The Delaney Cup is up for Grabs
- Fixture: Dublin v Westmeath
- Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026
- Throw In: 2 pm
- Referee: David Coldrick
- Venue: Croke Park
- TV & Streaming: RTE 2 & RTE Player.
DUBLIN
Dublin return to the Leinster Final and look to make it their sixty fourth victory in the provincial decider as they face Westmeath this weekend.
They faced a spirited performance from Wicklow and were hanging on in the end to oblige. Paddy Small found the net in the 58th minute to put Dublin into a five-point lead, and that looked like it was going to be more than enough, but Wicklow fought back, and the Dubs came very close to a shock defeat. Seán Bugler (0-5) and the aforementioned Paddy Small (1-6) were the two star performers for Dublin on the evening and sent them into a semi-final against the holders, Louth.
The game against Louth was quite cagey early on, but it was the second half where Dublin shut off all the avenues for Louth and asserted their dominance. 0-8 to 0-6 at the interval, but the game would eventually finish 0-20 to 0-10, and the Dubs would also hold their opponents scoreless for twenty-two minutes. The likes of Sam Mulroy weren’t able to pull the strings for Louth, and they went out of the provincial Championship with a whimper.
Cormac Costello would top score on the evening with (0-10), three frees, and one two-point score. If Dublin can get their sharpshooters in top form on Sunday, then they could have their hands back on the Delaney Cup.
WESTMEATH
Westmeath are back in a provincial decider for the first time since 2016, and will be hoping that they can get much closer to Dublin than they did on that occasion, when they were beaten by fifteen points.
Mark McHugh has his team in irresistible form in terms of the scoring charts. They scored 5-25 in their opening match in Leinster against Longford and then found the net four times when scoring 4-18 against last year’s beaten finalists, Meath.
A little more cagey in the semi-final against Kildare, where it went all the way to extra time, and they managed to win by four points in the end. Brandon Kelly scored (1-04) on that occasion, and if he is in form this weekend, then we could be in line for a shock.
The big news this week from the Westmeath camp is the return to the fray of John Heslin. The return of the former Westmeath star forward, who announced his intercounty retirement in January 2025, has caused a significant stir both within the county and further afield.
Heslin has been in top form for his club St Lomans in recent weeks, and the recall of Westmeath’s all-time leading scorer has caused a stir.
VERDICT
The markets may suggest Dublin dominates this, and it looks to be a game that may have quite a few scores. Defensively, Dublin have been quite solid, and if Westmeath are going to cause the shock, they will need to raise a green flag or three. Dublin may be given an anxious moment or two, but I think they will come out on top in the end.
SCORELINE PREDICTION
Dublin 1-27 Westmeath 3-17
Dublin v Westmeath Betting Tips
- Match betting: Dublin (1/7)
- Winning margin: Dublin win by 1-3pts (9/2)
- Total Score: Over 47.5 (10/11)
How to bet on the 2026 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final
Looking to get involved in the action? Full markets on Dublin v Westmeath can be found on the BAR 1 Betting website & app.
With the provincial championships coming to an end and the All-Ireland series just around the corner, now could be a good time to check the latest Gaelic football & Hurling outright markets.
