PREVIEWS: TG4 All-Ireland Senior semi-final slots up for grabs; Senior and Intermediate battles for survival

THE semi-final pairings for the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship will be confirmed over the coming weekend.

Three of the four quarter-finals are down decision on Saturday, followed by the clash between Armagh and Mayo on Sunday (5.45pm).

On Saturday, Cork and Waterford get proceedings underway (1.15pm), followed by Meath’s visit to Kerry (5.15pm), and Dublin’s home tie with Galway (7.30pm).

Also on Saturday, Laois, Tipperary, Donegal and Kildare will aim to preserve Senior Championship status for 2025 in relegation qualifiers, before Antrim and Wicklow meet on Sunday in an Intermediate Championship relegation play-off.

The winner of that game will play Intermediate football again next year, with the loser relegated to the Junior ranks.

All four of the 2024 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-finals are live on TG4, while the Intermediate relegation clash will be live on the LGFA Facebook Page and YouTube channel.

 

Saturday 6th July 2024

 

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship – Quarter-Finals

 

Cork v Waterford; Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 1.15pm – Live on TG4 

 

Cork and Waterford get Saturday’s action underway, aiming for a slot in the TG4 All-Ireland semi-finals at Glenisk O’Connor Park in Tullamore on Saturday July 20.

Waterford won when the sides met in the Lidl National League but Cork turned the tables on the Déise in the Munster Championship.

Now, the scene is set for the third competitive meeting between the Munster counties this year, with Cork having home advantage at Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Cork’s starting line-up shows one change to the team that got the better of Galway last time out, with Shauna Cronin coming in for Sadbh McGoldrick.

Waterford, meanwhile, have one change to the team that defeated Donegal at Walsh Park to book a quarter-final slot.

Captain Kellyann Hogan, who’s away travelling, is replaced by Molly Comerford in the starting line-up, with Hannah Power taking over as team captain for this one.

The winners will face Dublin or Galway in the last four.

 

Cork: S Murphy; M Duggan, S Kelly, S Leahy; A Healy, S Cronin, D Kiely; M O’Callaghan (capt.), A O’Mahony; E Cleary, L O’Mahony, A McDonagh; A McAuliffe, K Quirke, R Leahy.

 

Waterford: E O’Brien; C Murray, H Power (capt.), K McGrath; A Murray, A McNulty, E Murray; E Power, M O’Brien; M Comerford, A Fitzgerald, N Power; E Fitzgerald, L McGregor, K Murray.

 

Kerry v Meath; Austin Stack Park, Tralee, 5.15pm – Live on TG4

 

The return of Vikki Wall to the Meath set-up set tongues wagging this week.

And the Dunboyne ace is listed at number 30 on the panel for the trip to Tralee.

Whether or not the two-time All-Ireland Senior Championship winner gets to see game time remains to be seen but having a player of that calibre in the Royal County ranks is significant boost.

Following their victory over Tipperary which secured a quarter-final place, Meath have opted for an unchanged starting 15.

Kerry, the 2022 and 2023 runners-up, are also unchanged following their big victory over Waterford in the group stages, when the Kingdom showed some of their best championship form to date.

This clash will revive memories of the quarter-final meeting between the counties at the same venue last year, when Kerry ended Meath’s reign as All-Ireland champions.

The winners of this one will face Armagh or Mayo in the semi-finals.

 

Kerry: C Butler; E Lynch, K Cronin, C Murphy; A O’Connell, D Kearney, A Dillane; M O’Connell, A Galvin; N Carmody (capt.), E Dineen, N Ni Chonchúir; H O’Donoghue; L Ní Mhuircheartaigh, D O’Leary.

 

Meath: M McGuirk (capt.); S Wall, M.K. Lynch, N Troy; N Gallogly, S Melia, K Newe; M O’Shaughnessy, A Cleary; M Thynne, K Cole, C Smyth; M Byrne, M Farrelly, E Duggan.

