SATURDAY
Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior semi-finals
Galway v Tipperary, UPMC Nowlan Park, 3pm
Cork v Waterford, UPMC Nowlan Park, 5pm
TV
Both semi-finals will be broadcast live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
ONLINE
Score updates and match reports available on RTÉ Sport Online and RTÉ News app.
RADIO
Score updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport.
WEATHER
Saturday will be a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers, the odd heavy one later in the day. Highest temperatures of 16 to 21 degrees in a moderate, occasionally fresh, westerly wind.
Galway v Tipperary
A repeat of last year's tumultuous semi-final, in which Galway snatched the pass to an All-Ireland final from Tipperary’s grasp in dramatic fashion, scoring the last three points including Carrie Dolan’s injury-time winner, having fallen two behind in the 56th minute.
Both sides have lost players for a variety of reasons since, but the cruciate injuries suffered by Eimear McGrath and Clodagh Quirke appear particularly cataclysmic blows to the blue and gold, following the retirements of Cáit Devane, Mary Ryan and Nicole Walsh.
Galway are without Niamh Kilkenny and Áine Keane among others, but have Shauna Healy and Emma Helebert - pictured below - back and appear to be in better form than they were this time 12 months ago.
The Rebels steamrolled them in the league final but since then, Cathal Murray’s charges won their group, scoring the last six points against Waterford when the sides had been level with a little more than four minutes of normal time remaining in the last tie. Niamh Mallon and Dolan have been their primary scorers, while a defence of Healy, Helebert, Dervla Higgins and Róisín Black look solid.
Tipp were beaten by 18 points by Cork in their opener but bounced back with facile victories over Wexford, Limerick and Clare, racking up 11-62 in the process, at an average of more than 3-22 a game. Clare pushed Waterford very hard in their quarter-final, a week after losing by 20 points to the Premier.
Tipp have the benefit of coming through a thrilling quarter-final against Kilkenny. They capitalised on a huge slice of luck when the Cats had a goal chalked off with referee Ray Kelly having blown for a penalty before Caoimhe Keher Murtagh found the net. Walsh’s successor in the Tipp No 1 jersey, Laura Leenane saved Aoife Prendergast’s shot
The game went to extra time and Clodagh McIntyre, reintroduced after being substituted, scored a sensational goal to edge Tipp home. Karen Kennedy, Grace O’Brien, Mairéad Eviston, Karin Blair and Róisín Howard are among the leaders Denis Kelly can call upon.
We can expect another fiercely contested affair.
Cork v Waterford
This is a repeat of the 2023 All-Ireland final and Waterford will be hoping for a different result than when Amy O'Connor scored a hat-trick of goals in two minutes of action as the Rebels sauntered to victory.
Nothing went right for Waterford that day, with Vikki Falconer, deputised to reprise her marking heroics of the season on O’Connor but suffering an ACL injury after three minutes. Beth Carton missed a penalty too and it proved a thoroughly forgettable day.
Carton had a penalty saved in the quarter-final also as the Déise struggled with the favourites mantle but with Niamh Rockett flourishing from play and placed balls, Annie Fitzgerald and Abby Flynn sporadically dangerous when fed, Lorraine Bray coming into it in the second half and Falconer excelling on Róisín Begley, they prevailed by ten points, despite wasting a number of goal chances too.
Cork will have noted the trouble Áine O’Loughlin caused however, and it would be no surprise to see a ball winner of Sorcha McCartan’s calibre on the edge of the square at some point.
Of course the Rebels have a huge mix of talent, and their style of play is more about speed and movement than the long ball. McCartan had a huge impact as a sub in last year’s All-Ireland final, though, and Ger Manley is fortunate to have such a different arrow in his bow.
Ashling Thompson remains a key cog in the engine room, and Laura Treacy and Libby Coppinger are at the heart of a mean defence. There seems to be no end to the Mackey twins, Pamela and Katrina, and no matter who Manley starts up top, they are scoring at present, Clodagh Finn among the newbies making an impact.
The Leesiders are chasing a three-in-a-row and are unbackable favourites to advance but if Waterford bring their A game, they have the attacking talents to ask questions of their Munster neighbours.
Watch the All-Ireland Camogie Championship semi-finals, Galway v Tipperary and Cork v Waterford, on Saturday from 2.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
