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Saturday will be dry with good spells of sunshine. Highest temperatures of 13 to 17 degrees generally with light variable breezes, though it will be a little cooler near the coasts. There'll be more of the same on Sunday, when it will be dry and mainly sunny.
TG4 Championship time has arrived, with provincial action set to commence in Leinster, Munster and Ulster over the coming weekend.
The Leinster and Munster SFCs will be run off on a round-robin basis, with four teams in each.
In Round 1 on Saturday in Munster, Tipperary make the trip to Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney for a clash with Kerry, a fixture that makes up a double-header with the Kerry v Cork men's semi-final.
There’s another double-header down for decision at Fraher Field in Dungarvan on Saturday, as the Waterford and Cork ladies face off against each other prior to the provincial semi-final clash between the Clare and Waterford men’s teams.
In Leinster, both Round 1 games are fixed for Sunday, with TG4 All-Ireland and Leinster Senior champions Dublin taking on Kildare, while Meath will tackle Laois.
The Dublin-Kildare fixture will be live-streamed on the Leinster LGFA Facebook Page and YouTube channel.
Elsewhere over the weekend, Cork play Kerry in the Munster Senior B tournament, there are Leinster Championship fixtures in the Intermediate and Junior grades also, while Down host Cavan in the Ulster Intermediate Championship.
SATURDAY
(All games 2pm throw-in unless stated)
Munster Senior Championship Round 1
Kerry v Tipperary, Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney, 1.45pm
Kerry are smarting from their Lidl NFL Division 1 final defeat to Armagh but will be confident of getting back to winning ways against Tipperary in the opening round of the Munster championship.
Kerry lost out to Cork in last year’s provincial decider and the Kingdom will target Munster silverware before tackling the All-Ireland series.
Joint managers Declan Quill and Darragh Long have made four changes in personnel to the team that lost out to Armagh at Croke Park.
Ciara O’Brien, Amy Harrington, Katie Brosnan and Danielle O’Leary come into the starting line-up, with Niamh Ní Chonchúir, Lorraine Scanlon, Hannah O’Donoghue and Emma Dineen dropping out.
Tipperary finished their Division 2 campaign with defeat to Donegal last month and manager Peter Creedon has made five changes to the starting line-up that lined out against the Ulster county.
Lauren Fitzpatrick, named on the Lidl NFL Division 2 team of the year, returns in place of Ciara Dwan in goal, while there are starts for Elaine Kelly, Lucy Spillane, Emma Morrissey and Emer McCarthy.
Nora Martin is nursing a shoulder injury, while Katelyn Downey, Heather Spillane and Emer McCarthy, who also lined out against Donegal, are named on the bench.
Kerry: ME Bolger; C Murphy, E Lynch, C O’Brien; A O’Connell, K Cronin, C Lynch; M O’Connell, D Kearney; A Galvin, N Carmody (capt), A Harrington; K Brosnan, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh, D O’Leary.
Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; E Kelly, L Spillane, E Cronin; C O’Dwyer, M Curley (capt.), S English; L Morrissey, AR Kennedy; E Morrissey, A McGuigan, A Moloney; N Towey, M Creedon, E McCarthy.
Waterford v Cork, Fraher Field, Dungarvan, 3.45pm
Waterford survived in Division 1 of the Lidl National League by defeating Galway on the final day.
Now, the Déise will fancy their chances of toppling Cork again, after producing a scintillating display against the Leesiders when the sides met in the group stages of the League at Páirc Uí Rinn.
Cork are reigning Munster champions and will hope their form picks up considerably for another championship campaign after they suffered a shock relegation from Division 1.
The hosts have made two changes to the team that secured top flight status for 2025 with victory over Galway, who were relegated in the process.
Aoife Murray and Annie Fitzgerald replace Lucie O’Shea and Bríd McMaugh in the starting line-up, while Cork have made five changes to the team that lost to Meath in their final league outing.
Caoimhe Richmond replaces Sarah Murphy between the sticks, while Dara Kiniry, Anna Ryan, Aoife Healy and Libby Coppinger also come into the side, with Sadhbh McGoldrick, Ellen Twomey, Kaitlin Smith and Lydia McDonagh named among the substitutes.
Waterford: E O’Brien; H Power, E Power, A Murray; K McGrath, A McNulty, E Murray; B McMaugh, K Hogan (capt); A O’Neill, C Walsh, C Carroll; M O’Brien, K Murray, L McGregor.
Cork: C Richmond; M Duggan, D Kiniry, A Ryan; S Leahy, A Healy, K O’Driscoll; M O’Callaghan (capt.), A O’Mahony; E Cleary, L O’Mahony, A McDonagh; D Kiely, L Coppinger, S O’Leary.
Munster Senior B
Cork v Kerry, Cloughduv, 1pm
The Munster Senior B championship will feature Limerick, Cork B and Kerry B selections.
