Another weekend of LGFA league action beckons

Compiled by Jackie Cahill

THERE’S another full round of fixtures in the 2025 Lidl National Leagues down for decision over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Wicklow v Kilkenny in Division 4 is Saturday’s sole fixture; there are games across all four divisions on Sunday, while there’s a live TG4 double-header from the top flight on Monday, as Meath entertain Mayo (2pm), while Kerry make the trip to Waterford (3.45pm).
Sunday’s games in Divisions 1 and 2 will also be available to view via live streams.

All fixtures 2pm unless stated

Saturday

Lidl National Football League Division 4

Wicklow v Kilkenny; Tinahely, 12pm

After losing their opening game to Sligo, Wicklow will look to get off the mark in Division 4.

Kilkenny are the visitors to Tinahely for the sole game in the Lidl National Leagues on Saturday.
The Cats have found the going tough to date, losing to Antrim and Longford in their first two games.

Wicklow: E Griffin; M Corr, L Dunne, E.R. O’Toole; C Wafer, SJ Winders (capt.), E O’Brien; A Harmon, A Gorman; L.J. Shannon, N Cullen, E Bourke; S O’Reilly, S Evans, N McGettigan.

Kilkenny: N McDowell; L Brett, A Galwey, K Hennessy; R Crowley, R Roche, A Ring; E Lawlor (capt.), J O’Keefe; R Roche, E Keane, K Purcell; N Ward, L McDowell, G Buggy.

Sunday

Lidl National Football League Division 1

Armagh v Tyrone; St Paul’s, Lurgan
An Ulster derby pits Armagh against Tyrone in Lurgan.
Armagh opened the defence of their Lidl NFL Division 1 crown with an impressive opening day victory against Kerry – as Tyrone lost out to Meath, conceding 4-4 in the process.
Registering just two points on home soil may be more of a concern for the Red Hands, who will look for a positive response on their trip to the Orchard County.
Armagh have gone with an unchanged team following that win in Tralee, when they produced a brilliant second half display to claim maximum points.
Despite bagging 1-1 off the bench, Blaithín Mackin is held in reserve again.
Tyrone make two changes in personnel for this one, with Aine Strain and Slaine McCarroll coming in for Aine Grimes and Sorcha Gormley.

Armagh: A Carr; M Ferguson, L Kenny, C Towe; E Druse, L McConville (capt.), R Mulligan; N Coleman, C O’Hanlon; A McCoy, M Feehan, E Lavery; N Reel, E McGeown, M Lennon.

Tyrone: A Coyle; J Lyons, J Barrett, G McKenna; C Canavan, M Corrigan, A Strain; A McHugh (capt.), M Mallon; A Horisk, S Byrne, E McNamee; C McCaffrey, M Canavan, S McCarroll.

Kildare v Dublin; Manguard Park
When the counties last met in senior competitive fare, Dublin enjoyed a big win in the 2024 TG4 Leinster Championship.
This is an opportunity for Kildare to prove that the gap has closed but the 2024 Division 2 champions lost out to Waterford in their top flight opener last weekend.
A new-look Dublin, in contrast, enjoyed a gritty home victory against Mayo to get their season up and running.
Kildare have named an unchanged team as they look to bounce back quickly, while visitors Dublin have also gone with same starting 15. In a late change to the named team, Rebecca McDonnell came in for skipper Carla Rowe against Mayo, and McDonnell holds her place for the Kildare tie.
Former TG4 All-Star goalkeeper Abby Shiels, Kate Sullivan and Orla Martin, who was a squad member in 2023, join the Dublin travelling party for the short trip to Kildare.

Kildare: A Dunlea; R Sargent, L Dunlea, M Doherty; L Murtagh, L Lenehan (capt.), M Aspel; C Sullivan, L Curran; L Doran, A Rattigan, G Wheeler; N Dooley, A Prizeman, R Byrne.

Dublin: K Moran Tighe; J Tobin, M Byrne, A Nyhan; N Donlon, L Caffrey, A Curran; G Kós, H McGinnis; R McDonnell, C Darby, S McIntyre; A Timothy, N Hetherton, J Egan.

