{"id":546084,"date":"2026-07-12T15:58:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T15:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/546084\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T15:58:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T15:58:09","slug":"dublin-v-kerry-live-updates-kerry-and-dublin-level-at-half-time-of-semi-final-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/546084\/","title":{"rendered":"Dublin v Kerry live updates: Kerry and Dublin level at half-time of semi-final \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

All-Ireland SFC semi-final: Dublin 0-11 Kerry 1-8 (HT)<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Se\u00e1n Moran\u2019s half-time update:<\/p>\n

“Dublin and Kerry are level at half-time but the Dubs have been backed by a big wind and their inaccuracies may come against them. Kerry were insulated from the elements by a third-minute penalty after a foul on Joe O\u2019Connor by Peadar \u00d3 Cofaigh Byrne. David Clifford\u2019s kick was saved by Evan Comerford but the rebound was easily netted.<\/p>\n

Kerry will be pleased to have dominated possession against the wind and Dublin have allowed Paudie Clifford free rein beyond the 40-mettre arc. The price to date hasn\u2019t been exorbitant but it\u2019s a risky strategy.<\/p>\n

Dublin\u2019s forwards have made a mark amidst the six wides. Cormac Costello, Colm Basquel and Con O\u2019Callaghan all chipped in as Kerry have defended the arc well, conceding just two two-pointers. A capacity crowd awaits the second half.”<\/p>\n

This is one of these decisions that we\u2019ve become accustomed to throughout the World Cup. If you look at it from different angles, it seems to tell you different stories. The Sunday Game panel have had their say; Paul Flynn and Paul Conroy both agree that it was soft but \u00d3 Cofaigh Byrne could have stood his ground instead of tackling. Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 S\u00e9 says that it isn\u2019t a penalty.<\/p>\n

Peadar \u00d3 Cofaigh Byrne is deemed to have fouled Joe O’Connor resulting in a penalty which David Clifford converts on the rebound<\/p>\n

Watch live on RT\u00c9 2 & RT\u00c9 Player or listen live on RT\u00c9 Radio 1. #SundayGame<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/f5f955mMvI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Half-time: Dublin 0-11 Kerry 1-8<\/p>\n

Level at half-time after a very good final score from Se\u00e1n O\u2019Shea, his first real flash of brilliance today.<\/p>\n

34 Mins: Costello just about gets around O\u2019Sullivan and pops one over for Dublin to lead. Dublin win the kickout again, but Scully hoofs it to nothing. Dublin 0-11 Kerry 1-7<\/p>\n

32 Mins: Charlie McMorrow makes a great arcing run and curls over a right footed effort to level the game. Dublin win the kickout, a rarity today. Dublin 0-10 Kerry 1-7<\/p>\n

31 Mins: Kerry are mirroring Dublin now, going at a snail\u2019s pace. Dublin aren\u2019t coming out to meet them outside the arc though, so why would they? This time it gets to David Clifford who shoots Kerry\u2019s first wide of the game. Dublin 0-9 Kerry 1-7<\/p>\n

28 Mins: Dublin go very slow this time. Eventually, Kilkenny works it in to Costello, who turns and lashes it over off the left foot. At the other end, Paudie Clifford leaves a shot very short. Dublin 0-9 Kerry 1-7<\/p>\n

26 Mins: Paddy Small goes for a two-pointer, but it curls too far in and goes wide on the near side. Then there\u2019s a great fetch from the kickout by Joe O\u2019Connor. Dublin 0-8 Kerry 1-7<\/p>\n

25 Mins: Scully, O\u2019Callaghan and Basquel combine well to let the latter get a handy score. So far Dublin have been doing a decent job on David Clifford, but are perhaps paying him too much attention, leaving gaps for his brother and Graham O\u2019Sullivan. This time though, it is the big man who lets off a great shot just inside the arc and points it. Dublin 0-8 Kerry 1-6<\/p>\n

23 Mins: Good defending from Howard, turning over O\u2019Shea. In the end though, Scully\u2019s effort tails wide. Miscommunication at the back for Dublin sees Paudie Clifford ghost right through to fist one over. Dublin 0-7 Kerry 1-6<\/p>\n

20 Mins: Se\u00e1n O\u2019Shea mishits a simple looking point effort. Dublin bring it up slowly. Colm Basquel eventually injects the pace and gets a good score off his left. Dublin 0-7 Kerry 1-5<\/p>\n

19 Mins: Dublin win the Kerry kickout, but Howard drops it under no pressure and possession is wasted. Kerry go into their usual shape, passing it around. Eventually it comes to O\u2019Sullivan who gets a second great point. Costello wastes a chance at the other end for a two-pointer. Dublin 0-6 Kerry 1-5<\/p>\n