This is the second year of the competition, which is proving to be vital in the development of players from club to county level.
Last year saw Limerick progress to the TG4 All-Ireland Junior Final, and members of the Kerry and Cork Senior B panels were drafted onto senior squads in 2023 and again this year.
The Cork and Kerry players lining out in Cloughduv on Saturday will look to put themselves in the shop window for Senior A call-ups.
Clare won this competition in 2023 but have opted not to compete this year.
Cork: C Moore; A O’Sullivan, A Corcoran, A Hallihan; A Moloney, A O’Connell, A McTaggart; C O’Mahony, C Heffernan; C Russell, C O’Donovan, D Murphy; E Hurley, E Murphy, E Buckley.
Kerry: E Glynn; K Furey, A Sheehy, L Cox; E O’Keeffe, K Sugrue (capt.), C Hanafin; C Gannon, J Deay; C Hudson, M Sheehy, N Mahony; E Cotter, G Musgrave, M Higgins.
SUNDAY
TG4 Leinster Senior Championship – Round 1
Dublin v Kildare, Parnell Park
The 'clash of the champions’ features Dublin, who won the TG4 All-Ireland Senior title in 2023, and Kildare, who were TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate winners last year.
Kildare’s meteoric rise continued this year and they were recently crowned Lidl NFL Division 2 winners and can look forward to Division 1 football in 2025.
Now, manager Diane O’Hora and her charges face the acid test against the Sky Blues as they prepare for their return to Senior championship fare.
There are 11 survivors from the team that lined out in the 2023 All-Ireland Final against Kerry in a strong Dublin line-up.
Jessica Tobin, Olwen Carey, Grace Kós and Niamh Hetherton come into the side for Dublin’s seasonal championship bow in place of Eilish O’Dowd (overseas), Lauren Magee and Aoife Kane (both injured) and Jodi Egan.
Ten of the players named in Sunday’s matchday squad did not feature at all for Dublin during their entire 2023 championship campaign, with Tobin and Caitlin Coffey both missing the season through injury.
Returning to the 2024 squad are Carey, Kós, Rachel Fleming and the vastly experienced Sinéad Goldrick and Nicole Owens.
New to the Dublin panel this year are Hannah McGinnis, Kate Murray and Claire Kirwan.
Dublin concluded their Lidl NFL Division 1 campaign with a big victory over Armagh, who were already through to the Final, and manager Mick Bohan obviously had one eye on championship as he’s named an unchanged team.
Kildare, meanwhile, are also unchanged from their last outing, which saw them bag Division 2 silverware at Croke Park.
Kildare enjoyed a terrific 2023 Championship season which saw the Lilywhites land the TG4 Leinster and All-Ireland Intermediate titles, and they’ll be hoping for further progress in the coming weeks.
Dublin: A Shiels; M Byrne, L Caffrey, J Tobin; N Crowley, O Carey, N Donlon; J Dunne, G Kós; C O’Connor, N Hetherton, O Nolan; H Tyrrell, C Rowe (capt), K Sullivan.
Kildare: M Hulgraine; F Troute, A Clifford, M Doherty; L Murtagh, R Sargent, L Gilbert; G Clifford (capt), H McLoughlin; T Duggan, E Dowling, C Sullivan; N Dooley, R Byrne, A Rattigan.
Meath v Laois, Páirc Tailteann
Meath’s Lidl NFL Division 1 season was a mixed bag.
The Royals looked like they were going to challenge for a Final place when they reeled off three successive wins to open their campaign – before losing three on the bounce.
Meath did finish their League fixtures with an impressive win over Cork, however, a result that relegated their opponents.
Now, the Royals switch their focus to Championship and the prospect of a clash with Laois, who suffered relegation from Division 2.
It’s been a tough slog so far for the O’Moore County this year and they’ll need huge improvement to cope with opponents who were All-Ireland Senior champions in 2021 and 2022.
Laois lost six of their seven Leagues games, drawing the other, and while they have some excellent individual players, they’re struggling for results as a collective.
On all known form, this should be a victory for Meath but Laois will be hoping that championship can improve their fortunes.
The main ambition for Laois will be to preserve senior status again for 2025, as Meath look to go deep into the summer in the quest for provincial and national glory.
There’s just one change to the Meath team from the Cork outing, with captain and goalkeeper Monica McGuirk replacing Robyn Murray.
Meath: M McGuirk (capt.); A Sheridan, M.K. Lynch, N Troy; K Kealy, L Young, K Newe; M O’Shaughnessy, E Moyles; M Thynne, S Melia, A McCabe; N Gallogly, M Farrelly, E Duggan.