Lidl National Football League Division 2

Roscommon v Clare; St Croans, Enfield
Roscommon lost out narrowly by a point in their opener against Monaghan, and every result will matter in the final standings in a fiercely-competitive pool.
Clare, meanwhile, earned a merited draw against Donegal and that could turn out to be a vital result when the dust settles on the group stages.
This one is a repeat of the 2024 Lidl NFL Division 3 Final, when Clare edged out Roscommon by two points.
Both of the promoted sides go into this one with big hopes of earning three precious points.

Roscommon: C O’Reilly; R Brady, S Wynne, O O’Neill; S Timon, E Irwin, R Lennon; L O’Rourke, A Curran; L Mannion (capt.), S McGuinness, C Cregg; A Hanly, R Lennon, C Lennon.

Clare: A Griffin; H Doyle, G Harvey, R Doohan; L Griffin, J Doohan, S Melican; C Harvey (capt.), R Martin; R Considine, M Downes, T Collins; F Marrinan, A Considine, C Moloney.

Galway v Cork; Tuam Stadium
This was a top flight clash last year but both counties suffered relegation from Division 1.
Cork beat Galway on the opening day of the 2024 season and the sides would meet again twice in the TG4 All-Ireland Championship.
Cork won in the group stages but Galway gained revenge in the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final.
These promotion favourites both began with victories last weekend – Cork at home to Westmeath, as Galway won on their visit to Tipperary.

Galway: L O’Halloran; A Ní Cheallaigh, M Jordan, K Geraghty (capt.); C Cooney, E Eilian, C Trill; S Divilly, A Davoren; L Coen, S Hynes, L Noone; E Noone, R Leonard, K Slevin.

Cork: S Murphy; K Horgan, S Kelly, S Callanan; E Cleary, S Leahy (capt.), R Ní Chorcora; M O’Callaghan, A Healy; A O’Mahony, H Looney, A Corcoran; L O’Mahony, L Coppinger, K Quirke.

Monaghan v Tipperary; Castleblayney
Monaghan are the other team apart from Galway and Cork with maximum points after Round 1.
The Farney girls battled to a one-point victory against Roscommon, while Sunday’s opponents Tipperary will look to regroup following a home loss to Galway.
This is a big game for both sides as Monaghan look to keep pace at the top, while Tipp will hope they don’t get cut adrift in the early rounds.

Monaghan: Ó Kelly; A Clarke, S Brady, C Brennan; A Burns, J Duffy (capt.), C Treanor; N Flanagan, J McQuillan; G Grimes, A Garland, G Hanratty; L Connolly, É Sherry, S Power.

Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick (capt.); N Martin, L Spillane, E Cronin; S English, M Curley, B Condon; A.R. Kennedy, S O’Carroll; H Brennan, N Towey, A O’Shea; N Martin, E Morrissey, A Fennessy.

Westmeath v Donegal; Athlone GAA
Westmeath were given a harsh lesson on their visit to Cork in Round 1 and need a quick response.
A tie against Donegal is a tough assignment for the Lake County but they’ll hope for better fortunes on home soil.
Visitors Donegal will be looking for their first win of the campaign, after drawing away to Clare.

Westmeath: A Temple; L McCartan, S Murphy, A Roche; C Kelly, L Power, F Coyle (capt.); T Dillon, F Walshe; P Ruane, A Jones, C Kilmurray; V Carr, M Monaghan, C Smullen.

Donegal: C Friel; S McFadden, A Temple Asokuh, E McGinley; S McLaughlin, N Boyle, N Carr; R Rodgers (capt.), R McColgan; N Harkin, K Dowds, A Walsh; M Bennett, S White, E Gallagher.

Lidl National Football League Division 3

Down v Cavan; Burren
Down got off to an impressive start with a two-point victory over Limerick in Round 1.
Could this finally be the year that the Mourne County get out of Division 3?
Time will tell on that one, as they prepare for an Ulster derby against Cavan on Sunday.
The Breffni County, relegated last year, got off to a winning start themselves, earning a two-point win against Louth.