17 Mins: Mark O\u2019Shea puts a strong tackle in on O\u2019Callaghan, so free out for Dublin. Niall Scully eventually takes the shot on his left foot, which nearly drops in under the bar, but Shane Murphy makes a decent save to paw it out for a 45\u2032. Costello hits it and makes it. Dublin 0-6 Kerry 1-4<\/p>\n

15 Mins: Kerry are happy to ship the ball around and wait for the right opportunity to emerge. Dublin have not opted to man-mark Paudie Clifford anyways, which makes this style a lot easier for the Kingdom. Eventually he plays a super pass over the top for O\u2019Shea, so it\u2019ll be an advanced mark. O\u2019Shea is a lot more comfortable on placed balls than Eoin Kennedy was and slots it. Dublin 0-5 Kerry 1-4<\/p>\n

12 Mins: Dublin just about win a Kerry kickout and work it up. Con O\u2019Callaghan very cleverly stays outside the arc and slots it over. Dublin 0-5 Kerry 1-3<\/p>\n

11 Mins: Terrible effort from outside the arc by Paddy Small, but the advanced mark had been called. Eoin Kennedy has a go, but puts it well wide from the placed ball. Dublin 0-3 Kerry 1-3<\/p>\n

10 Mins: Kerry work it around, finding Paudie Clifford who makes a dash inside and slots one over on his left. Then Comerford hits a kickout way too short and Dylan Geaney gets in for a goal chance, putting it over. Dublin 0-3 Kerry 1-3<\/p>\n

8 Mins: Niall Scully hits a good ball inside to O\u2019Callaghan, but the shot is eventually blocked. Paddy Small does well to rescue things with a point in the end. Dublin 0-3 Kerry 1-1<\/p>\n

7 Mins: Diarmuid O\u2019Connor gets through the Dublin cover and lays off for Graham O\u2019Sullivan to get Kerry\u2019s first point. Dublin\u2019s kickout is good and quick, but Gannon kicks it away wastefully. Dublin 0-2 Kerry 1-1<\/p>\n

6 Mins: Kerry\u2019s break comes to nothing so Dublin go slow again. Jason Foley stands up O\u2019Callaghan well in a one-to-one. Eventually the Cuala man gets on it again and goes for two, but it\u2019s wide. Murphy\u2019s kickouts look good again today so far. Dublin 0-2 Kerry 1-0<\/p>\n

4 Mins: Kerry force Dublin\u2019s first kickout over the sideline. They carry it up, but Dylan Geaney fouls the ball under pressure. Howard adds some pace to things, but Dublin circle around for a slow attack. Kerry surround Basquel eventually to win it back. Dublin 0-2 Kerry 1-0<\/p>\n

2 Mins: Penalty for Kerry! Joe O\u2019Connor powers into the area and meets \u00d3 Cofaigh Byrne who turns his shoulder into the Kerry man. It is frontal, but it is harsh enough at the same time. Yellow for the Dublin man too. O\u2019Shea throws the ball off to Clifford.<\/p>\n

GOAL for Kerry! Comerford saved the peno, but it comes right out to Clifford who roofs it to the net. Dublin 0-2 Kerry 1-0<\/p>\n

1 Min: We\u2019re a tiny bit delayed throwing in, but it\u2019s off now! \u00d3 Cofaigh Byrne wins the throw-in and Dublin are playing into the Canal End, which was a big advantage yesterday. Alex Gavin takes a solo and go, and Mark O\u2019Shea is adjudged to have been impeding him, so it\u2019s moved in. That\u2019s pretty harsh, but Costello takes the free and lands the two-pointer. Dublin 0-2 Kerry 0-0<\/p>\n

Right, the teams are parading now, so it\u2019s nearly time to go. This should be something else.<\/p>\n

If you want a quick preview before throw-in, now is the time to read Se\u00e1n Moran\u2019s piece. He sees the champions as being a little too strong for Dublin.<\/p>\n

[Kerry v Dublin preview: Champions to get the job done against liberated challengers<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Here are the teams to start today\u2019s semi-final including the late changes:<\/p>\n

Dublin: Evan Comerford; Alex Gavin, Eoin Kennedy, David Byrne; Lee Gannon, Theo Clancy, Charlie McMorrow; Peadar \u00d3 Cofaigh Byrne, Brian Howard; Colm Basquel, Con O\u2019Callaghan, Niall Scully; Cormac Costello, Ciar\u00e1n Kilkenny, Paddy Small.<\/p>\n

