Dublin and Meath to share Croker bill if 2027 League home games fall on the same weekends

Meath captain Eoghan Frayne lifts the Division 2 trophy at Croke Park. Pic: Tom Maher/Inpho

Dublin and Meath will again share the Croke Park bill if their National Football League home games fall on the same weekends next year.

As Navan’s Páirc Tailteann’s reconstruction will not be completed until April, Meath will nominate GAA HQ as one of its temporary home venues after they swapped places with Dublin and earned promotion to Division 1 in 2027.

Robbie Brennan’s side won all three of their 2025 Division 2 games in Croke Park against Derry, Louth and Tyrone and are in line to have four home fixtures next season.

Dublin lost three of their four home Division 1 matches this past season to Armagh, Donegal and Kerry and could be on the road four times as they aim to return to the top flight next year.

Although Dublin are in the second tier, it’s likely they will headline any double-header involving their neighbours. Manager Ger Brennan is to serve the remainder of his suspension in the opening two Division 2 games in January.

The provisional 2027 National Football and Hurling League fixtures are expected to be released to counties before the end of the month. 

They will have time to review their schedules before they are finalised ahead of the release of the master fixtures list.

The provincial championship draw will take place on Thursday, November 19 and will be streamed live on GAA+’s YouTube channel.

Cork and Kerry have byes to separate semi-finals in Munster while Dublin, Kildare, Louth, and Westmeath are automatically through to the quarter-finals in Leinster having made the last four in 2026.

Armagh, Derry, Donegal and Tyrone will all avoid a preliminary round draw in Ulster having played at that stage over the last two seasons, while in Connacht Sligo travel to New York and Leitrim face London in Ruislip.

Meanwhile, Dublin captain Chris Crummey has confirmed his retirement from inter-county hurling. 

The 33-year-old, who steps away like Liam Rushe who returned to line out for his county this year, told the Irish Independent, “I’ve called it a day.” 

Lucan Sarsfields man Crummey was a non-playing member of Dublin’s Leinster SHC-winning panel in 2013 having captained the provincial-winning minor side two years earlier.

The half-back made his senior debut in 2015 and was nominated for All-Stars on three occasions. Crummey captained Dublin under Niall Ó Ceallacháin the past two seasons having previously held the role in 2018 when Pat Gilroy was manager.