Down: C Byrne; C Milburn, K Howlett, E Gallen; M Doherty, C Mulvenna (capt.), N McKibbin; E Sands, N McClory; M Kelly, E Fitzpatrick, L Duffy; V McCormack, N King, N Rice.

Cavan: E Baugh; S Daly, S Kelly, E Corcoran; D Lynch, S Lynch (capt.), S Greene; M Fitzpatrick, E Madden; S Fitzsimons, L McVeety, C Dolan; E Brady, A Sheridan, R McLoughlin.

Carlow v Offaly; Netwatch Carlow Training Centre
Carlow finally get the chance to kick a ball in Division 3, after their opening round fixture against Laois was postponed.
The 2024 Division 4 winners have home advantage against Offaly, who were well beaten by Wexford last weekend.
Carlow begin with a number of players who tasted success for Bennekerry-Tinryland in the AIB All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship Final before Christmas.

Carlow: R Bailey; S Cotter, S McCullagh, A Carroll, K Tunstead; T Lyons, E Ware, B Nolan; R Bailey (capt.), E Hayden; B Nolan, C Ní Shé, E Molloy; S Hayden, M Townsend, A Kiernan.

Offaly: L Dunne; A Dunne, D Hannon, J Maher; K Flynn, N Buckley, K Farrelly; M Mann (capt.), A Watkins; A Grehan, A Gavin Mangan, A Stafford; N Merriman, E Hand, C Walsh.

Limerick v Wexford; Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale, 4pm
Wexford laid down a marker with an impressive opening day win against Offaly.
The Model County should be one of the strongest teams in Division 3, while Limerick will look to consolidate after gaining promotion last year.
Limerick were competitive against Down last weekend, scoring 2-6, but the Shannonsiders will look to tighten up at the back after conceding 0-14.

Limerick: C Bateman; S Dillon, Y Lee (capt.), R Browne; G Lee, L O’Brien, E Woulfe; K O’Leary, O Ryan; C McNamara, D Murphy, I Kennelly; A O’Sullivan, R Delee, R Ambrose.

Wexford: S Cloake; S McCarthy, M Byrne, A Tormey; C Banville, A Halligan, K English; C Donnelly, B McDonald; A Furlong, C Murray, C Fox; A Neville, C Ni Nuallain, A Fortune.

Laois v Louth; Crettyard
Relegated from Division 2 last year, Laois will hope to bounce back at the first attempt.
After their clash with Carlow was postponed last weekend, Laois will get their season underway with a Leinster derby against Louth.
The Wee County suffered a two-point defeat to Cavan in Round 1.

Laois: N Luttrell; S Farrelly, D Phelan, G Lalor; C Crowley, F McEvoy, S Havill; F Dooley, A Moran (capt.); J Murphy, E Lacey, L Kearney; E Galvin, E Lawlor, G Moran.

Louth: R Lambe Fagan; E Hand, E Murray, H Lambe Sally; C Nolan, S McLaughlin, L Byrne; A Breen (capt.), A Halligan; L White, A Russell, E Byrne; L Collins, K Flood, Z Sweeney.

Lidl National Football League Division 4

Sligo v Longford; Cloonacool Community Park
Longford are flying so far in Division 4, with two wins from two.
Sligo have won one and lost one and this is a crucial fixture in the promotion race.
The top four in Division 4 will contest semi-finals, and both counties will want to secure a precious slot for themselves.

Sligo: E Maguire; A Molloy, C Dunne, H Walsh; T Breheny, C King, C Walsh; T Doddy, S Regan (capt.), R Kennedy, L Kelly, M McCormack; E Kelleher, L Normanly, S Curley.

Longford: A Cooney; C McCormack, E Bleakley, L Keegan; E Duggan, E O’Brien (capt.), A Brady; S Gallagher, S Hagan; E O’Reilly, K Crawford, K McKeon; K Burke, N Brady, E Sheehy.

Leitrim v Derry; Kiltubrid
Leitrim will be keen to get points on the board after losing their opener to Fermanagh, before their game with Wicklow was postponed.
Semi-finalists last year, Leitrim are aiming for a semi-final place and a victory there, which would guarantee promotion.
Leitrim will fancy their chances of getting off the mark for 2025 against Derry, who have lost their opening two games.

