Ireland SFC weekend: All You Need to Know

Munster SFC semi-finals Clare v Kerry, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, 2pm Tipperary v Cork, FBD Semple Stadium, 2pm
Connacht SFC semi-final Leitrim v Galway, Heartland Credit Union Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, 3.30pm
Ulster SFC quarter-final Fermanagh v Armagh, Brewster Park, 5.30pm
Connacht SFC semi-final Mayo v Roscommon, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, 4pm
Ulster SFC quarter-final Donegal v Down, O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny, 3pm
ONLINE Follow a live blog on all matches on the RTÉ News app and on rte.ie/sport.

TV Mayo v Roscommon live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player.

Clare v Kerry, Leitrim v Galway, Fermanagh v Armagh and Donegal v Down - all live on GAA+.

Watch highlights on The Saturday Game and The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.

RADIO Live commentaries and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport as well as Spórt an tSathairn and Spórt an Lae on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.

WEATHER Remaining mostly dry on Saturday and Sunday with light south or southeasterly winds and good spells of sunshine, as well as above average temperatures for late April.

Highs of 14 to 20 degrees.

However, some showers may feed up in the flow to parts of the west.

For more go to met.ie .

There was a debate in our office last Sunday following on from Westmeath's win over Meath.

Was the outcome a shock?

Was the Lake County's second-ever championship win over their neighbours a surprise?

Was it somewhere in between shock and surprise?

All irrelevant now, perhaps, with Westmeath eyeing a spot in the Leinster final.

But for Down, Westmeath's deserved success in Tullamore and let's define it as that, has them worried.

The road to the All-Ireland series for the Mournemen now has a clear obstruction up ahead - an obstacle created by Mark McHugh's troops reaching a Leinster final and Down themselves not making an Ulster decider.

As for the latter, the Division 3 champions will have to beat Donegal and then most likely, Armagh, for a shot at winning a first Anglo Celt since 1994.

Hard to believe it's that long.

Tall order then for Conor Laverty's men, who will be hoping that Kildare do the business in Tullamore on Sunday week.

Down were pushed hard by Wexford in that league decider and no doubt thought then they had done enough to nail down their All-Ireland series spot.

But those promoted from Division 3 are always prone to the natural order in the provinces not working out as predicted.

So far, the championship has thrown up a few tales of the unexpected and Down will aim to further throw the natural order off kilt against the defending Ulster champions.

Success in doing that and again in the semi-final and you needn't worry about a helping hand elsewhere.

Munster old firm on collision course
Last year's Kerry-Cork clash at the Munster semi-final stage was a thrilling contest, a game, which went to extra-time, worthy of the final itself.

While there was an attempt to keep the 'big two' apart in the provincial draw, other counties had their say, yet the open draw leaves the door fairly wide open for a first Munster final involving the Kingdom and the Rebels since 2021.

After their league final trimming against Donegal, Kerry headed for warmer climes to a chorus of 'they'll be a different animal come the championship'.

That may be true and winning Munster for the 87th time won't necessarily define their season, they should get another early test of their credentials should Cork be the opposition again.

Jack O'Connor's men take on Clare in Ennis with Joe O'Connor and Shane Ryan out injured, while Sean O’Shea, Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Seán O’Brien, Paudie Clifford are fitness doubts.

But as is often the case the Kingdom supporting cast stand up and the league campaign saw the likes of Armin Heinrich, Keith Evans, Cillian Trant, Liam Smith and Tomás Kennedy stake their claims for regular starting berths.

Kennedy showing more than a few glimpses of his worth on the edge of the square.

Clare had an ordinary campaign in Division 3, finishing in sixth spot, and were never in the hunt for promotion.

Much of their scoring thrust will be on the shoulders of Mark McInerney and Eoin Cleary.

Cork head to Thurles to take on Tipperary.

The Rebels have improved from last year and notable box ticked was their elevation to Division 1.

Back amongst the big guns with the aim of staying there has to be the aim.

Going deep in the championship this year is not beyond them and they have the firepower to trouble most sides.

Seán McDonnell, Chris Óg Jones and the returning Steven Sherlock are the key men at the top end of the pitch, with Ian Maguire a notable presence in the engine room.

You never want to put the cart before the horse...but you can't resist.

Leaving yourself often to ridicule and flak is a likely outcome, yet that does not bother you.

You've made your prediction.

To hell with it.

And so in the case of predicting who'll emerge from the remaining Ulster quarter-finals, Armagh and Donegal are the fancies to overcome Fermanagh and Down respectively.

We're not going out on a limb here; the cart is before the horse!