 

Dublin v Galway; Parnell Park, 7.30pm – Live on TG4 

 

Champions Dublin continue their quest for back-to-back All-Ireland Senior titles with a home outing against Galway at Parnell Park.

With captain Carla Rowe in superb form, the Dubs built on their Leinster title win by cruising through the group stages with victories over Mayo and Kildare.

Galway, meanwhile, recovered from defeat to Cork to see off Laois and book a spot in the knockout stages.

Galway fell at the quarter-final stage last year against Connacht rivals Mayo and they’ll need a huge performance to dethrone the Brendan Martin Cup holders.

But Galway do have Olivia Divilly in sparkling form and with a haul of 3-11 to date, she’s tied at the top of the top scorers’ rankings in the Senior championship alongside Rowe, who has collected 4-8.

Galway have made four changes from the team that accounted for Laois, with goalkeeper Dearbhla Gower coming in for Leah O’Halloran, while Aoife Ni Cheallaigh, Charlotte Cooney and Roisin Leonard are all recalled, as Caoimhe Cleary, Éahba O’Riordan and Ailish Morrissey drop to the bench.

Dublin’s starting line-up shows just the one change, with Ellen Gribben replacing Orlagh Nolan following the Kildare win.

 

Dublin: A Shiels; N Donlon, L Caffrey, N Crowley; S Goldrick, M Byrne, L Magee; J Dunne, O Carey; C O’Connor, C Rowe (capt.), E Gribben; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, N Owens.

 

Galway: D Gower; M Jordan, S Ní Loingsigh, K Geraghty; A Ni Cheallaigh, N Ward, C Cooney; M Glynn, A Davoren (capt.); O Divilly, L Ward, N Divilly; E Reaney, L Coen, R Leonard.

 

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship – Relegation qualifiers

 

Donegal v Kildare; Kingspan Breffni, 2pm

 

A huge game for both counties as they battle to stay afloat in the Senior Championship ranks.

When the sides met earlier in the season in Division 2 of the Lidl National League, Kildare scored a 1-8 to 1-4 victory en route to sealing national silverware and promotion to the top flight.

Senior championship football has been a step up for Kildare, the 2023 All-Ireland Intermediate champions, and following defeats to Mayo and Dublin in the group phase, the Lilywhites are now aiming to stay alive in the elite grade.

They meet a Donegal side who claimed a draw against Kerry before losing out to Waterford in the group stages.

Donegal have made one change in personnel following defeat at Walsh Park, with Jenny McGettigan replacing Niamh Carr.

Kildare boss Diane O’Hora has opted for three changes, meanwhile, as Ellie O’Toole, Mia Doherty and Aoife Rattigan come in for Lauren Murtagh, Trina Duggan and Niamh Farrelly.

The winners will play Senior Championship football again next year, while the losers will play-off against Laois or Tipperary on Saturday July 13. The winners there will be safe, while the losers will be relegated to the Intermediate grade.

 

Donegal: C Friel; S McLaughlin, A Temple Asokuh, E McGinley; K Dowds, N Boyle, T Hegarty; R Rodgers, J McGettigan; C Keon, N McLaughlin (capt.), A Boyle Carr; S White, K Herron, K Long.

 

Kildare: A Dunlea; F Troute, A Reynolds, A Clifford; E O’Toole, R Sargent, L Gilbert; G Clifford (capt.), L Doran; C Sullivan, N Dooley, M Doherty; E Dowling, R Byrne, A Rattigan.

 

Laois v Tipperary; John Lockes GAA, Callan, 2pm

 

Laois and Tipperary meet in Callan, where the winners will be assured of Senior Championship fare again next year.

Both of these counties survived last year following relegation clashes, Tipperary getting the better of Waterford in a free-kick shoot-out, as Laois overcame Cavan.

It’s another battle to avoid the drop for both counties and on all known form, Tipp will start as favourites.

