PREVIEWS: This weekend’s LGFA All-Ireland games

Compiled by Jackie Cahill

THE remaining TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-finalists will be confirmed on Saturday.

Champions Kerry, 2024 runners-up Galway, Meath and Dublin are already safely through to the last eight – and Saturday’s remaining round-robin games will determine the four counties who will join them in the knockout phase.

A draw will be conducted after play has concluded at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar, where Mayo entertain Cork.

The Group 1 tie between Tipperary and Donegal, and the Group 2 fixture in Castlebar are both will both be available to view on TG4, and also online via the TG4 Player: https://www.tg4.ie/en/player/watch-live/home/, while the Armagh-Kildare and Leitrim-Waterford ties are scheduled for live coverage on the Spórt TG4 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SportTG4/streams

Saturday’s Junior clash between hosts London and Longford is also available as a live-stream, as is Sunday’s Junior fixture as Sligo entertain Limerick.

Saturday June 21

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship

Group 1: Tipperary v Donegal; Bansha, 1pm – Live on TG4

Having both suffered defeats to table-toppers Galway, Tipperary and Donegal will battle it out for a quarter-final slot.

Going on form, this one could be tight, as Tipp and Donegal both lost by nine points to Galway in their respective fixtures.

Should this game in Bansha end in a draw, the team registering the highest number of points (i.e. scores converted over the bar) will progress in second place.

If they can’t be split after that, it’ll come down to scoring difference, but both sides are level on -9.

The following criteria, in order, would then apply to separate the teams – lowest number of goals conceded in group stages, highest number of goals scored, highest number of points scored, a draw to determine who finishes in the higher position.

All will be revealed over the course of what promises to be a tense hour or so.

In team news, Tipperary manager Ed Burke has made two changes to the side which went down to Galway with Emma Morrissey and Neassa Towey, both of whom came on in that game, starting this time instead of Aoibhe O’Shea, who is in the subs, and the injured Caitlin Kennedy.

Donegal manager James Daly has named an unchanged side to that which went down by 1-11 to 1-2 to Galway.

Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; N Martin, L Spillane, E Cronin; S English, M Curley, I Carr; L Morrissey, E Morrissey; N Towey, AR Kennedy, A Ryan; A McGuigan, A Moloney, A Fennessy.

Donegal: C Friel; S McFadden, A Temple Asokuh, S McFeeley; B McLaughlin, E McGinley, C Gillespie; R Rodgers, R McColgan; S White, K Dowds, F McManamon; E Gallagher, J McFadden, N Boyle.

Group 2: Mayo v Cork; Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, 3pm – Live on TG4

Mayo have home advantage against Cork in what could be another tight and tense affair.

Kerry, the holders, are already safely through to the last eight after defeating both Mayo and Cork.

But looking at the scoring difference, which could well determine who joins the Kingdom, Mayo are currently better off on -6, compared to Cork’s -7.

Scoring difference will come into play if Mayo and Cork are level at full-time, and have both registered the same number of points (i.e. scores over the bar) during the tie at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park.

As both teams chase a last eight slot, Mayo manager Liam McHale has made three changes with Lynda Hanley, Aoife Geraghty and Clodagh Keane coming into a side which also shows several positional switches.

Cork manager Joe Carroll has made just one change with Emma Cleary, a half-time substitute against Kerry, starting this time in place of Katie Horgan in the half-forward line.

Mayo: J Gawalkiewicz; L Wallace, N O’Malley, C Durkin; D Caldwell, E Brennan, S El Massry; H Reape, S Lally; L Hanley, S Walsh, A Geraghty; E Murray, C Keane, K Sullivan.

Cork: S Murphy; S Kelly, S Leahy, M Duggan; A Corcoran, S Cronin, R Corkery; M O’Callaghan, A Healy; A O’Mahony, L O’Mahony, E Cleary; A O’Sullivan, H Looney, K Quirke.

Group 3: Armagh v Kildare; BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, 2pm – Live on Spórt TG4 YouTube

Meath currently sit on top of Group 3 – and qualified for the quarter-finals with four points on the board.

But Armagh will pip the Royals to top spot if they get the better of Kildare at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds – and secure a home quarter-final.

Armagh and Meath drew in Round 1 – but Armagh would progress on the head to head rule by virtue of scoring more points (11) in that tie, as Meath registered eight.

Kildare will have something to say about all of that, of course, as they aim to make the knockout stages.

A win for the Lilywhites would see them through in second place on three points behind Meath.

Kildare manager Pat Sullivan has made one change with Ciara Moran coming into the side in the middle of the field with wing-forward Mia Ryan in the subs for a side which shows several positional changes.

Armagh manager Darnell Parkinson has made two changes with Blaithin Mackin returning from injury to the attack in place of Sarah Quigley, while Roisin Mulligan comes into the full-back line for Caoimhe McNally.

