SATURDAY 1 JULY
Kerry v Tyrone, Croke Park, 3.45pm
Armagh v Monaghan, Croke Park, 6pm
SUNDAY 2 JULY
Derry v Cork, Croke Park, 1.45pm
Dublin v Mayo, Croke Park, 4pm
ONLINE
Live blogs on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app. Highlights also available across the weekend.
TV
Kerry v Tyrone and Armagh v Monaghan can be watched live on GAAGO.
Live coverage of Derry v Cork and Dublin v Mayo from 1.15pm on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player.
RADIO
Live commentary and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday and Sunday Sport - and on Ráidió na Gaeltachta's Spórt an tSathairn and Spórt an Lae.
WEATHER
Saturday: A fresh and blustery day with sunny spells and scattered showers, mainly over the northern half of the country. Highest temperatures of 15 degrees in the northwest to 20 degrees in the southeast in fresh and gusty westerly winds.
Sunday: A breezy or blustery day with sunny spells and scattered showers. Highest temperatures of 15 to 20 degrees, coolest in the west and north and warmest in the southeast with moderate to fresh and gusty west to northwest winds. For more go to met.ie.
Croker will be busy
The GAA estimates a crowd in the region of 65,000 for the double header featuring Kerry v Tyrone and Armagh v Monaghan, and on Sunday it is anticipated that an attendance of 80,000 will be present for the Derry v Cork and Dublin v Mayo clashes.
The GAA has urged spectators to get there early, with turnstiles open 90 minutes before throw-in, and in a statement said: "Supporters are reminded that tickets should only be sourced through official channels, and we'd ask all patrons to follow the direction of Gardaí and stewards and to be respectful of residential areas surrounding Croke Park".
Super Saturday followed by a Super Sunday... we hope
A quarter-final stage in the race for Sam Maguire was first introduced in 2001 - the year that the back door was also flung open for the first time. Some standout games come to mind: Mayo v Tyrone and Fermanagh v Armagh in 2004; the Dublin-Tyrone draw and replay in 2005, with Owen Mulligan's goal getting us off our seats; Galway v Kerry on a day of biblical rain in 2008; Donegal against Kildare in 2010 and Galway v Tipperary in 2016.
One-sided affairs have also pockmarked the narrative. Talking a glance at the four fixtures to come, there is every possibility that close encounters will be how things play out. It could indeed be 'Super'. A treat not just for the fans of those involved, but for neutrals. If only we didn't have so much possession-based football, what's to come would be a better spectacle.
Are the eight best teams still standing? Those in Roscommon and Galway would probably say no after exiting by the bare minimum last weekend. Three of the four preliminary quarter-finals were decided by one point. Those fine margins have added to football's renaissance in these last few weeks. The bookies have Kerry, Armagh, Derry and Dublin advancing to the semis - but you wouldn't fall off your seat if the quartet didn't oblige.
After the Super 8s in 2018 and '19 (quarter-finals under a different name) and the Covid years of 2020 and '21, the quarter-finals weekend returned last year. Only the drama of Galway v Armagh, and its ending by way of a penalty shootout, gave us anything to really shout about. The cast list has a lot more to offer 12 months on and the footballing nation expects.
A semi-final draw?
Another change for this championship season sees the ending of the rota system to decide the pairings for the last four. A draw, which will be carried out after the conclusion of Dublin v Mayo on RTÉ2 television on Sunday, may be required to finalise the semi-final fixtures on the weekend of 15/16 July.
An avoidance of repeat pairings from earlier in the championship will be the main determinant as to the semi-final line-ups.
Possible repeat pairings: Kerry v Cork, Kerry v Mayo, Cork v Mayo, Tyrone v Armagh, Tyrone v Monaghan, Armagh v Derry & Monaghan v Derry.
If Kerry, Cork & Mayo win, a repeat pairing can't be avoided, so we will have a draw.
If Tyrone & Derry win, no draw is required, as both teams have played Armagh & Monaghan, and the pairings would be Tyrone v Derry and the winner of Armagh/Monaghan v winner of Dublin/Mayo.
