SATURDAY
Joe McDonagh Cup
Kerry v Meath, Austin Stack Park, 1pm
Down v Offaly, Ballycran, 1pm
Westmeath v Laois, TEG Cusack Park, 1pm
SUNDAY
Leinster SHC
Kilkenny v Wexford, UPMC Nowlan Park, 2pm (GAAGO)
Antrim v Carlow, Corrigan Park, 2pm
Munster SHC
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WEATHER
Saturday: A cloudy day on Saturday with a spell of rain gradually tracking northeastwards from Munster. Highest temperatures of 11 to 15 degrees in mostly moderate southeast winds.
Sunday: A mix of cloud and some sunny spells with scattered outbreaks of showery rain. Highest temperatures of 13 to 16 degrees, in light to moderate westerly winds.
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Permutations
The final games across two provinces throw up a whole range of permutations, with different rules in place in Munster and Leinster when two or more teams finish on the same points. My colleague Eoin Ryan has handily laid it all out HERE.
Limerick's five in-a-row hopes on the line
For the second season in a row, John Kiely's Limerick enter the final round of group games knowing that their handle on the Liam MacCarthy Cup could be loosened as they host Waterford.
Last year, they needed a strong final 20 minutes against Cork to save their season, advancing to the Munster final and dumping their opponents out of the championship in the process.
Things could follow a similar path if they draw with Davy Fitzgerald’s side. That, along with Clare avoiding defeat against Tipperary, would see them back into the final and leave the Rebels looking into another summer of what ifs.
Defeat though would leave them vulnerable and the 'drive for five’ would hit the skids if Clare were also to earn at least a draw against Tipp.
The result, of course, will be the main prize - Kiely’s side have only lost back-to-back championship games once previously in his eight-year reign, a 2017 Munster loss to Clare followed by a qualifier defeat to Kilkenny.
However performances have been somewhat concerning thus far, by their own potentially history-making standards anyway.
In the opening round against Clare, they trailed 1-15 to 0-09 before unleashing that Blitzkrieg that they have in their armoury.
After easing past whipping boys Tipperary, they again let Cork get into a handsome lead as the Rebels led by eight at the interval. Again, Limerick’s powers of recovery saw them hit the front late on but, unusually for them, they didn’t finish the job with Kyle Hayes hauling Shane Kingston down for a penalty and Patrick Horgan made them pay.
Mike Casey (hamstring) and Darragh O’Donovan (calf) could be back in contention for this clash with the Déise.
There’s only one thing worse than being talked about and that’s not being talked about and everyone has an opinion on Fitzgerald’s side right now as they head to the Gaelic Grounds.
After two lacklustre provincial campaigns, Waterford are right in the heart of it - and elevated to headline news following the controversial finish to last week’s one-point loss to Clare, the hosts in Ennis winning with a highly-disputed 65. Fitzgerald’s confrontation with referee Liam Gordon afterwards only added another sub-plot. The manager is expected to avoid sanction.
They’ll need him there, they’ll need absolutely everything to get the result to keep their season alive.
Power shift in Tipp
Tipperary have won eight of their last 10 championship meetings with Clare - including last year’s group game where they hit five goals in Ennis - but rarely have they been so unfancied going into a game with the Banner.
The Premier County is at a low ebb right now. One point from three games and a scoring difference of -33 tells its own tale, but a visual reminder arrived last weekend too as Thurles was turned into a sea of red as Cork ace Alan Connolly tore Liam Cahill’s side to pieces.
"Is the fight gone out of Tipp?," asked Donal Óg Cusack.
Semple Stadium will be blue and yellow this weekend, but the majority will be wearing Clare attire.
The visiting support will be hoping that Sunday doesn’t become a nail-biting affair with radios needing to be tuned into events at the Gaelic Grounds.
The expected routine win, however, would not only extend their season but secure a third successive provincial final date.
This is an opportunity to reaffirm their position as a genuine Munster and All-Ireland contender. Waterford aside, teams have been dealing with Tipperary with ease, and Clare are expected to do likewise.
A quirk of their campaign so far is that they have hit 8-65 and they have conceded 8-65 in their three games to date, but they will be targeting a shut-out against a Tipp side that has only raised two green flags thus far - Sean Kenneally against Waterford and Mark Kehoe against Cork.
Tipp’s early elimination was obviously a massive blow, but how that outcome manifests on Sunday remains to be seen.
Do they completely go through the motions and sign off with a hammering, or does the lack of real pressure give them the freedom to produce some fine hurling?
Clare be warned; at the same stage last year Waterford were in Tipp’s current position and went to Thurles and produced a brilliant display to win by six points. A draw between Limerick and Cork and it would have cost Tipp their progression to the All-Ireland series.
Dublin bring firepower out west
The cameras in Corrigan Park panned to Henry Shefflin towards the end of the first half against Antrim last Saturday and it was fair to say that the Galway manager had more than a hint of worry on his face.
The Belfast venue has the ability to do strange things to more vaunted opposition, as Wexford found out recently, and Galway seemed to be falling into the same trap.
Antrim were leading despite having dropped a series of scoreable shots short into the hands of Tribe goalkeeper Darach Fahy with the hosts also feeling an effort in the first half had been carried out from behind the goal-line.
