Kerry Advances Past Dublin In Semi‑Final

Early Goal Sets The Tone

Sun‑blazed Croke Park saw the two old rivals clash for the first time since Dublin lifted the 2023 All‑Ireland title. Dublin opened the scoring with a pair of Costello frees, but Kerry responded quickly when a foul on Sean O’Shea earned a penalty. David Clifford stepped up, saw his initial strike saved by Evan Comerford, and slotting the rebound to give Kerry an early lead. The image below captures Clifford’s celebration after that third‑minute finish.

Kerry’s opening strike forced Dublin onto the back foot. Dublin’s defenders contained Con O’Callaghan and limited other attackers, but Cormac Costello and Colm Basquel managed a few points of their own. The half ended with Kerry leading 1-8 to 0-11, after a flurry of three Dublin points narrowed the gap before the interval.

First‑Half Battle of Discipline And Craft

Both sides showed a cautious approach, each waiting for the other to make a mistake. Kerry’s forwards, led by David Clifford’s solitary score and his older brother Paudie’s five points, kept the tempo high while Dublin struggled with composure. Dublin’s tally of five wides in the opening 30 minutes illustrated their difficulty in converting chances. Despite a rare run by O’Callaghan, who found space for a two‑pointer, Dublin ended the half still trailing.

Kerry Find A Second Goal To Break The Deadlock

Dublin came out firing in the second half, dominating the restart and forcing three scores early on. After a patient rebuild, the Kingdom answered when Dylan Geaney’s shot was blocked, and Sean O’Brien redirected the ball past Comerford. That goal swung momentum back in Kerry’s favour, and the Kingdom’s depth began to show. Paudie Clifford added two more points while Charlie McMorrow replied for Dublin, but Kerry kept building the cushion. The image below captures O’Brien’s decisive palmed finish.

Kerry’s back‑line, anchored by Paul Murphy and Mike Breen, kept Dublin at bay as the game entered the final quarter. Dublin’s wides now crept past ten, exposing their finishing issues, while a run by Ross McGarry was thwarted by Shane Murphy’s save and a last‑line clearance. Kerry extended the lead to five points with late scores from David Clifford and O’Shea, before the insurance point from Clifford sealed the win.

Final Sprint And Victory Celebrations

With minutes dwindling Dublin still hoped to close the gap, but the relentless turnover and missed shots kept them off the score sheet. They managed to pull within a single goal in the final minute, yet Kerry controlled the kick‑out and secured the winning point. The final tally read Kerry 2-18 to Dublin 0-20, confirming Kerry’s progression to face Mayo on Sunday, 26 July. The victory keeps Jack O’Connor’s side on track for a potential back‑to‑back All‑Ireland crowns, while Ger Brennan’s men will reflect on a night full of missed opportunities.

Teams And Scoring Summary

Kerry

• Shane Murphy; Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Dylan Casey
• Graham O’Sullivan (0‑2); Mike Breen, Gavin White
• Mark O’Shea, Sean O’Brien (1‑0)
• Joe O’Connor, Paudie Clifford (0‑5, 2‑free), Diarmuid O’Connor
• David Clifford (1‑5, 1‑free), Sean O’Shea (0‑4, 1‑free), Dylan Geaney (0‑1)

Subs: Brian O Beaglaoich (43), Keith Evans (47), Evan Looney (59), Armin Heinrich (59), Tomas Kennedy (0‑1, 63)

Dublin

• Evan Comerford; Alex Gavin, Eoin Kennedy, David Byrne
• Lee Gannon, Theo Clancy, Charlie McMorrow (0‑2)
• Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne, Brian Howard (0‑2); Niall Scully (0‑1), Ciarán Kilkenny, Colm Basquel (0‑3)
• Paddy Small (0‑2), Con O’Callaghan (0‑2, 2‑free), Cormac Costello (0‑7, 2‑free, 1‑45)

Subs: Cian Murphy (50), Ross McGarry (55), Sean Bugler (0‑1, 58), Sean Guiden (63)

The match was refereed by Brendan Cawley of Kildare. Kerry now gears up for the decider, aiming to add another title to their growing list. Dublin will regroup and look to address the set‑backs that cost them on the day. Both counties retain strong fan bases and will be eager to impress when the championship resumes.