need for this bluster on June 25th but what’s new, these lads and lassies are absolutely miles off the mark. But that’s what we have, a grandiose statement of no value while lots of the far more meaningful decision making gets tossed to the wind.

It's a tough assignment managing Mayo and all management teams that gave it their all are to be commended for the trojan efforts involved with County teams.

In fairness, we have no idea what went on behind the scenes, almost two weeks since Mayo made their championship exit, I would be surprised if there was no discussion had with management before this statement was issued.

Wording such as this is unusual for any county, including Mayo

@Mind the House. No cash. Tickets only.

Hoping for Monaghan, Meath, Tyrone and Armagh but thinking only two of them to make it through.

Well I think its going up North but which one..Im from Clones so id love Monaghan to win I think they can beat Donegal..Think yeah Tyrone will beat Dublin..Galway will beat Meath was hopeing we would get them lols Armagh will beat Kerry..For sure it will be a great weekend off football..cmon the Farney

Donegal, Dublin, Galway and Kerry. This would set up Donegal V Dublin and Galway V Kerry semi-finals

Armagh
Dublin
Galway
Monaghan

We are goosed.

So many injuries its bewildering.

This will sound and probably is arrogant but not since 2019 have i believed we would not win going up to Croke Park.

WestKerry....
i am loathe to ever tip against Kerry when they arrive in croker at the business end but on this occasion i cannot see Kerry getting over Armagh this weekend, up front ye are still as well stocked as anyone especially with Paudie and Geaney back but midfield area is going to cost ye badly, Armagh will have grimley/crealey there with Rian o'neill and Burns helping out too. Its a huge issue for kerry and based on that alone i can only see an Armagh win

Its a cracking lineup of games though, i cant recall a QF weekend where all 4 games were such strong matchups, there will be an upset somewhere (ill go with tyrone if you could call that an upset) and at least 1 penalty shooutout.

Ill be tipping in for the sunday double header myself as im at a loose end, going by ticketmaster thats close to sellout (well over 60k sold already)

Armagh
Tyrone
Donegal (Penalties/AET)
Galway (by 1)

...its like the 90s again, Ulster has become the powerhouse out of nowhere. If galway had drawn monaghan i would have gone for a clean sweep of ulster predictions for the last 4 -> Armagh/Tyrone/Monaghan/Donegal.

Though given my prediction history if anyone has any sense they will go to the bookies are lump against all 4 of my tips to win :-)

Supermac,

That's a fair assessment and one that is widely shared in Kerry.

We lost our centre back and our starting 2 midfielders.

Thats the core of any team.

Look thats life its been a very strange week knowing that your likely out before a ball has been kicked.

It's like a Kerry "b" team
Lots of injuries and players playing out of their usual positions.
Three forwards with very little experience at this level.
New untried midfielder.
Has to be Armagh.
End of the road for Jacko.
Where are all the five in a row minors?

I initially went for the obvious of Galway Donegal Dublin and Armagh. However am completely revising basing my updated view purely on one stat, the extra week rest.
For that reason I see only Armagh who topped their group as winning.
Tyrone Dublin was hard to call anyway without the extra week so Tyrone,
Meath are the long shots but the atmosphere at that game will be unreal, their biggest chance to do something in 15 years. Galway have underperformed and no guarantee they’ll fix that. I take the battle hardened Galway argument but if it’s close, Meath building momentum (albeit last win Kerry weren’t fully on it) will have more energy in the 4th quarter. Galway will have to lead this one by 4-6 by half time or 50 mins because if Meath are even half in it the crowd should be wild. I don’t foresee a big Galway lead even if they get a few goals as Meath will bag a few 2 pointers along the way to keep in touch if things not going so well. Pre championship Galway were a division above, not so sue now.
Monaghan have the rest, Donegal may be a slightly better team but the week’s rest is a 3-4 point swing minimum, enough I think just about for Monaghan but not if it turns out Donegal are in reality a division above. Doubt they are.
Kerry Armagh should be a cracker if Kerry have the full deck. The Clifford factor can never be discounted and Kerry have other stars too ; Jack is a determined manager who won’t be overawed. I still think Armagh should have too much in the end. They probably have a slightly better panel and a top sub in Campbell who won them last year’s AI.
I will likely be wrong on one of these as some teams overcome the rest week obstacle (Galway 2024, Monaghan 2023) but seldom will 2 out of 4 overcome it.

I've just closed the poll on the weekend's matches. So ...

Galway, Donegal and Armagh are strongly fancied to beat Meath, Monaghan and Kerry respectively, with Tyrone getting the nod to beat Dublin, though this is more of a toss-up based on the reports.

We'll all be much wiser on this tomorrow evening!