SATURDAY 29 APRIL
Ulster SFC semi-final
Derry v Monaghan, O'Neills Healy Park, 5pm
SUNDAY 30 APRIL
Ulster SFC semi-final
Down v Armagh, Clones, 4pm
Leinster SFC semi-finals
Offaly v Louth, Croke Park, 1.45pm
Kildare v Dublin, Croke Park, 4pm
ONLINE
Live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app.
RADIO
Live commentary and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport from 2pm. Also live updates on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's Spórt an tSathairn, Spórt an Tráthnóna and Spórt an Lae.
TV
Down v Armagh live on BBC2 NI from 3.45pm. Derry v Monaghan, Offaly v Louth and Kildare v Dublin can be viewed on GAAGO. Highlights of all the weekend's action on The Sunday Game on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 9.30pm.
WEATHER
Saturday: Sunny spells will develop through the day, sparking off scattered showers in the afternoon. The showers will be quite heavy with a chance of isolated thunderstorms and hail locally along with the chance of some surface water flooding associated with the more intense showers. Highest temperatures of 15 to 19 degrees in light southeasterly or variable breezes.
Sunday: Showery rain on Sunday morning will clear eastwards to leave a day of sunny spells and widespread showers, some heavy. Highest temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees, coolest along Atlantic coasts as light southwesterly breezes gradually increase moderate westerly. For more go to met.ie.
Provincial battles - not quite, blink, and you'll miss it
It's the end of April and the few pieces in the All-Ireland round-robin still to be locked into place will be fastened following the outcome of these semi-finals games.
The provincial series does have a feel of a weekend blitz about it this year, well it actually runs for six weeks, all wrapped up then before we crack on with the aforementioned round-robin. Or should should I say Super 16s? No, won't call it that!
In the last week, we've had Padraic Joyce and Conor Glass utter words on why winning a provincial medal still matters. After steering Galway to another Connacht final, Joyce told RTÉ Sport: "I think people say, when they lose a match, 'sure it's only the provincial’, but they are only saying that to gloss over getting beaten.
"It’s far easier in this system to go into it (All-Ireland round-robin series) as a provincial champion than a semi-final loser. If you go on and win the final you have a home game straight away. If you don’t, you'll more than likely have an away game against a Kerry or Dublin.
"At least we know where we are going and a Connacht medal is very important."
Ahead of Derry's clash with Monaghan, Glass told the assembled media at the Croke Park launch for this year's World Games: "Ulster football and Munster hurling are massive selling points.
"I loved growing up going to the Ulster championship games and I always wanted to be a part of it.
"Thankfully, I experienced it last year."
No doubt Joyce and Glass's thoughts will be echoed aroud the country; there are teams competing this weekend who would love to collect silverware in May, they would see it as the highlight of their summer. Take Down, it's nearly 30 years since they last ruled the roost in Ulster. And then there's Offaly; it's 26 years since Tommy Lyons inspired that famous win over Meath. Yet, there are others, the majority you would have to say, that will be focused on Tuesday's seedings draw for the All-Ireland and Tailteann Cup. The serious business starts then; the cranking up of the engine, all that fine-tuning.
Provincial conquests well and truly in the rear mirror.
The lie of the land
We have two Division 3 teams - Offaly and Down - still in with a chance of making the All-Ireland series. Wins over Louth and Armagh will guarantee their passage and would see Cork and Kildare [if they fail to beat Dublin) drop down to the Tailteann. However, a Lilies win in that situation would knock Louth down to the secondary competition.
Come the end of Sunday's action we'll know who'll be operating where after the provincial finals.
There's a permuations piece here that hopefully explains all.
Can Farney maintain momentum?
What a second half it was in Omagh a fortnight ago, with Monaghan turning it around brilliantly to pip the hosts. And then you had Ryan O'Toole backing himself, and not doing what one normally does when bearing down on goal, that is fisting it over the bar. His goal was brilliantly taken. In the end a desrved win for Vinny Corey's side, who certainly have found their groove after a less-than-perfect start to the league.
They'll be out for revenge after Derry hit them for three goals to win last year's semi-final.
Derry were more than comfortable in dispatching Fermanagh a fortnight ago, but still were a bit vulnerable when the Ernesiders pumped the ball in long. They concdeded two goals, this after Dublin raised four green flags in the Division 2 league final.
Monaghan have the firepower in the shape of Jack McCarron, Conor McManus, and Conor McCarthy to cause the Derry defence more concern. Rory Gallagher's side are playing a somewhat more offensive game this season, hence the reason why goals have been conceded.
They may revert to type against Monaghan, perhaps confident in the knowledge that they do have legs to nullify the threat of Farney inside line. A job then Conor McCluskey and Chrissy McKaigue.
RTÉ pundit Enda McGinley, not surprisingly, is looking forward to the clash. Speaking on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, he said: "They [Derry] play a defensive style of football that we all give out about, but there is something very attractive about the way they do it.
"They are so intense, so on-point every single game. The consistency of their performance is arguably better than any other team in the country in hitting that level. It's almost boring. You know exactly what you are going to get from Derry.
