SATURDAY
Tailteann Cup
Offaly v London, Glenisk O'Connor Park, 2pm
Sligo v Wexford, Markievicz Park, 3pm
Fermanagh v Wicklow, Brewster Park, 3pm
Down v Limerick, Páirc Esler, 4pm
Kildare v Longford, Manguard Park, 6pm
Leitrim v Waterford, Ballinamore, 6pm
SUNDAY
Leinster SFC
Dublin v Louth, Croke Park, 1.45pm
Ulster SFC
Armagh v Donegal, St Tiernach’s Park, 4pm
Tailteann Cup
Antrim v Tipperary, Corrigan Park, 2.30pm
Laois v Carlow, Laois Hire O’Moore Park, 3pm
ONLINE
TV
GAAGO will show the Tailteann Cup game between Kildare and Longford on Saturday evening.
RADIO
WEATHER
Saturday: A mostly dry day with mist and fog clearing early on Saturday morning. Plenty of warm sunshine once again, although it will turn cloudier in Atlantic coastal counties during the afternoon with the chance of patchy rain or showers developing there during the evening. Highest temperatures of 17 to 21 degrees, warmest inland, in light to moderate southerly breezes.
Sunday: Current indications suggest Sunday will bring a mix of cloud and sunny spells with showers or longer spells of rain, some heavy with the chance of isolated thunderstorms. Highest temperatures of 15 to 19 degrees in light and variable breezes.
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The summer of '99
When the silver jubilee celebrations are held at Clones on Sunday, the Armagh 1999 team will be short one noted member of their team – Kieran McGeeney.
The Orchard County boss will be deep below the Gerry Arthurs stand, delivering what could very well be one of the most important half-time team-talks of his career, while his former team-mates are receiving the warm applause of the crowd.
The significance of that ’99 team shouldn’t be lost on the players inside that dressing room though.
That '99 win was undoubtedly the breakthrough for that team, and from then until 2008 they’d add an All-Ireland and a further six Ulster crowns. The 2024 version is still waiting for their own breakthrough win that could spark something special.
When McConville and Marsden destroyed Down a quarter of a century ago, they were ending a 17-year wait for the Anglo Celt Cup. Beat Donegal this weekend, and it’s the end of a 16-year provincial famine for Armagh.
After ‘99 and the retention in 2000, the Ulster title lost real significance not only for some Armagh players, but their fans as well as eyes were focused on a bigger prize. Just look at the incredulity on Jarlath Burns’ face when lifting the cup in ‘99 compared to McGeeney’s ‘onto the next one’ emotionless expression just three years later.
In his acceptance speech, ‘Geezer’ even alluded to "three more steps" and, to be fair to the man, he got his arms in under the team and dragged them up those stairs as they chalked up a two-point replay win and two one-point wins to get their hands on Sam for the first and, to date, only time.
It’s only one more step for McGeeney now though as an Ulster title would be absolutely huge for a man who has faced fair criticism and no shortage of abuse from Armagh’s passionate and often reactionary fan-base.
McGeeney the player featured on an Armagh side legendary for finding a way to win tight games, McGeeney the manager is overseeing a team finding astonishing ways to lose tight games – three penalty shootout losses over the last three seasons speaks to that.
Since their horrible Ulster performance against Donegal in the 2022 quarter-final, Armagh have lost eight games in league and championship. Three of those were level after extra-time and not one has been by more than three points.
That’s why the one-point semi-final win over Down last time out was being heralded as such a positive inside the Armagh camp even if many supporters could only see a poor performance against limited opposition.
The Mourne County, who executed a brilliant gameplan, hit two fortunate goals and led by a point late on. The usual script would see McGeeney’s men suffer an embarrassing loss, but Cullyhanna subs Aidan Nugent and Jason Duffy scored the points to see them over the line.
At least one of those, most likely Duffy, could be catapulted into the starting line-up on Sunday. In what must be a first, none of Armagh’s six listed forwards scored from play last time out. Only Rory Grugan, five frees, raised a flag. Needless to say, similar statistics and Armagh lose this weekend.
There have been whispers of Ethan Rafferty returning to goal as he completes his recovery from a horrific ankle injury, but the hitherto excellent Blaine Hughes - named anyway - still remains the most likely starter between the sticks.
1999 all over? McGeeney and co. certainly hope so.
Armagh: Blaine Hughes; Paddy Burns, Aaron McKay, Peter McGrane; Joe McElroy, Ciarán Mackin, Aidan Forker; Rian O'Neill, Ben Crealey; Stefan Campbell, Rory Grugan, Greg McCabe; Oisín Conaty, Andrew Murnin, Conor Turbitt.