And if the form lines stand up, it will be a case strap up tight in a fortnight's time.

Armagh and Donegal have given us plenty of Ulster final drama in recent season: extra-time and penalty shootouts.

The constant being that Jimmy's side won those matches.

Armagh already have had a game under their belt.

Tyrone pushed them all the way, with the pre-match forecast of the Orchard County being 'comfortable' in taking the next step not coming to pass.

It turned out to be a dogged derby, but in the end it was Conor Turbitt's fisted point that proved the decisive winner.

What the game may have lacked in quality it made up for it in sheer bloody mindedness.

Fermanagh, relegated to Division 4, will also try to make life uncomfortable for McGeeney's men, but lack the personnel to sustain that threat for over 70 minutes.

Declan Bonner will further hope to salvage the Ernesiders' year in the Tailteann Cup.

It should be comfortable for Armagh this time.

In Letterkenny, Donegal with silverware already in the bag, begin their quest to claim a third Ulster crown on the spot, in what would be a first for the county.

Down did make life uncomfortable for them at times when the counties met at the last-four stage in 2025 and had a goal chance late on to make things really nervy.

Donegal survived.

A year on and Jim McGuinness's outfit are more ravenous in their approach, so will Down have time and space to build a possession-based game that served them well late on against Wexford at Croke Park?

The expectation is that Donegal will pounce, a contrast to last year where they sat in more.

Another big stage for Leitrim, and the game of the weekend
And so to the western province.

And for the second year running Leitrim take their place in the semis.

It was a case of drama late on at Markievicz Park as they held on to beat Sligo by a point, with the Yeats County fluffing a golden opportunity to tie things up.

Leitrim, however, were full value for their win, and not for the first time Barry McNulty stood out.

He kicked 1-06 and was instrumental in creating opportunities for his colleagues.

No surprise then in McNulty claiming another spot on the GAA.ie team of the week.

And his manager Stephen Poacher was full of praise for what his talisman produced in Sligo .

"People don't give Barry McNulty the credit," Poacher told RTÉ Sport
"He's an amazing footballer.

The way he was targeted today was unbelievably cynical.

There was a yellow card, then there was another man that took a yellow, then another man on took a yellow.

"Barry is made a tough stuff.

I'll tell you.

He's a big, big strapping man from Manorhamilton.

It takes a lot more than that to ruffle Barry McNulty, but we knew it was in them."
A year ago, Leitrim gave Mayo their full of at this juncture.

A similar showing against Galway in Carrick-on-Shannon would represent another productive championship outing.

The Tribsemen are seeking a Nestor Cup five-timer.

They again preserved their place in the league's top flight with the trio of Shane Walsh, Cillian McDaid and Damien Comer seeing little, if any, action.

That said other names have stood up.

Cian Hernon in defence, while Shane McGrath, Liam Ó Conghaile and Oisín Mac Donnacha (above) are players that can give greater zest to their attack.

Veteran Paul Conroy is back on board for another year.

A healthy crowd should be present in Castlebar for the clash of Mayo-Roscommon, two sides who had productive league campaigns, though we can ignore the meeting between the pair on the final day.

A comprehensive win for Andy Moran's men and we'll leave it at that.

There were expected wins for both in London and New York ahead of this semi-final.

Daire Cregg saw red for the Rossies in Gaelic Park and will miss Sunday's game after failing to his one-match ban overturned.

It's a setback but Diarmuid Murtagh and Enda Smith are still good enough to carry a meaningful scoring threat.

Mayo are also laced with options at the top end of the pitch and locally there is much talk that Ryan O'Donoghue starting on the edge of the square.

Will Kobe McDonald start?

Yes, he will, with Enda Hession, Conor Loftus, Jordan Flynn also coming in, in changes from the side that started against London.

Mayo : Rob Hennelly; Jack Coyne (c), Rory Brickenden, Enda Hession; Sam Callinan, Conor Loftus, Paddy Durcan; Bob Tuohy - Castlebar Mitchels, David McBrien; Jack Carney, Ryan O'Donoghue, Jordan Flynn; Cian McHale, Aidan O’Shea, Kobe McDonald, Crossmolina Deel Rovers
Subs : Jack Livingstone, Fenton Kelly, Donnacha McHugh, Stephen Coen, Michael Plunkett, Matthew Ruane, Paul Towey, Fergal Boland, Darragh Beirne, Tommy Conroy, Cillian O’Connor.

Mayo, perhaps, a little bit more suspect in defence.

Will that tip the balance in favour of the neighbours?

We'll see for what should be tightest game of the weekend.