Armagh: A Carr; M Ferguson, C Towe, R Mulligan; E Druse, M McCann, G Ferguson; N Coleman, C O’Hanlon; L McConville, A McCoy, B Mackin; K Mallon, N Henderson, N Reel.

Kildare: M Hulgraine; R Sargent, L Lenehan, M Doherty; L Shaw, L Murtagh, M Aspel; L Reilly, C Moran; C Wheeler, A Rattigan, L Curran; E Dowling, A Prizeman, R Byrne.

Group 4: Leitrim v Waterford; Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, 2pm – Live on Spórt TG4 YouTube

Waterford make the trip to Carrick-on-Shannon looking to book a place in the quarter-finals.

Leitrim are reeling following a big defeat to Dublin last weekend but the 2024 All-Ireland Intermediate champions will advance if they beat Waterford.

There are a number of scenarios at play in the event of a Waterford victory.

They’ll need to rack up a big score to pip Dublin to top spot, after drawing 1-13 apiece with the Sky Blues in Round 1.

Should Waterford beat Leitrim, they’ll join Dublin at the head of affairs in Group 4 on four points, but Dublin have a +35 scoring difference compared to Waterford’s 0.

Leitrim manager Jonny Garrity has made two changes, both of them up front. Ailbhe Clancy replaces Síomha Quinn in the half-forward line while Shaylyn Ward takes over from Muireann Devaney at full-forward.

Waterford manager Tomás Mac a t’Saoir has made one change with Caragh McCarthy, who came on in the game against Dublin, starting in attack in place of Lia Ní Arta.

Leitrim: M Guckian; J Maye, C Tyrrell, E Quigley; D Beirne, C Owens, R McIntyre; N Tighe, A Quinn; A Gilmartin, V Egan, A Clancy; L Fox, S Ward, L O’Dowd.

Waterford: K Gardiner; A Murray, R Casey, C Murray; H Power, K McGrath, A O’Neill; E Murray, E Power; K Murray, B McMaugh, C McCarthy; C Fennell, C Walsh, L McGregor.

TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship

Group B: London v Longford; McGovern Park, Ruislip, 6pm – Live at: https://www.247.tv/live/londonlgfa

Longford will look to make a step towards the semi-finals with victory in London – but it remains up for grabs in Group B.

A victory for Longford would see them join Antrim at the top of the table on six points – but Carlow could make it three teams on six points if they win their remaining group game against Antrim on Sunday June 29.

In that case, the two teams with the best scoring difference will go through to the last four.

London will hope for a better display in this one after shipping heavy defeats to Carlow and Antrim.

London: H Dike-Lawlor; O Reilly, L Harrold, K Allenby; E Gray, A Nagle, A Spain; E Creedon, C Finnerty; S Munnelly, A Molloy, C Flanagan; E Bartley, A Ryan, M Harney-Nolan.

Longford: A Cooney; G Kenny, L Keegan, A Brady; C McCormack, E O’Brien, E Duggan; S Gallagher, A O’Brien; S Hagan, K Crawford, E O’Reilly; K Burke, C Lohan, L McGuire.

Sunday June 22

TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship

Group A: Sligo v Limerick; Cloonacool Community Park, 2pm – Live on LGFA Facebook and YouTube

A crucial game in Group A, as Limerick and Sligo, both on six points, meet at Cloonacool Community Park.

A win for either side would see them take huge step towards the semi-finals.

Sligo: E McGuire; A Molloy, H Walsh, J Creegan; C King, T Doddy, T Breheny; S Regan, C Walsh; M McCormack, E Kelleher, S Feeney; L Duffy, C Gilligan, A McDaniel.

Limerick: S Hennessy; S Dillon, Y Lee, J McGuire; M MacNamara, L O’Brien, G Lee; O Ryan, G Mullane; C MacNamara, R Delee, K O’Leary; D Murphy, C Mee, R Ambrose.

Group A: Derry v Louth; Owenbeg, 2pm

Louth, along with Sligo, boast a 100 per cent record in Group A to date and will fancy their chances of a third win in the pool.

Last year’s All-Ireland Finalists make the trip to Owenbeg for a clash with Derry, who have lost both of their fixtures to date.

Derry: T Cassidy; C Dillon, G Brewster, J Corr; A Donnelly, S Hargan, B Donnelly; L Brewster, A Crozier; N Hannon, A Ni Lochlainn, K Hargan; A McAlister, C Donnelly, A Martin.

Louth: R Lambe Fagan; R Beirth, E Hand, E Murray; S Matthews, S McLaughlin, L Byrne; A Breen, A Halligan; L White, E Byrne, A Russell; L Collins, K Flood, C Nolan.