Tailteann Cup semi-finals
Meath v Antrim, Croke Park, 2pm
Down v Laois, Croke Park, 4pm
ONLINE
Live blogs on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app. Highlights also available across the weekend.
RADIO
Live commentaries and reports on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport.
TV
Both games live on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player, coverage starting at 1.30pm.
Highlights on The Sunday Game, RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player, from 9.30pm.
WEATHER
A dull and wet start with widespread outbreaks of rain. The rain will clear to scattered showers by the afternoon, some of which may be heavy or thundery. Some sunny spells will develop as well. Temperatures will be a bit cooler than in previous days with highs of 17 to 21 degrees in mainly light westerly breezes. For more, go to met.ie.
We're down to the final four in the Taiteann Cup and a semi-final double-header at Croke Park.
Longford centre-back Mickey Quinn believes the competition has again been worthwhile and that the second edition has proven more exciting than last year's inaugural outing.
"I think it's shaping up really well," he told RTÉ Radio 1's The Championship.
"Down pipping Cavan and Laois beating Limerick were upsets. The final last year was pretty much the favourites (Westmeath and Cavan) got to it whereas as it’s shaping up now that it’s fairly open.
"Every county has different aims. Meath and Down are probably favourites this weekend. They would be traditionally very strong footballing counties. You have to start somewhere to build back up to that top table again. This should be a stepping stone for them.
"The likes of Laois or Antrim, that might not be at the same calibre, tradition-wise, by building up and having that as a stepping stone. The Tailteann Cup offers something to teams at different tiers, whether it be Division 3, 4 or the likes of Meath that had slipped down in Division 2."
The double-header will overlap with the Galway-Mayo All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final (live on RTÉ One/RTÉ Player) but Quinn still sees the value of having the Tailteann semi-finalists on TV.
"Their fans are going to be at the game. The fact that the Galway-Mayo is going to be on, someone not going to the game has the ability and flick from channel to channel and get the vast majority of games.
"Some of these players that people might not know or see on a regular basis, it's an opportunity for them to be put on the big stage."
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Colm O'Rourke's Meath finished seventh in Division 2 and were surprised by Offaly in Leinster but have rebuilt their season in the Tailteann Cup, beating Down, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford to reach this stage.
Opponents Antrim also have a 100% record in the contest, they topped a group containing Fermanagh, Wexford and Leitrim before edging Carlow in the quarters.
Saffron manager Andy McEntee faces his native Meath having ended a six-year term in charge last summer.
His nephew James was Player of the Match against Wexford and starts for the Royals but Andy's son, captain Shane, is injured.
These two have met only twice in championship before and not since 2005.
"It takes time to develop a system of play and style and maybe Colm will hold his hand up and say he got some things right and some wrong," said Quinn.
"But he has 13 debutants, that's huge for any county, while getting results and putting up big scores in the Tailteann Cup. Meath are shaping up well.
"Antrim’s Division 3 campaign wasn’t as successful as they would have liked, they just avoided relegation but the way they bounced back to top their group, with huge wins, has been massive.
"Both teams have averaged over two goals a game so I’m expecting the same to happen in Croke Park."
Antrim's major goal threat will centre around the in-form Ruairí McCann of Aghagallon, not to be confused with half-forward Ruairí McCann of Creggan, who has really lit up the competition as the Ulster side chase a fifth championship win in a row.
Meath: Seán Brennan; Adam O'Neill, Ronan Ryan, Harry O'Higgins; Donal Keogan, Pádraic Harnan, Seán Coffey; Ronan Jones, Conor Gray; Daithí McGowan, James McEntee, Jack O'Connor; Jordan Morris, Matthew Costello, Aaron Lynch.
Subs: Harry Hogan, Ciarán Caulfield, Cillian O'Sullivan, Cathal Hickey, Jack Flynn, Eoghan Frayne, Michael Flood, Donal Lenihan, Diarmuid Moriarty, Michael Murphy, Keith Curtis.
Antrim: Michael Byrne; Patrick McCormick, Peter Healy, Eoghan McCabe; Dermot McAleese, Declan Lynch, Marc Jordan; Eunan Quinn, Cathal Hynds; Patrick McBride, Adam Loughran, Ruairí McCann (Creggan); Ronan Boyle, Ruairí McCann (Aghagallon), Dominic McEnhill.
Subs: Luke Mulholland, Cormac McGettigan, James McAuley, Barry McCormick, Gerard Walsh, Colm McLarnon, Conor Hand, Joseph Finnegan, Conhuir Johnston, Odhran Eastwood, Calum Higgins.
Down only missed out on promotion from Division 3 on the head-to-head with Cavan. They surprised Donegal in Ulster before a heavy defeat to Armagh in the provincial semi-final.
The Mourne men were pipped by Meath in the final Group 2 game but were already assured of progression, having beaten Tipperary and Waterford. They can also point to a series of incredible wides as a reason why they didn't prevail at Parnell Park.
They then beat Quinn's Longford before overturning Tailteann favourites Cavan in the quarter-finals.
"What really stood out from playing Down this year was their running game," says Quinn.
"They are a really strong running team. They played 24 players in their last two games, that sub rotation offers something to the whole squad. They hit 1-05 off the bench against Longford.
"Pat Havern is going super, Rory Mason has hit seven points in two games, Danny Magill two goals in two games as well. I'd be very surprised if they don’t see it over the line."
Mourne boss Conor Laverty, who is still playing with Kilcoo, only convinced Mason to re-join his panel in recent weeks. He will have a key role here, whether that be from the bench or as a late addition to the starting team.
Laois narrowly missed out on promotion from Division 4 but beat Wexford in Leinster before a 27-point thumping from Dublin.
A defeat to Cavan and draw with Offaly in Group 1 meant they had to avoid defeat to London to advance, which they just about managed, Niall Corbet's late equaliser ensuring they scraped through in third place.
Billy Sheehan's men have improved in the knock-outs stages however, edging past Fermanagh and then Limerick on the road.
"Laois have kicked on. They had a really good league campaign and then there was a little dip but they bounced back with two huge wins against Fermanagh and Limerick.
"They’ve got a great mix of young blood and experience players. You’re looking at Evan O’Carroll, Mark Timmons, Paul Kingston, Kieran Lillis. Then you have Colm Murphy coming into the fold, with 1-01 in the last game."
Down: Niall Kane; Patrick McCarthy, Pierce Laverty, Anthony Doherty; Miceal Rooney, Ceilum Doherty, Patrick Branagan; Daniel Guinness, Odhran Murdock; Liam Kerr, Donagh McAleenan, Danny Magill; Eugene Branagan, Pat Havern, Ryan Johnston.
Subs: John O'Hare, Shane Annett, Shealan Johnston, Rory Mason, Ross Carr, Ryan McEvoy, Gerard Collins, Andrew Gilmore, Conor Poland, Conor Francis, Ruairí O'Hare.
Laois: Killian Roche; Seán Greene, Alex Mohan, Robert Pigott; Pádraig Kirwan, Mark Timmons, Patrick O'Sullivan; Kieran Lillis, Damon Larkin; Colm Murphy, Paul Kingston, James Finn; Mark Barry, Evan O'Carroll, Eoin Lowry.
Subs: Scott Osborne, Seamus Lacey, Trevor Collins, Seán O'Flynn, Kevin Swayne, Ciaran Burke, Dylan Kavanagh, Damien O'Connor, Niall Corbet, Brian Daly, Cathal Doyle.
