The main event: Two provincial football championships will be decided this weekend – Munster and Connacht. In the west, Galway will carry a heavy favourites tag when they line out against Sligo on Sunday lunchtime. Sligo come to Castlebar armed with the guarantee of Sam Maguire football and free from the shackles of weighty expectation against a stronger-on-paper Galway side. This can only help Tony McEntee’s men.
Kerry will, in all likelihood, romp home against Clare in the Munster SFC final, although the Banner bring with them encouragement from merited championship wins against Limerick and – especially – Cork.
The open championship: Clare gave the summer new life when they stunned All-Ireland champions Limerick in a rousing, single-point win in their Munster hurling round two clash in the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Saturday evening. With Limerick’s perceived omnipotence shattered – they had not lost a game since 2019 before the weekend – the Munster SHC, and indeed the All-Ireland championship itself, throws up new questions.
Cork and Tipperary meet in Munster this Saturday. Tipperary have already defeated Limerick’s conquerors – they racked up 5-22 to Clare’s 3-23 in Ennis two weeks ago – while Cork got off to a strong start on Sunday last, dispatching of Davy Fitzgerald’s Waterford comfortably. Anyone’s game.
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[ Limerick’s faltering start raises further questions about winning the leagueOpens in new window ]
[ Nicky English: Clare raise the stakes as questions about the champions intensifyOpens in new window ]
Leinster hurling watch: There’s also action in the Leinster SHC this weekend, when Kilkenny travel to Belfast to face Antrim. Last week, Galway county board chair Paul Bellew went on record to say that Leinster hurling is frequently overlooked in favour of glamour ties thrown up by the Munster hurling championship. There’s strong competition on show in Leinster, per Bellew: cumulatively the province has seen twice as many draws as the Munster championship, as well as more one-point margins – six against two. Case in point: Kilkenny’s draw with Galway at Nowlan Park at the weekend.
The kind of drama Bellew was promoting is not part of Kilkenny’s script for the weekend, but the clash is worth keeping an eye on it.
TV and Fixtures
SATURDAY, MAY 6TH
Munster SHC round 3 Cork v Tipperary, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 7pm (Streaming on GAAGO)
Leinster SHC round 3 Dublin v Wexford, Croke Park, 5pm (Streaming on GAAGO); Westmeath v Galway, TEG Cusack Park, 6pm
Joe McDonagh round 4 Laois v Kildare, Laois Hire O’Moore Park, 2.30pm
All-Ireland Under-20 FC semi-finals Sligo v Kerry, Pearse Stadium, 4.45pm (Live on TG4); Down v Kildare, Parnell Park, 7pm (Live on TG4)
SUNDAY, MAY 7TH
Connacht SFC final Galway v Sligo, MacHale Park, 1.45pm (Live on RTÉ)
Munster SFC final Clare v Kerry, LIT Gaelic Grounds, 4pm (Live on RTÉ)
Leinster SHC round 3 Antrim v Kilkenny, Corrigan Park, 1pm (Streaming on GAAGO)
Joe McDonagh Cup round 4 Offaly v Kerry, Glenisk O’Connor Park, 1pm; Down v Carlow, McKenna Park, 1pm
Team news: Changes to Kerry’s defensive set-up sees Dylan Casey come into the backline for the Munster SFC showdown against Clare, with Graham O’Sullivan pushed forward to the half-back line. Paul Murphy is left out of the panel through injury. For Clare, Darren O’Neill will start in midfield instead of Darragh Bohannon in the only change for the Banner.
Galway make two changes ahead of their Connacht SFC meeting with Sligo: Connor Gleeson starts in goal instead of Bernard Power, and Cillian McDaid starts ahead of Cathal Sweeney. Sligo have named an unchanged side after their comfortable semi-final win over New York.