Laois: E Barry; S Farrelly, C Dunne (capt.), I Finlay; G Lalor, M Cotter, C Malone; A Moran, A Moore; G Moran, O Hennessy, E Lacey; M Nerney, R Allen, K Donoghue.
Leinster Intermediate Championship Round 1
Westmeath v Offaly, St Lomans (3G) Mullingar
Westmeath won three and lost four of their Lidl NFL Division 2 fixtures but will feel confident of challenging for provincial and All-Ireland honours.
The Lake County have some talented players at their disposal and a highly experienced manager in Frank Browne.
They come up against an Offaly side who held their own in Division 3 and this one could be a close content.
Westmeath: L McCormack (capt.); L McCartan, K Boyce Jordan, L Kiernan; C Kelly, L Power, R Dillon; V Carr, T Dillon; A Ruane, L Slevin, A Jones; K Hegarty, S Dillon, F Coyle.
Offaly: L Dunne; A Grehan, M Mann, N Farrelly; R Ennis, E Maher, N Buckley; A Gavin Mangan, M Byrne; K Farrelly, E Hand, M Rouse; C Walsh, E McEvoy (capt.), C Sheridan.
Wexford v Wicklow, Starlights/Rapparees GAA, Bellefield, Enniscorthy
Wexford were beaten Leinster Finalists last year and will be keen to go one better this time.
They open their provincial campaign against Wicklow, who finished just outside the semi-final places in Division 4 of the Lidl NFL.
Wexford will start as favourites here but Wicklow shouldn’t be underestimated.
Wexford: S McCarthy; K English, M Byrne, A Power; C Banville, A Halligan, S Harding-Kenny; R Murphy (capt.), C Donnelly; R Hughes, K Kearney, A Cullen; C Ni Nuallain, G Donovan, C Murray.
Wicklow: E Griffin; M Corr, L Dunne, S Goetelen; N Caffrey, C Murphy, R Byrne; A Gorman, S.J. Winders (capt); S Evans, S McGettigan, A Harmon; E O’Brien, N Cullen, M Healy.
TG4 Leinster Junior Championship Round 1
Carlow v Louth, SETU Carlow (Main Campus)
Fresh from capturing the Lidl NFL Division 4 title, Carlow switch their focus to championship. After featuring at the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland series in recent years, Carlow will now look to bridge that gap and make it back to another national final, following their recent League success.
Carlow won the Leinster Junior title with victory over Kilkenny last year while Louth will be targeting a return to the Intermediate ranks, after they were relegated in 2023.
Carlow: N Hanley; A Carroll, A Roche, S McCullagh; R Bermingham (capt), N Murphy, N Forde; E Hayden, R Bailey; B Nolan, R Sawyer, S Doyle; E Molloy, E Coogan, C Ní Shé.
Louth: R Lambe Fagan; A Whyte, C Boyle, E Murray; C Nolan, A Breen (capt), H Lambe Sally; A Halligan, E Byrne; M Duffy, N Rice, S Mathews; A Russell, K Flood, C Woods.
Kilkenny v Longford, MW Hire Training Centre, Dunmore
Longford were relegated from the Intermediate grade last year and will be hoping to bounce back at the first attempt.
Their opponents in the first round of the 2024 Leinster championship are Kilkenny, who lost out to Carlow in the provincial decider last year.
Longford won two of their seven games in Division 4 of the Lidl NFL, as Kilkenny, while showing some promise, lost all seven.
Kilkenny: K Fitzpatrick; R Crowley, S Smith, L Brett; J O’Keeffe, A Galwey, A Ring; K Comerford, R Roche; E Lawlor (capt), S Corcoran, H Brennan; C Moore, A O’Neill, R Roche.
Longford: R McGrath; L Shannon, E O’Brien, G Kenny; J Whyte, O Nevin, C McCormack (capt); S Gallagher, S Hagan; C Lohan, G Shannon, K McKeon; K Burke, N Brady, A Hayden.
TG4 Ulster Intermediate Championship Round 1
Down v Cavan, Páirc Esler
Down and Cavan battle it out for the right to play holders Antrim in the Ulster Intermediate semi-final.
The semi-finals are fixed for Sunday May 5, with Monaghan up against Lidl NFL Division 2 Finalists Tyrone on the other side of the draw.
Down were TG4 All-Ireland Junior championship winners last year, as Cavan suffered relegation from the senior ranks after losing out to Laois in a play-off.
Down: A McGivern; A Greene, C Byrne, O Boyle; P Smyth, N McKibbin, O Duffy; M Doherty (capt.), A Laverty; N Scullion, N King, L Duffy; N McClory, S Dougherty, V McCormack.
Cavan: E Baugh; N Briody, C Brady, A Brady (capt); K Tuipulotu, R Dolan, H Gilsenan; A Smith, C Halpin; Z Fay, A Cahill, S McCabe; C Charters, R McLoughlin, LJ Grant.
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