TG4 All-Ireland Semi's - Galway and Dublin tipped

ALL-IRELAND
SEMI-FINALS

GALWAY v MAYO

Neither team will lack motivation going into this
eagerly contested clash, Mayo want to make it
3 in a row as All-ireland champions and Galway
will want to make it 3 in a row of victories over
their old rivals. Mayo are still hurting from
the beating Galway handed down to them in the
Connacht final while Galway after so many defeats
in the past from their old foes will want to keep
the upper hand over their Connacht Colleagues.

If Galway, who have been in fine form this year,
do beat Mayo for a third time this season it will
be a remarkable feat. They realised their first
objective for the year by claiming a first Connacht
senior title but PJ Fahys team will want and feel
that they can go all the way this year. Galway,
though, were not as impressive in the last game
against Laois and one worries that the momentum
may be slipping from their challenge. However
the sight of their old rivals in Green and White
should bring back all the fire and commitment
that supporters saw throughout the Connacht Championship.

Mayo have bounced back in remarkable fashion,
beating a strongly fancied young Cork team comprehensively
in the quarter-finals to turn their season around.
Cora Staunton is back to her best and kicked eight
points against Cork but Mayo will need bigger
contributions from the other forwards if they
are to beat Galway.

Galway’s strength is their midfield, where the
duo of Annette Clarke and Lisa Cohill have outshone
all opposition this year. But Mayo can banish
their earlier poor form to reach the final and
a crack at a famous three-in-a-row if Staunton
can shake off Galway’s Aine Gilmore and others
around her notch up a few scores. However Galway’s
greater hunger and a feeling of unfinished business
should see them through to their first Senior
All-Ireland final.

KERRY
v DUBLIN

After a hiding by Cork and a poor Munster Champiosnhip
campaign, very little hope was offered for Kerry
to progress any further in this years TG4 Champioship.
However The Kingdom turned the tables in the All-Ireland
quarter-final against Monaghan and were absolutely
superb in their defeat of Ulster Champions Monaghan.
With devastaing forwards Kacey O’Driscoll, Noreen
Fealey and Geraldine Ó Sé in devastating form
up front, they racked up an amazing 5-10.

For manager Robbie Griffin, revenge is a key motivation
after an Angie McNally-inspired Dublin rolled
over the Kingdom in last year’s semi-final at
the same venue. “Of course we are hoping to go
one step further,” says the Gaeltacht native.
“We will need to play our best hour’s football
this year to do so. Our form has been up and down
but we are hopeful.”

Kerry are a young stylish team but their style
will not be helped by Dublin’s work rate and more
physical approach. Dublin, though, were fortunate
to win their quarter-final with Donegal but that
game will have brought them on significantly.
In Angie McNally, Martina Farrell, Fiona Corcoran,
Bernie Finlay and Louise Keegan, Dublin have an
experienced core of footballers and whose hunger
after having an All-Ireland title stripped away
by a last second Mayo goal in last years final.
If it is an open game Kerry’s talent may just
shine through but semi-finals are usually tight
affairs and Dublin’s greater experience and desire
to reach another final should edge them through.