Kerry: Shane Murphy; Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Dylan Casey; Graham O\u2019Sullivan, Mike Breen, Gavin White; Mark O\u2019Shea, Se\u00e1n O\u2019Brien; Joe O\u2019Connor, Paudie Clifford, Diarmuid O\u2019Connor; David Clifford, Se\u00e1n O\u2019Shea, Dylan Geaney.<\/p>\n

Se\u00e1n Moran is in Croke Park today and brings us news of changes before throw-in at 4pm:<\/p>\n

“As Croke Park fills up on a hot summer afternoon for the latest iteration of Kerry-Dublin, news of two changes. The champions introduce All Star Se\u00e1n O\u2019Shea, now full restored after coming off the bench against Tyrone. He replaces Paul Geaney, who drops out of the panel, presumably with injury. Killian Spillane will wear 14 in the Kerry replacements. <\/p>\n

Dublin announce that as expected, Se\u00e1n MacMahon won\u2019t start after the knock he sustained against Galway in the quarter-finals. Alex Gavin comes into the defence. <\/p>\n

Dublin haven\u2019t beaten their rivals in an All-Ireland semi-final for 10 years but have in that time won two finals, 2019 and \u201923 while losing in the last four to Kerry in 2022.”<\/p>\n

\"DavidDavid Clifford and Kieran Donaghy share a word ahead of Kerry-Dublin at Croke Park. Photograph: Tom O\u2019Hanlon\/Inpho <\/p>\n

Ger Brennan is no stranger to Dublin-Kerry games, but this is the first championship meeting where he\u2019ll be managing. He admits that the ones he\u2019s enjoyed the most are the games he hasn\u2019t been involved with, but is looking towards history to inspire his charges today.<\/p>\n

[Ger Brennan drawing on past lessons to inform latest instalment of Dublin-Kerry rivalry<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Earlier in the week, Paul Galvin discussed the competitiveness and energy of Kerry\u2019s legendary manager Jack O\u2019Connor. Gordon Manning reports.<\/p>\n

[\u2018Jack was born to manage teams and win things\u2019: Paul Galvin ranks Jack O\u2019Connor among Kerry\u2019s greats<\/a>]<\/p>\n

With David and Paudie Clifford up front for Kerry, it seems obvious that they should be the players kept on the closest watch. That just leaves you with Paul and Dylan Geaney and maybe the returning Se\u00e1n O\u2019Shea to contend with. It\u2019s definitely not ideal for a defence. Dylan Geaney in particular has shined this year and may need more defensive attention than any team can afford to give him. His performance against Tyrone was sensational, and Stephen Rochford explains how he fits into the Kingdom\u2019s attack.<\/p>\n

[Stephen Rochford: Kerry\u2019s prolific Dylan Geaney yet another attacking problem for rivals Dublin<\/a>]<\/p>\n

One of the great Kerry players of this current crop has not had it easy, despite his famous name. From the forgotten man of the late 2010s, to becoming the brains up front, Denis Walsh analyses the key ball handler for this Kerry side, Paudie Clifford. <\/p>\n

[Paudie Clifford: How Kerry\u2019s overlooked talent became an indispensable star<\/a>]<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s another semi-final and another packed house at Croker. It was all set up for an incredible game yesterday, but Louth never really got going and Mayo booked their spot in the final. Let\u2019s hope that we see a more entertaining game today on another sweltering day in Dublin.<\/p>\n

\"KerryKerry fans walking up to Croke Park ahead of their semi-final against Dublin. Photograph: Tom O\u2019Hanlon\/Inpho <\/p>\n

Kerry enter the game as favourites, but will be wary of this resurgent Dublin team. In any case, Jack O\u2019Connor certainly isn\u2019t the type of manager to let his team get carried away with any pre-match talk. However, Darragh \u00d3 S\u00e9 agrees with Ger Brennan saying that the pressure is on Kerry is, regardless of whether it\u2019s a little bit of mind games from the Dublin coach.<\/p>\n

[Darragh \u00d3 S\u00e9: It\u2019s not mind games \u2013 Ger Brennan is right about all the pressure being on Kerry<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the second All-Ireland football semi-final; Dublin-Kerry. It\u2019s Gaelic football\u2019s greatest rivalry, renewed today for the 34th meeting of these sides in the championship. Kerry hold the edge in head-to-head meetings, but Dublin won their last championship clash, the 2023 All-Ireland final.<\/p>\n

The odds favour the reigning All-Ireland champions Kerry today though. Led by David Clifford, they have bounced back since defeat to Donegal, hammering Armagh and overcoming Tyrone in the quarters. On the other hand, Dublin\u2019s season looked to be nearly over a few weeks ago, but they have bounced back, dumping Donegal and Galway out en route to the semis.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s game will be played in front of a sold out Croke Park, and will throw in at 4pm.<\/p>\n