Antrim's Ryan McGarry was red-carded right on the resumption though and credit must go to Galway who basically camped in their opponent’s half from there as they won by 14 points - Conor Cooney and Gavin Lee with the goals.
There’s no doubt that defeat would have been the worst result of Shefflin’s Galway managerial career to date, and it would have left them looking at the prospect of a fifth-place finish in the group depending on results this weekend.
It didn’t even come close to that though, and everything - from a Leinster final spot to elimination - is on the table this weekend as Dublin head west.
The away side too are entering battle with a range of permutations hanging over them, but they know it could have been so much better heading into the final round.
They looked good for a win, or at least a point, against Kilkenny last time out until Eoin Cody rattled a late goal home to get the Cats over the line at Parnell Park, and that three-pointer could ultimately have huge ramifications.
There’s still a spark about Micheál Donoghue’s side this term as they’ve shown a whole range of positive qualities.
The manner of their late fightback in the draw with Wexford, Danny Sutcliffe and Cian O’Sullivan with late goals, was impressive. Equally so was their all-too-easy dismissal of an Antrim side coming off the back of a win over Wexford – a 20-point winning margin was a fair reflection of the game.
Donal Burke, as expected, leads their scoring with 1-41 in four games, but 19 different players have been on target. Four of those – Burke, Cian O’Sullivan, Danny Sutcliffe and Conor Burke – have scored in all four games.
That’s a good attacking spread to carry to Salthill.
Kilkenny's comfort blanket
Of the 10 teams in action this weekend, only Kilkenny have already booked their spot in the All-Ireland series.
That’s the comfort blanket the Cats need for their final outing at home to Wexford, Derek Lyng’s side benefiting from the Leinster only rule that sees games between the impacted teams coming into play when more than two teams finish level on points in the group.
That’s not to say that they don’t have much to play for. There is a spot in the Leinster final, of course, whilst there’s no denying that despite that safety net, it’s been a patchy enough group stage.
After demolishing Antrim, the draw in Galway was a good result given that they were down so many bodies.
Then came another draw - one nobody forecast - as Carlow held them, and deservedly so. Kilkenny’s cause was not helped by Killian Doyle’s petulant red card, but it was concerning that they simply couldn’t deliver a knock-out blow with so many shots drifting to the left and wide late on.
Then came Dublin last time out when they looked set to drop at least one point before the returning Eoin Cody struck the winning goal.
Mikey Carey was back too for that one, Paddy Deegan was passed fit as well. Doyle will be back from suspension, so preparations should be ramping up.
Wexford’s cause isn’t anywhere near as bleak as last year when they needed a win over Kilkenny to avoid the drop to the Joe McDonagh Cup having suffered a shock loss to Westmeath, but a draw over in Galway and defeat here and it would be a premature end to their 2024 ambitions.
They threw away the win against Dublin and were out-fought by Antrim, despite another incredible display from Lee Chin, but they also bossed Galway on their own patch and absolutely destroyed Carlow last weekend. It’s been a mixed bag of emotions for their fans.
Beat Kilkenny on the final day - as they did in both 2022 and ‘23 - and the Leinster final awaits in what would be only their third appearance in the showpiece in 16 years having reached all eight finals in the eight years previous to 2009.
Simple equation at Corrigan
High-end hurling is a tough gig, as the Leinster championship has demonstrated over the last two seasons.
In 2023, Westmeath claimed their most famous result as they defeated Wexford but were still relegated after a final day loss to Antrim.
Just a few weeks ago, Carlow claimed their most famous result as they drew with Kilkenny but are facing the prospect of being relegated if they fail to win in Belfast against the Saffrons.
On a weekend of permutations and calculators, the equation is very simple at Corrigan Park. Avoid defeat and Antrim have another season at the top level. Carlow win and it’s the Saffrons who drop down.
James Doyle is a major injury concern for Carlow while Antrim will be without Ryan McGarry who was sent off against Galway.
Conal Bohill is likely to miss out for Antrim with Eoghan Campbell and Conal Cunning doubtful.
The sides last met back in 2022 in the Joe McDonagh Cup when Cunning hit a brilliant 1-11 to help Antrim rally late to victory, so his presence would be missed. Bohill also hit two points that day.
This match won’t garner too many headlines this weekend given what is happening in Leinster and Munster, but it is still a game with a massive amount on the line.
Joe McDonagh formalities
While dramatic possibilities abound in the Liam MacCarthy, this final round of Joe McDonagh Cup games are set to be just a bit of box ticking.
We know Laois and Offaly will clash in the Croke Park final on 8 June, we know that Meath have been relegated to the Christy Ring Cup; there's nothing but pride at stake here.
Pride is still a fair enough reason to perform though, and Westmeath will be aiming to put a disappointing campaign behind them when they welcome a Laois team that is likely to be fairly experimental.
Last season they were beating Wexford in Leinster, but they had to wait to round four for their first Joe McDonagh win, albeit it was an emphatic hammering of Meath with young forward David O’Reilly catching the eye with six points from play.
Down haven’t lost in Ballycran this year and they will be hoping to continue that run when Offaly, who will be saving some players for the final, no doubt, head up to the Ards Peninsula.
Ronan Sheehan’s side is set to be weakened with a number of his squad heading away with the Under-20s for their Richie McElligott final against Roscommon at Croke Park.
The final game sees Meath chasing their first points of the group when they travel to Kerry, but that seems a very unlikely outcome.
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