SATURDAY 27 MAY
All-Ireland SFC Round 1
Group 1
Louth v Cork, Pairc Tailteann, 3pm
Group 2
Armagh v Westmeath, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, 4.45pm
Group 4
Derry v Monaghan, Celtic Park, 7pm
SUNDAY 28 MAY
Group 3
Dublin v Roscommon, Croke Park, 4pm
ONLINE
Live blogs on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app. Highlights also available across the weekend.
RADIO
Live commentary and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday and Sunday Sport. Also live updates on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's Spórt an Lae.
TV
Live coverage of of Armagh v Westmeath, Derry v Monaghan and Dublin v Roscommon on GAAGO.
Highlights on The Saturday Game and The Sunday Game, 9.30pm, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
WEATHER
Saturday: Mainly dry with the best of the sunshine in Leinster and east Munster. It will be cloudier to the west and north with a little drizzle or light shower possible in places. Highest temperatures of 18 to 21 degrees generally, but cooler in the northwest as a moderate northwesterly breeze develops.
Sunday: A cooler day with highs generally between 14 and 18 degrees, although temperatures may struggle to reach the teens in the north. Light or moderate northeast winds. Mainly dry and quite cloudy with the chance of a shower in the south. Turning mostly sunny later in the afternoon. For more visit met.ie
Donegal, Galway and Mayo kicked off the groups stages last weekend with victories, and this weekend eight more counties will open their respective accounts in the qualification series.
In Navan - it is designated as a Louth home game, but with Ardee deemed unable to host championship football, the county board elected Pairc Tailteann for the fixture - Cork and Louth will lock horns in championship fare for the second successive season.
Last year Louth rallied at the death in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, but it was too little too late as the Rebels advanced to the next round of the qualifiers.
In truth, it was an almost overly defensive display from Mickey Harte's side, who demonstrated in the closing stages their attacking intent against a Cork side who subsequently edged out Limerick before being dispatched with minimal fuss by Dublin.
The recent league meeting was an intriguing encounter, the Wee County again finishing well, but this time they did so from a more advantageous position.
Cork mustered just two points after the interval as Louth ran out three-point winners as they continued their march to a Division 2 title.
For all Louth’s early season promise – a Division 2 final after last year’s promotion – the deflating defeat to Dublin was a major setback in confidence, while Cork too are somewhat brittle after Clare advanced to a provincial decider at their expense.
Sam Mulroy missed the league win over Cork, while Steven Sherlock has been the Rebels’ main scoring threat the last two times the sides have clashed.
Victory could easily come down to the player who has a greater impact in Navan.
Last year’s Tailteann Cup winners Westmeath get their reward for lifting 2022 silverware when they travel to take on an Armagh side looking to get back in the horse after the penalty shootout defeat in the Ulster decider.
Kieran McGeeney’s side can have no complaints over game time, no county has played more [four] provincial games than the Orchard County, who have looked very impressive at times.
The manner of their defeat - and losing another shootout following last year’s quarter-final loss to Galway - has led to continuing questions over their game management.
With Ethan Rafferty pulling the strings in goals, a more resolute defence and the likes of Rian O’Neill, Conor Turbitt, Andrew Murnin and Soupy Campbell up front, a lack of firepower is unlikely to be the reason they could fall short.
Westmeath lost this fixture in both the 2017 and 2018 qualifiers by a combined score of 16 points, and few hold out much hope of the Division 3 side
With Tyrone and Galway to follow, it doesn’t get any easier either for Dessie Dolan’s side.
Spectators at Celtic Park will witness the second championship clash of Derry and Monaghan within a month.
In early May, Derry proved far too strong for the Farney men, with a superb first-half display paving the way for a comfortable eight-point win.
The Oak Leaf County kicked 1-14 from their first 18 shots to take a firm grip on the game and on the face it it, there's little to suggest that we should expect a different result on Saturday evening.
The upheavel in management - Rory Gallagher resigning and being replaced by Ciarán Meenagh - failed to derail Derry's bid for back-to-back Anglo Celt Cups.
Monaghan manager Vinny Corey has sprung somewhat of a surprise in the team named to start, with Conor McManus consigned to the bench for the first time in 15 years with Ryan McAnespie, in Australia until a few weeks ago, starting at corner-forward.
The final game of the weekend takes place at GAA HQ where Roscommon look to lay a marker down in Group 3 against Dublin.
The Rossies will need little reminding of their last championship meeting against the Dubs, an 18-point drubbing in the Super 8s fixture of 2018. A year previous and the gap was 16 points.
Even allowing for the ruthless Leinster final display where Dessie Farrell's side filled their boots against the Wee County, the current Dublin side doesn't look quite at the same level of when they last crossed paths.
Philly McMahon said earlier this week that despite the impressive run out last time, he would still have his former team-mates behind Kerry, Mayo and Galway in the race for Sam.
Still, a fit again Con O'Callaghan [1-13], the returning Paul Mannion [1-07], irrepressible Ciaran Kilkenny [1-08] and rejuvenated Colm Basquel [2-06] have kept the umpires busy in there three games to date.
The Rossies were full value for their win over Mayo in Connacht, but they couldn't back up that result against Galway in a provincial semi-final.
Ciarán and Diarmaid Murtagh [1-12 between them] lead the way in the scoring charts, while Enda Smith continues to carry out a crucial role in the middle third for the team, both in and out of possession.
At the seventh time of asking, Roscommon will be looking to get the better of the metropolitans in championship action.
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