SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY
Division 1A
Cork v Waterford, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 2pm
Kilkenny v Galway, UPMC Nowlan Park, 2pm
Tipperary v Dublin, The Ragg, 2pm
Division 1B
Wexford v Clare, St Patrick's Park Enniscorthy, 2pm
Westmeath v Down, Ratharney, 2pm
Limerick v Antrim, Ballyagran, 2pm
Division 2A
Meath v Armagh, Dunganny, 2pm
Carlow v Derry, SETU Carlow Campus, 2pm
Offaly v Kerry, St Brendan's Park Birr, 2pm
Division 3A
Laois v Kildare, Mountmellick, 2pm
Tyrone v Roscommon, Tyrone GAA Centre of Excellence, 2pm
Louth v Wicklow, Cooley Kickhams, 2pm
ONLINE
Reports on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app.
RADIO
Updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport.
STREAMING
Live coverage of Cork v Kilkenny on Camogie Association YouTube channel
WEATHER
Saturday: A day of sunny spells and scattered showers, mainly for Atlantic areas at first but extending eastwards through the morning and afternoon. Cloud will build from the southwest later. Highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees with mostly moderate southwest winds. For more go to met.ie.
It's the opening weekend of the 1A Very Camogie Leagues where Tipperary will begin their title defence at home to Dublin.
It is a clash between the holders and a 1B champions.
League silverware marked a first national title for 20 years for Tipp, who then lost the All-Ireland semi-final agonisingly by a point. Mary Ryan, Cáit Devane, Nicole Walsh and Tess Ryan have retired, while shoulder injuries have ruled out captain, Karen Kennedy, and Karin Blair.
After the Premier’s premier junior and minor All-Ireland victories last season though, Denis Kelly will have plenty of players champing at the bit to get a jersey.
Dublin carried on the momentum of their victorious league campaign by reaching the All-Ireland semi-final, deserving winners over Kilkenny. Having a fully fit Aisling O’Neill for the entire campaign would really strengthen Gerry McQuaid’s side.
Cork are the dominant force in camogie at present, having won the last two All-Irelands, but haven't claimed league honours since 2013, losing five finals in the interim.
While they will be keen to provide chances to players, particularly with the abolition of second-string teams, the fact that most of the players do not hold a league medal has been mentioned as a motivation.
Jerry Wallace was manager of a multitude of Cork All-Ireland winning minor teams and a Midleton clubmate of Cork boss Ger Manley who will be looking to build on a solid first season as Waterford supremo.
Injuries had a severe impact on the Déise’s ability to really get going last year, having reached the 2023 All-Ireland final where Cork proved too strong. They are still without some key personnel, with Vikki Falconer expected back in time for the championship, but they do have players from two consecutive All-Ireland minor A finals to assimilate, along with the very exciting Maggie Gostl, who was eased in last year.
Kilkenny have been undergoing a transitional process with the loss of some of the greatest to ever to play the game.
Even though the Walsh cousins, Miriam and Grace have retired, there is a frisson of excitement about them this year with the appointment of Tommy Shefflin as manager and the return of Mary O'Connell.
Shefflin, the renowned hurling coach from Ballyhale, was Brian Dowling’s right-hand man when the Cats won the All-Irelands in 2020 and 2022, the latter while they were already navigating a significant changing of the guard.
Galway will be without the McGrath siblings for the league at least, but Shauna Healy and Emma Helebert - pictured above - have returned to the fold and last year’s League and All-Ireland finalists retain a very experienced and strong core, with two-time All-Ireland-winning manager Cathal Murray continuing at the helm.