Leitrim: N Ryan; E Quigley, C Tyrell, J Maye; M Murphy, C Owens, R McIntyre; N Tighe (capt.), A Quinn; L O’Dowd, A Clancy, D Beirne; S Ward, S Quinn, A Gilmartin.

Derry: T Cassidy; S Moore, G Brewster, J Corr; C Dillon, O McEvoy, A Duffy; C O’Kane, L Casey (capt.); N Hannon, K McCann, A Martin; S Hargan, L Slevin, K Deery.

Fermanagh v Antrim; Tempo Maguires GAC
Fermanagh were beaten semi-finalists last year and after topping the group stages, that was a frustrating League conclusion for the TG4 All-Ireland Junior champions.
They’ve began 2025 in ominous form, claiming two wins from two outings and scoring freely.
But the same goes for Antrim, relegated from Division 3 last year but quickly regrouping to join Longford and Fermanagh at the head of affairs in the fourth tier.
An early-season top of the table clash and a keenly-contested Ulster derby should provide some promotion clues.

Fermanagh: M Maguire; E Murphy, C Clarke, M Flynn; S McQuade (capt.), C Murphy, S Feeley; R O’Reilly, M McGloin; C Martin, E Smyth, C Bogue; B Smyth, B Bogue, J Doonan.

Antrim: A Devlin; C Carleton, M Blaney, M Mulholland; S O’Neill, C Brown, D Coleman; O Todd, A Turley; T Mellon, O Dahunsi, L Adams; B Devlin, N Jones, M O’Neill.

Monday

Meath v Mayo; Páirc Tailteann, Navan – Live on TG4
The first of two live TG4 games on Monday sees Meath with home advantage against Mayo.
Meath got off to a winning start last weekend, scoring 4-4 against Tyrone, as Mayo lost out to Dublin.
This is a crucial game for both sides, as Meath look to maintain their good start, while Mayo will be keen to pick up crucial points and avoid being pulled into a relegation battle.
Mayo make one change to the team that lost out to Dublin at Parnell Park, with captain Danielle Caldwell coming into the side to replace Milly Sheridan.
Meath are unchanged as they look for back-to-back wins to begin the season.

Meath: R Murray; A Sheridan, S Wall, N Troy; N Gallogly, M.K. Lynch, C Millington; A Cleary (capt.), E Moyles; M Thynne, O Sheehy, C Smyth; M Byrne, M Farrelly, K Cole.

Mayo: R Dyar; E Brennan, S Lally, D Caldwell (capt.); K Sullivan, S El Massry, H Reape; E Murray, A Geraghty; L Wallace, A Gough, C Durkin; M Cannon, S Walsh, C Whyte.

Waterford v Kerry; SETU Arena, Carriganore; 3.45pm – Live on TG4
Contrasting fortunes for the Munster teams in their opening round fixtures.
Waterford claimed a valuable win against Kildare, with Kellyann Hogan collecting 0-5, as TG4 All-Ireland champions Kerry were undone by Armagh in the second half.
Two teams who know each other quite well will look for the points on offer at the SETU Arena on Sunday, as Waterford go with 14 of the 15 players who got off to a winning starts.
There’s one change for the Déise, as Gemma Corcoran replaces Katelyn Gardiner in goal, as Kerry opt for four changes in personnel.
Ciara McCarthy, Roisin Rahilly, Katie Sugrue and Katie Brosnan all get the chance to impress as Mark Bourke runs the rule over his squad.
Roisin Smith, Fay O’Donoghue, Mary O’Connell and Jaydn Lucey drop to the bench for this Munster derby.

Waterford: G Corcoran; R Casey, C Murray, M Ryan; E Power, K McGrath, B McMaugh; E Murray (capt.), H Power; Á O’Neill, K Hogan, K Murray; C Fennell, C Walsh, L McGregor.

Kerry: M.E. Bolger; C McCarthy, D Kearney, R Rahilly; A O’Connell, K Cronin, K Sugrue; A Dillane, A Galvin (capt.); N Carmody, C Evans, N Ní Chonchúir; S O’Shea, R Dwyer, K Brosnan.