Jim’s kiss of life
"Following a discussion with some senior members of the Donegal football team, I want to announce that I'm stepping away from the position of Donegal team manager with immediate effect."
The words of Paddy Carr less than 14 months ago in what was an annus horribilis for the Tir Chonaill County.
Not for the first time though, Jim McGuinness has resuscitated a county on life support. The first time, in 2011, came the season after a nine-point qualifier loss to Armagh that was viewed as a real low point. In McGuinness’ first season they won Ulster, the next year they won Sam.
Now in 2024, after the Carr debacle, McGuinness is one game away from repeating the first part of the double with a Tir Chonaill side almost unrecognisable from last term.
McGuinness’ record in the provincial arena is simply stunning. Victory on Sunday would be his 16th Ulster win in 17 games – one after extra-time – with his sole defeat coming in the 2013 final against Monaghan.
Mickey Harte, the most successful manager in Ulster with six titles, won 27 games out of 46 with seven draws in there and Joe Kernan, who won four titles in five seasons, won 13 out of 18 games with three draws on his record. Even taking into account that replays are no longer in play, only one of McGuinness’ 15 wins – this year’s semi-final against Tyrone – came after extra-time.
The side spent plenty of time at Convoy last weekend working on the plan to get the better of Armagh. What their opponents would have done for a pair of eyes to see if Shaun Patton was part of those preparations.
A quad injury kept him, and his booming kicks, out of the Tyrone semi-final win although he is expected to be fit to play.
Former Donegal manager Declan Bonner this week alluded to a "15 to 20 minute" period in their 2020 humbling of Armagh when the Orchard County simply couldn’t get hand on leather in the middle sector, and that’s sure to be another area of potential dominance.
Rian O’Neill gave Armagh physicality there against Down but the combination of the likes of Jason McGee, Ciaran Thompson, Caolan McGonagle and Michael Langan really do point to a green and gold advantage there.
The Division 2 final, won by the minimum by Donegal, also demonstrated that Armagh simply don’t have anyone capable of marking Oisin Gallen. Paddy Burns, enjoying his best season in orange and white, will be handed the task from the off, but with 4-44 to his name this season, Gallen will be the key weapon for Donegal.
For all the narrative about all the pressure being on Armagh and McGeeney this weekend, it can’t be ignored that Donegal have come away empty-handed on their last two Ulster final excursions.
In 2020 they suffered a shock loss to Cavan in front of zero fans and two years later Derry nipped them in extra-time. They have some scar tissue to extract as well.
Donegal: Shaun Patton; Mark Curran, Brendan McCole, Ciarán Moore; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Peadar Mogan; Jason McGee, Michael Langan; Shane O'Donnell, Ciarán Thomspon, Dáire Ó Baoill; Patrick McBrearty, Oisín Gallen, Niall O’Donnell.
Louth punching hard
Perhaps one of the most impressive management performances of the season is coming in Louth with Ger Brennan guiding the side to Sunday’s Leinster final against Dublin.
When Mickey Harte made the shock decision to up sticks and head to Derry on the eve of the 2024 season, it looked like a bum gig and the interest was fairly low amongst big-hitters. Brennan was appointed in early October with a light enough CV when compared with his predecessor.
The former Dublin player, however, formed a backroom team and kept the show on the road.
Their Division 2 campaign may have resulted in a sixth-place finish with four losses from seven, but the Armagh, Meath and Cavan games really could have brought another four or five points instead of the zero that arrived.
They took their time to warm up in the Leinster opener against Wexford – Sam Mulroy converting two beautiful penalties in the 4-10 to 0-15 win – and while they had only four points to spare against Kildare in the Croke Park semi-final, it was a game they always looked in control of - showing another side of their growing maturity.
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The end result is back-to-back Leinster final appearances for the first time since 1957 – their last provincial title and one that led to All-Ireland glory – and 1958.
There’s a real feel-good factor in the county right now. The under-20s recently earned a rare win over Dublin to reach the Leinster final, where Meath were too strong whereas the minors came up just short of a final spot earlier this week. There is also a very vibrant club scene at present with Ardee in particular bringing a flare that is being carried through to the county scene through the likes of Ciaran ‘Kiki’ Keenan and Tom Jackson.
Throw in Mulroy, Ryan Burns and the in-form Ciaran Downey and they have an attack to match nearly every Sam Maguire team in the country.
