Galway senior football manager Padraig Joyce has kept faith with the same starting fifteen that beat Dublin for Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final against Donegal in Croke Park (4pm). There were fitness concerns over Sean Kelly, who was replaced before half-time in the quarter final, and Shane Walsh who left the field in some discomfort five minutes from the end nursing a long-term hamstring strain. Both players, along with full-forward Damien Comer, have been named to start in what looks, on paper at least, as a full-strength Galway team. One player not included in the matchday 26 is Cian Hernon who came on to great effect in the second half against Dublin, but suffered a broken hand subsequently and will miss the remainder of the championship.
Sunday will be the 8th championship meeting of the counties and the first since 2017. They have met previously in the All-Ireland semi-final on two occasions, 1974 and 1983, when Galway were victorious. The full history of Galway v Donegal championship meetings is:
1974 All-Ireland Semi-Final: Galway 3-13 Donegal 1-14 (Croke Park)
1983 All-Ireland Semi-Final: Galway 1-12 Donegal 1-11 (Croke Park)
2003 All-Ireland Quarter Final: Donegal 0-14 Galway 1-11 (Croke Park)
2003 All-Ireland Quarter Final replay: Donegal 0-14 Galway 0-11 (Castlebar)
2009 All-Ireland Qualifiers: Donegal 0-14 Galway 0-13 (Sligo)
2015 All-Ireland Qualifiers: Donegal 3-12 Galway 0-11 (Croke Park)
2017 All-Ireland Qualifiers: Galway 4-17 Donegal 0-14 (Sligo)