The Premier County drew with Armagh and lost out to Meath in the group stages, as Laois suffered heavy losses to Cork and Galway.

Tipp are unchanged following the Meath defeat, as Laois make two changes to the team that lost out to Galway.

Eimear Barry returns between the sticks ahead of Naomi Luttrell, as Aerin Ryle earns a start in defence, with Ciara Malone dropping out.

 

Laois: E Barry; K Jacob, S Farrelly, G Lalor; M Cotter, A Moore, L Kearney; A Moran, A Fitzpatrick; K Donoghue, A Ryle, G Moran; M Nerney (capt.), O Hennessey, E Lacey.

 

Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; E Kelly, L Spillane, E Cronin; C O’Dwyer, M Curley (capt.), S English; L Morrissey, A.R. Kennedy; C English, A Moloney, E Morrissey; M Creedon, A McGuigan, E McCarthy.

 

Sunday 7th July 2024

 

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship – Quarter-Final

 

Armagh v Mayo; BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 5.45pm – Live on TG4

 

Without Aimee Mackin, who was ruled out through injury before throw-in, Armagh fell at the quarter-final stage against Cork last year.

Fast forward to now and the Orchard County will have to do without their brilliant forward again after she sustained a serious knee injury in the Ulster final victory over Donegal.

Without Mackin, Armagh still managed to navigate the group stages of the All-Ireland series to set up a home quarter-final with Mayo.

The green and red bounced back from defeat to Dublin to see off Kildare and book a place in the last eight.

When Armagh and Mayo met in Division 1 of the Lidl National League this year, Mackin scored 1-7 as they won by 2-9 to 2-8.

This one promises to be equally as tight and Mayo will aim to reach the semi-finals for a fourth successive season.

Mayo have made two changes to their starting line-up, with Sinéad Cafferky and Aoife Staunton replacing Fiona McHale and Sinead Walsh in attack.

The Armagh starting team shows three changes in personnel, as Caroline O’Hanlon, Sarah Quigley and Niamh Reel replace Eve Lavery, Blaithín Mackin and Meabh McCambridge.

 

Armagh: A Carr; G Ferguson, C McCambridge (capt.), R Mulligan; C Towe, L McConville, D Coleman; N Coleman, C O’Hanlon; E Druse, A McCoy, S Quigley; N Reel, N Henderson, K Mallon.

 

Mayo: L Brennan; S Lally (capt.), N O’Malley, K Sullivan; É Ronayne, C Durkan, D Caldwell; A Geraghty, E Murray; F McLaughlin, A Gough, S Cafferky; A Staunton, M Cannon, L Cafferky.

 

TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship – Relegation play-off

 

Antrim v Wicklow; Lann Léire GFC, Dunleer, Co. Louth, 2pm – Live on LGFA Facebook and YouTube

 

Antrim and Wicklow find themselves in the last chance saloon as they battle to avoid the drop to the Junior grade.

Following defeats against Cavan and Offaly respectively, it’s all on the line for Sunday’s opponents, who will go head to head at Lann Léire GFC in Dunleer.

Antrim were All-Ireland semi-finalists last year but have found the going tough in 2024, while Wicklow have also lost all of their All-Ireland Championship games in this season.

Wicklow have been an Intermediate force since winning the Junior crown in 2021, while Antrim captured the Junior title in 2022.

 

Antrim: S Murphy; A Kelly, G McGoarty, D Coleman; G Shannon, C Brown (capt.), H Donaghy; E Ferran, C Finucane; A Montague, C Taggart, T Mellon; C Logan, A Taggart, E Rogers Duffy.

 

Wicklow: E Griffin; E Parke, L Dunne, S Goetlen; N Caffrey, C Murphy, M Healy; A Gorman, SJ Winders (capt.); S Evans, A Cullen, A Harmon; E O’Brien, N Cullen, A Carroll.