Still though, this is Dublin and, in reality, it’s not about the result but how close Louth can get to Dessie Farrell’s side.
Harsh? Maybe. But Louth started very well in last year’s final and still lost by 21 points.
A few injury concerns have not helped their aspirations but although the overall attendance will be low at Croke Park, there will be a stirring Louth crowd present, confident that their team continues to head in the right direction even if Dublin will prove an Akashi Kaikyo sized bridge too far.
Louth: Niall McDonnell; Donal McKenny, Dan Corcoran, Peter Lynch; Conall McKeever, Anthony Williams, Craig Lennon; Tommy Durnin, Bevan Duffy; Tom Jackson, Ciaran Keenan, Conor Grimes; Ryan Burns, Sam Mulroy, Ciaran Downey.
No Dub misstep
While Sunday’s action in Clones should provide another shot in the arm for those in favour of retaining the provincial championships, the earlier Leinster final will provide further ammo for those opposed.
Dublin are 1/100, so the result really isn’t in doubt and a 42nd straight Leinster win – and a 12th straight Delaney Cup - is very likely on the way. They also did a five in-a-row before the surprise 2010 loss to Meath. The Royals went onto win the final against Louth, a match that still makes veins pop out on the head of Wee County fans following Joe Sheridan’s ‘goal’.
Farrell has used 23 players across their Leinster wins over Meath and Offaly as he tries to settle on the team to go forward into the All-Ireland series.
There are some issues to be sorted, such as the role of James McCarthy who has started one game and come off the bench in another, while Brian Howard was a late withdrawal against Offaly and didn’t feature. We await further news on that.
One position is nailed down though and that is the goalkeeper. Stephen Cluxton is undoubtedly the number one choice for the championship having not featured in the league.
Rusty against Meath but light on duties against Offaly, he may find a few moments of concentration are required against a talented Louth attack.
The excitement levels in the capital are as low as can be for this one. Twelve months ago this final broke the 40,000 barrier, but it seems very optimistic to think that will happen this time around.
Let the provincial debates continue...
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Seán MacMahon, Michael Fitzsimons, Eoin Murchan; Tom Lahiff, John Small, Cian Murphy; Brian Fenton, James McCarthy; Cormac Costello, Ciarán Kilkenny, Niall Scully; Paul Mannion, Con O'Callaghan, Colm Basquel.
A possible silver lining
The Tailteann Cup enters year three and as usual contains three groupings – those who don’t really want to be here, those who look at it as a genuine chance of national silverware and those teams just too far back to trouble it.
The two main contenders in the first of those groupings are Down and Kildare, but their mood may change after a few wins.
Down, who start with a home game against Limerick on Saturday, were so close to a shock win over Armagh that would have guaranteed Sam Maguire participation, but this is a county without non pre-season silverware in 30 years, and as favourites it’s something they have to attack. Manager Conor Laverty should have his young charges in the right frame of mind anyway.
Kildare, who have a capacity of just 1,200 for their clash with Longford in Manguard Park in Hawkfield, would have started the year dreaming of a Division 2 promotion charge and a run at a Leinster final, but Glenn Ryan’s side have been awful, their sole win coming against Wicklow when their opponents missed an open net in the final moments to dump them out.
Like Down, silverware at Croke Park is not something to be sniffed at and could be just the spark needed for a county struggling to find its way.
After the excitement of year one and what former president Larry McCarthy called the "sophomore year" of 2023, the Tailteann Cup is really bedding into the GAA calendar.
It has helped that managers like Colm O’Rourke and his Meath team, who won out in a thrilling final against Down last year, embraced it and the noises really have been good when compared to the ill-fated Tommy Murphy Cup which was worn like a stone of shame by most participants.
There are a few other contenders to watch out for a the action throws in.
Fermanagh are getting a break in terms of injuries with the likes of goalkeeper Sean McNally, Jonny Cassidy and Darragh McGurn set to return to the fold with a recent challenge match with Monaghan fine-tuning their preparations for their home opener against Wicklow.
Sligo have also been moving well under Tony McEntee and really should have killed off an awful Galway in the Connacht semi-final a few weeks back, with the Tribe taking full advantage of their reprieve to win the title.
And what of a rejuvenated Laois? It’s a small sample size, but they have the dishonour of shipping the heaviest defeat in the competition’s history having conceded 8-16 in their 22-point semi-final loss to Down last year.
Justin McNulty has steadied the ship and Division 4 promotion was achieved, and an opening win over Carlow would set them up nicely.
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