When are the FAI Cup semi finals 2026?
The FAI Cup semi-finals 2026 offer two routes to the Aviva and one particularly emotional goodbye: Bohemians v Waterford is the last cup tie at Dalymount Park before redevelopment. Friday brings the floodlights and the memories; Saturday sends the spotlight west, where Galway United and Derry City contest the other final place.
Fixtures, kick-off times and FAI Cup TV
Both semi-finals are live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. All times below are Irish local time.
| Fixture | Date and kick-off | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Bohemians v Waterford | Friday 9 October, 19:45 | Dalymount Park |
| Galway United v Derry City | Saturday 10 October, 15:00 | Eamonn Deacy Park |
There is no second leg to rescue a poor performance. Each tie produces a finalist, with extra time and penalties if required.
Dalymount gets the occasion, Waterford get their chance
Bohs survived an 8-7 penalty shootout against St Patrick’s Athletic after a 1-1 quarter-final draw. Waterford reached this stage by beating Sligo Rovers 3-0.
Waterford manager Graham Coughlan acknowledged the setting rather than pretending it was irrelevant:
That does not make the visitors decorative guests at somebody else’s farewell. Waterford beat Bohs 3-1 in their August league meeting, a useful warning against allowing the Dalymount storyline to write the result.
Galway, meanwhile, won 2-1 at Drogheda United in the quarter-finals; Derry beat Dundalk 4-2. Galway also won both home league meetings with Derry this season, each by 2-1, making Saturday less straightforward than an away-favourites label suggests.
FAI Cup semi-final odds: four routes worth comparing
Emotion fills the terraces; the betslip still needs the right market. These prices concern winning in 90 minutes, not reaching the final.
Listed LiveScore Bet prices reviewed on 9 October; Galway v Derry’s, check current prices before betting.
A winning €10 bet at 1.62 returns €16.20 including the stake, not €16.20 profit. A draw after normal time loses a straight win bet even when your team later advances. “To qualify” removes that particular mismatch, although its price will differ.
Tickets, extra time and the Aviva final
Extra time means another 30 minutes. If scores remain level, penalties decide the tie, so anyone booking transport should allow for a finish beyond the advertised 90 minutes.
Buying the right ticket
Bohs host Waterford again in the league on 16 October. The club explicitly warns that tickets for the two fixtures are not interchangeable. The listed Dalymount home allocations were sold out when checked. Look for official returns and club updates rather than assuming admission at the gate; Galway supporters should likewise check the club’s current ticket information.
FAI Cup final date and past champions
There is plenty of history chasing those places: Bohemians last lifted the cup in 2008, Waterford in 1980, while Galway’s sole triumph came in 1991; Derry are pursuing their seventh title. Bohs have the more obvious home advantage, but Galway offer the more interesting price discussion because their results against Derry challenge the market hierarchy. Enjoy the farewell and the fight for the Aviva, but keep stakes sensible and decide whether you are backing a result or a place in the final.
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