"We sort of know what Derry are going to bring. If Monaghan bring what they brought in the second half against Monaghan, I think we are in for a fantastic game."
Derry are attempting to reach the Ulster final in successive years for the first time since 1997-98. Monaghan were last in the final in 2021.
Monaghan scored only one goal [Dick Clerkin in a 2008 qualifier] against Derry in their last five championship meetings. Derry scored nine goals in those games.
Derry are seeking their fifth successive win in the Ulster championship, having beaten Tyrone, Monaghan and Donegal last year and Fermanagh this year.
Down rising
After Donegal's woes, it was, perhaps, no surpise that Down emerged victorious last weekend.
Goals from Liam Kerr and Pat Havern and the performances of Daniel Guinness, Danny Magill and Ryan Johnston all contributed to the Mourne tour de force with sparkling performances, injecting a level of energy that few of their opponents could match.
And then on Wednesday, the U-20s captured another Ulster title. Conor Laverty is getting a tune out of the red and black again after a few years in the doldrums.
It's 2008 since Armagh last reigned supreme in the province. Now nine years at the helm, you would think that Kieran McGeeney would welcome some silverware, but an extended run in the championship yields a greater currency, it would seem. After relegation from Division 1, the Orchard men have played with no little purpose in seeing off Antrim and Cavan.
The latter were made to look very ordinary here, however. Conor Turbitt's movement and slick finishing caused Cavan huge problems and Kieran McGeeney's side were much more efficient, too – they had no wides in the first half, when the contest was really won, while Cavan registered 15 over the 70 minutes.
Armagh are bidding to reach the Ulster final for the first time since 2008 when they beat Fermanagh in a replay. It's their longest spell without reaching the final since 1961-77. Down were last in the final in 2017 when they lost to Tyrone.
Down succeeded where everyone else had failed for 13 years when beating Donegal last Sunday. It was the first time since 2010 that Donegal lost their first championship game of the season – that was also against Down.
Match of the day
A provincial final awaits either Louth or Offaly, and with it the prize of dining at the top table for a few weeks in May and June. Mickey Harte's charges are on the greater trajectory after successive league promotions and being within 70 minutes of making the top tier.
Their fighting spirit was to the fore by the manner in which they came back to edge Westmeath last Sunday.
Offaly were in contention of making it out of Division 3. They then had to contend with the sudden death of their manager Liam Kearns. They have regrouped and deservedly accounted for Meath to reach this stage.
Faithful chairperson Michael Duignan took great satisfaction from that victory. He told RTÉ Sport: "You could see the pride, you could see the heart that was there against Meath. It was one of the biggest days we've had in Tullamore in a long, long time. Meath aren't going that well at the moment, but they bring with them a huge tradition, but we in Offaly also have a huge tradition.
"We fought hard on Sunday, we tackled hard, there were a few schemozzles on the sideline. Again, that's old Offaly for you, with a big crowd urging them on. Those are the days that you want; I came back to make those days happen again."
For Enda McGinley, the Croke Pak curtain-raiser looks like it will be game of the weekend. In previewing it on the latest RTÉ Podcast he said: "The energy, enthusiasm, the positivity. You can't beat it. That's why the provincial club championships are so good, because you've got both teams coming in on an absolute crest of a wave and you get a really great game of football.
"Dublin have collected the last dozen Leinster titles in an unparalleled show of dominance of this or any other province. But outside of the vast shadow cast by Dessie Farrell's squad, Leinster is possibly the most open province in the game.
"The Leinster Championship, for all its faults, it is the best second-place championship in the country," former Tyrone ace, McGinley, decided. "If you remove Dublin, down below that there's brilliant games going on."
Louth are bidding to reach the Leinster final for the first time since 2010. Offaly were last there in 2006.
Can Louth manager Mickey Harte join the exclusive club for managers who have steered teams to provincial finals in two provinces? He led Tyrone into Ulster finals in 2003-05-07-09-10-16-17.
Lilies tough task
Quite simply, Kildare will be looking to remain competitive for as long as possible against Dublin. They shipped goals early goals against Dessie Farrell's side in the 2022 Leinster final and it really was a non-event that followed.
They will also hope that results elsewhere don't go against them and they end up out of the Sam Maguire race.
Paddy Woodgate's goal with ten minutes left calmed nerves against Wicklow at a time the Garden County were building up a head of steam. In the end they coasted home.
Dublin an riot against Laois; they were 23 points up at half and although the midlanders made a better fist of things in the second half, they still lost by 27 in the end. A futile exercise.
Kildare are seeking their first championship win over Dublin since the 2000 Leinster final replay.
The Lilies ran Dublin to a point [1-12 to 1-11] in the 2011 Leinster semi-final but since then it has been all one way in favour of the Dubs. They have met six times in the championship since with the boys in blue winning all six by an average of 13.7 points. The aggregate score in those six games is: Dublin 16-121 Kildare 4-75.
Dublin and Kildare have met 57 times in the championship, with Dublin leading 39-13, while five were drawn.
The Dubs are bidding to reach the Leinster final for the 13th successive year and for the 18th time in 19 seasons.