Kerry (SFC v Clare): Shane Ryan, Dylan Casey, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan, Graham O’Sullivan, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White, Diarmuid O’Connor, Jack Barry, Dara Moynihan, Sean O’Shea, Paudie Clifford, Tony Brosnan, David Clifford, Paul Geaney. Subs: Shane Murphy, Brian Ó Beaglaíoch, Adrian Spillane, Barry Dan O’Sullivan, Ruairí Murphy, Killian Spillane, Micheál Burns, Mike Breen, Stephen O’Brien, Pa Warren, Dylan Geaney.
Clare (SFC v Kerry): Stephen Ryan, Manus Dogerty, Cillian Brennan, Cillian Rouine, Ciaran Russel, Jamie Malone, Daniel Walsh, Cathal O’Connor, Darren O’Neill, Pearse Lillis, Emmet McMahon, Dermot Coughlan, Eoin Cleary, Keelan Sexton, Pádraic Collins. Subs: David Sexton, Gavin Cooney, Micheal Garry, Shane Griffin, Ronan Lanigan, Brian McNamara, Mark McInerney, Darren Nagle, Cian O’Dea, Alan Sweeney, Ikem Ugweru.
Galway (SFC v Sligo): Connor Gleeson, John McGrath, Seán Kelly, Jack Glynn, Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Cillian McDaid, Paul Conroy, John Maher, Matthew Tierney, Johnny Heaney, Peter Cooke, Ian Burke, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh. Subs: Bernard Power, Seán Fitzgerald, Daniel O’Flaherty, Cian Hernon, Paul Kelly, Gerard Davoran, Owen Gallagher, Robert Finnerty, Cathal Sweeney, Dessie Conneely, Tomo Culhane.
Kilkenny (SHC v Antrim): Eoin Murphy, Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh, David Blanchfield, Richie Reid, Darragh Corcoran, Adrian Mullen, Alan Murphy, Tom Phelan, John Donnelly, Billy Ryan, Martin Keoghan, TJ Reid, Eoin Cody. Subs: Darren Brennan, Conor Delaney, Cillian Buckley, Pádraig Walsh, Conor Heary, Cian Kenny, Niall Brennan, Timmy Clifford, Shane Walsh, Walter Walsh, Richie Hogan.
Antrim (SHC v Kilkenny): Ryan Elliott, Paddy Burke, Ryan Mc Garry, Niall Ó Connor, Gerard Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Conal Bohill, James Mc Naughton, Michael Bradley, Keelan Molloy, Conal Cunning, Niall McKenna, Conor Johnston, Neil Mc Manus, Rian Mc Mullan. Subs: Tiernan Smyth, Stephen Rooney, Conor Boyd, Enda Og Mc Garry, Caolan Mc Kernan, Scott Walsh, Joe Maskey, Paul Boyle, Eoin Ó Neill, Seamie Mc Auley, Domhnall Nugent.
Galway (SHC v Westmeath): Eanna Murphy, Darren Morrissey, Gearóid McInerney, TJ Brennan, Padraic Mannion, Daithi Burke, Fintan Burke, Cianan Fahy, Joseph Cooney, Brian Concannon, Cathal Mannion, Conor Whelan, Evan Niland, Kevin Cooney, Liam Collins. Subs: Darach Fahy, Jack Grealish, Eoin Lawless, Seán Linnane, Ronan Glennon, Jason Flynn, John Cooney, Declan McLoughlin, Martin McManus, Jarlath Mannion, Jamie Ryan.
Dublin (SHC v Wexford): Seán Brennan, Paddy Doyle, Eoghan O’Donnell, Paddy Smyth, Conor Donohoe, Conor Burke, Daire Gray, Mark Grogan, Chris O’Leary, Danny Sutcliffe, Donal Burke, Cian Boland, Ronan Hayes, Cian O’Sullivan, Alex Considine. Subs: Eddie Gibbons, John Bellew, James Madden, Ronan Smith, Darragh Power, Cillian Costello, Paul Crummey, Fergal Whitely, Dara Purcell, Joe Flanagan, Sean Currie.
