SATURDAY
Camogie Division 3B final
Antrim v Clare, Clane, 2.0
Clare’s haul of 10 goals was the highest in the division and that extra punch should count against an Antrim side they beat 2-10 to 1-9 in March.
Tommy Fitzgerald to succeed Darren Gleeson as Laois senior hurling manager
Derry’s Rogers believes Rory Gallagher will return to intercounty management
Walter Walsh looks to life after intercounty hurling retirement as injuries start to take toll
Loss of Brian Fenton and Nickie Quaid will show Dublin and Limerick what ‘irreplaceable’ really looks like
Verdict: Clare
Camogie Division 2B final
Cork v Kilkenny, Clonmel Commercials, 3.0
Kilkenny lost only once in the group stage – but it was against Cork, who won all their games. Cork have had the best defence in this division all season.
Verdict: Cork
LGFA Division Two league final
Armagh v Laois, Croke Park, 3.0 (Live on TG4)
Armagh have been the standout team in Division Two this term, they won all seven of their group fixtures, finishing with both the highest scoring tally (129) and lowest concession figure (57) in the division. Laois lost two games along the way, one of which was to Armagh in February, 0-10 to 0-5. The O’Moore County’s scoring total during their seven group games was 104, while they conceded 100.
Verdict: Armagh
LGFA Division One league final
Galway v Kerry, Croke Park, 5.0 (Live on TG4)
Galway have never won a Division One League title while Kerry are searching for a first since 1991. The sides met just three weeks ago in Tuam when Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh’s haul of 2-3 helped Kerry to a 3-11 to 0-17 win. Kerry’s ability to score goals – they registered 15 in total – could be the difference at Croke Park.
Galway managed to raise only two green flags during their seven games. They failed to hit the back of the net in their last three matches. However, seven Kerry players were away on the All Stars trip to Texas last week while only two Galway players were on the tour, so the Kingdom will be hoping there is no hangover from those travels.
Verdict: Kerry
Ulster GAA SFC quarter-final
Fermanagh v Derry, Brewster Park, 5.0 (Live BBC TWO NI)
The champions open their defence, restored since the league final when the disturbing sight of Dublin helping themselves to both goals and goal chances was offset by the absence of Chrissy McKaigue and his overall influence as well as the departure of Conor Glass with a hamstring injury. Both are now back for this as is Ciarán McFaul after a year in the US.
Fermanagh are underdogs but enjoyed an encouraging league, culminating in promotion to Division Two. They proved adept at cracking defences with Ultan Kelm developing into a consistently impressive attacking threat and Darragh McGurn and the interventions of Seán Quigley. The champions are however going up in the world and if they still have issues that need addressing those will be hinted at here rather than fully exploited.
Verdict: Derry
[With their All Stars back, Kerry and Galway aim to shine in league final]
SUNDAY
Camogie Division 2A final
Kerry v Meath, Croke Park, 12.0 (Live on RTÉ)
Kerry beat Meath by a goal when the sides met in Trim earlier this year and the Kingdom have continued to build on that February victory.
Verdict: Kerry
Camogie Division 1A final
Galway v Cork, Croke Park, 1.50 (Live on RTÉ)
Quite the rivalry has developed between these teams, but many of the big games have gone Galway’s way recently – including last year’s league final and the 2021 All-Ireland decider. However, Galway only advanced to this final with a one-point win over Cork in their last game – with the Leesiders already guaranteed of their spot in advance of that contest.
Cork carried more of an attacking threat throughout the campaign and they finished the group stage with a scoring difference of +44, compared to Galway’s +8. There is rarely much between the sides, but Cork have the form to edge this one.
Verdict: Cork
LGFA Division Four league final
Antrim v Leitrim, Parnell Park, 2.0
With Division Four split in two groups, it is hard to judge how these sides measure up after both topping their respective sub-division. However, Antrim appear to have carried real momentum from last year’s All-Ireland junior final replay triumph and won all three of their games in Group A.
Verdict: Antrim
LGFA Division Three league final
Clare v Kildare, Parnell Park, 4.0
The sides played out a low-scoring game in Cooraclare in February with Kildare edging the contest by two points, 0-9 to 0-7. Diane O’Hora’s Kildare side carried the strongest offensive threat in the division.
Verdict: Kildare
Ulster GAA SFC quarter-final
Tyrone v Monaghan, O’Neill’s Healy Park, 4.0 [Live BBC TWO NI]
In the league fixture in Clones, Monaghan were well beaten, partly undone by an unjust and later reversed red card for Killian Lavelle although the other dismissal of Jack McCarron was for an avoidable loss of discipline. The point is that Vinny Corey’s team will hope to mitigate their losses. Even so it will be tough going. Tyrone have all but one of their All-Ireland winning line-up available since the return at the end of the league campaign of full back Ronan McNamee.
Last month, the disparity between the respective forwards was the principal difference with Tyrone sharper and more likely to threaten goals. It’s not clear that this has changed although in the now obligatory last-gasp renunciation of relegation, Conor McManus performed heroics over a full match.
There is some improvement in Monaghan and for a while in the league encounter, they were smart at working out attacking problems but it also has to be factored in that Tyrone went walkabouts for a period after the match was effectively over. They still look more likely.
Verdict: Tyrone
