Date: 24 Jul 2025
All Ireland - Kerry v Donegal 'The Safe Road to Croker'
As excitement builds ahead of the All-Ireland Football final this weekend, supporters from the Hills of Donegal and the Kingdom of Kerry are preparing for almost a 300-kilometre journey to Croke Park.
While Donegal and Kerry may be rivals on the pitch, Donegal County Council and Kerry County Council have teamed up to promote road safety to encourage those travelling from both counties to have a safe and enjoyable journey to and from Dublin.
A football match can be a tiring sport for any player, its physical, demanding and requires a lot of attention and focus. Likewise, long journeys require full concentration, physical awareness, and mental alertness resulting in driver fatigue, which can lead to delayed reaction times, poor concentration, and a collision.
A joint social media video has been created featuring a football and road safety theme highlighting advice to fans travelling for the match. The message focuses on the difference between a wrong move on the pitch and a wrong move on the road.
Pamela Smullen, Donegal County Council’s Road Safety Officer said, “This is a proud and exciting weekend for both counties, with thousands on the move - we want everyone to get to their destination and back home safely. A long journey can take its toll, so we encourage supporters to plan, allow extra time, stay alert, ensure all passengers are wearing seatbelts and drive with care. Whether you’re behind the wheel or in the passenger seat, we all have a role to play in keeping our roads safe.”
Declan Keogh, Kerry County Council’s Road Safety Officer said: “It will be an extremely busy time on the road to Croke Park from both directions. Leave the speed and impact to the players on the pitch. We’re asking drivers and passenger to wear their seatbelt like their county’s crest, wear it with pride. We also ask motorists not to take their eye off the ball when driving, to concentrate on the journey, drive at a safe speed and to take breaks along the route to combat driver fatigue.”