Wexford (SHC v Dublin): James Lawlor, Shane Reck, Liam Ryan, Conor Devitt, Matthew O’Hanlon, Damien Reck, Simon Donohoe, Diarmuid O’Keeffe, Conor Hearne, Oisin Foley, Jack O’Connor, Liam Óg McGovern, Rory O’Connor, Lee Chin, Cathal Dunbar. Subs: Cian Byrne, Ross Banville, Ian Carty, Mikie Dwyer, Conor Foley, Kevin Foley, Richie Lawlor, Conor McDonald, Charlie McGuckin, Niall Murphy, Joe O’Connor.
Laois (Joe McDonagh v Kildare): Enda Rowland, Donnchadh Hartnett, Fiachra C Fennell, Ian Shanahan, Ryan Mullaney, Padraig Delaney, Jack Kelly, Aidan Corby, Ross King, Patrick Purcell, Stephen Maher, James Keyes, James Duggan, Martin Phelan, Stephen Bergin. Subs: Peter Walsh, Padraic Dunne, Liam Senior, Padraig Lalor, Jordan Walsh, Gearoid Lynch, John Lennon, Tomás Keyes, Seamus Fitzpatrick, Colm Stapleton, Fionán Mahoney.
Kildare (Joe McDonagh v Laois): Paddy McKenna, Niall Ó Muineacháin, Simon Leacy, Cormac Byrne, John McKeon, Rian Boran, Drew Costello, Sean Christanseen, Paul Dolan, Declan Flaherty, Johnny Byrne, Mark Delaney, Brian Byrne, Cian Boran, David Qualter. Subs: Seán Burke, Richie Hogan, James Dolan, Daniel O’Meara, Micheál Hogan, Harry Carroll, Alan Goss, Sean Whelan, Frank Bass, Reece Gavin, Killian Harrington.
Offaly (Joe McDonagh v Kerry): Stephen Corcoran, Dara Maher, Ciaran Burke, Ben Conneely, David King, Jason Sampson, Killian Sampson, Paddy Delaney, David Nally, Cillian Kiely, Jack Clancy, Adrian Cleary, Charlie Mitchell, Brian Duignan, Eoghan Cahill. Subs: Eamonn Cleary, Eimhin Kelly, John Murphy, Sam Bourke, James Nally, Shane Dooley, Liam Langton, Joey Keenaghan, Cathal O’Meara, Eoghan Parlon, Conor Langton.
Kerry (Joe McDonagh v Offaly): Louis Dee, Darragh Shanahan, Eric Leen, Eoin Ross, Fionan MacKessy, Paudie O’Connor, Gavin Dooley, Evan Murphy, Jason Diggins, Kyle O’Connor, Brandon Barrett, Michael Leane, Colin Walsh, Shane Conway, Padraig Boyle. Subs: Conor Bohane, Sean Weir, Morgan Madden, Mickey Boyle, Cillian Trant, Keith Carmody, Jordan Conway, Niall Mulcahy, Dan Goggin, Philip Lucid, Ricky Heffernan.
Down (Joe McDonagh v Carlow): Stephen Keith, John McManus, Barry Trainor, Niall McFarland, Mark Fisher, Caolan Teggart, Ruairi McCrickard, Jordan Doran, Liam Savage, Finn Turpin, Paul Sheehan, Daithi Sands, Oisin MacManus, Chris Egan, Pearse Óg McCrickard. Subs: Cathal Lavery, Tom Murray, Aodhan Furlong, Darragh Mallon, Matt Conlon, Ryan McCusker, Stuart Martin, Eoghan Sands, Jason Croskery, Deaglan Mallon, Tim Prenter.
Carlow (Joe McDonagh v Down): Brian Tracey, Paul Doyle, Conor Lawlor, Niall Bolger, Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Diarmuid Byrne, Jack McCullagh, Conor Kehoe, Kevin McDonald, Jon Nolan, Martin Kavanagh, James Doyle, Jack Tracey, Paddy Boland, Chris Nolan. Subs: Damien Jordan, JP Treacy, Richard Coady, Michael Joyce, Fiach O’Toole, John Doyle, Jack Kavanagh, Paudie O’Shea, Ciarain Kavanagh, Eric English, John Michael Nolan.