Kingdom keen to atone after another Red Hand Covid-drama reverse
It was August 2021 and we waited for word from Tyrone. Covid cases were high in the camp. Would they be ready to face Kerry in the All-Ireland semi on the 15th? They weren't ready. The GAA gave them another week, but they still weren't themselves on the 21st. A week later, on Saturday 28 August, they were ready. Kerry weren't happy with all the delays, it was now five weeks since they played the Munster final.
Pat Spillane is not happy with the "vacuum of information" that he feels is coming out of the Tyrone camp in relation to the Covid-19 outbreak within the Ulster champions' squad #rtegaa #kerryvtyrone pic.twitter.com/cuNioPCJWI
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 28, 2021
Pat Spillane and Seán Cavanagh had a bit of a ding-dog on the RTÉ coverage prior to the game. It made for good viewing.
On the pitch the Tyrone lads had the final say, winning an absorbing tussle by the bare minimum. Kerry frustration not helped with David Clifford having to go off injured late on.
A fortnight later, Tyrone were All-Ireland champions, a high point they have not reached since. Jack O'Connor then came back for another stint with Kerry, guiding them to a league and All-Ireland double in 2022. The green and gold haven't been as eye-catching so far in this calendar year, though there were signs they had their appetite back in the way they demolished Louth a fortnight ago.
On that same afternoon, Tyrone were lucky to escape with a draw against Westmeath, an outcome that saw them squeeze into the preliminary quarter-final and a date with Donegal. In Ballybofey, the Red Hand showed us signs of their 2021 form, bossing the game from the start. Darren McCurry and Darragh Canavan again leading their scoring charge.
In total, Tyrone hit 1-18, a tally that was up on their previous games. They'll need that and more, you would think, to make it back-to-back championship wins over Kerry.
Former Tyrone star Enda McGinley was happy with their showing the last day. Speaking on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, he said: "Their full-back line is in top, top form, half-back line going really, really well and midfield is going really, really well.
"The inside men are clicking in a way that we probably haven't had in a while, so all of those things look right.
"We could have quite realistically had another 1-03, 1-04, 1-05 in that game and come out with a really handsome win.
"Would that have done us any good whatsoever? No. In fact, I would have said it would have left us worse off. There's a feeling that there’s more to come, which is exactly the way you want to be approaching the game against Kerry.
"It’s just about backing it up, we have not had back-to-back performances. The Kerry [league] performance remains their best performance of the year for me and it’s whether they can back that up and raise it again because they obviously have to.
"The biggest caveat coming out of Ballybofey is the level of their opposition. Donegal obviously seem to have recovered a wee bit but were they really at that level? It’s very, very hard to tell."
McGinley also highlighted the midfield battle ahead of Sunday's game, an area in which he feels Kerry are vulnerable on long kick-outs. Can Brian Kennedy and Conn Kilpatrick get the upper hand and drive Tyrone on?
Ronan McNamee and Conor Meyler will have the task of keeping an eye on the Clifford brothers.
Teams
Paul Geaney and Gavin White have been recalled by Jack O'Connor.
Geaney replaces Tony Brosnan at corner-forward, with White taking the place of Mike Breen at wing-back.
Tyrone are unchanged from the side that beat Donegal.
Kerry: Shane Ryan; Graham O'Sullivan, Jason Foley, Tom O'Sullivan; Paul Murphy, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White; Diarmuid O'Connor, Jack Barry; Dara Moynihan, Sean O'Shea, Adrian Spillane; Paudie Clifford, David Clifford, Paul Geaney.
Subs: Shane Murphy, Tony Brosnan, Mike Breen, Brian Ó Beaglaíoch, Barry Dan O'Sullivan, Ruairi Murphy, Micheál Burns, Stephen O'Brien, Donal O'Sullivan, Dylan Casey, Sean O'Brien.
Tyrone: Niall Morgan; Michael McKernan, Ronan McNamee, Pádraig Hampsey; Cormac Quinn, Michael O'Neill, Peter Harte; Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick; Conor Meyler, Ruari Canavan, Kieran McGeary; Darren McCurry, Matthew Donnelly, Darragh Canavan.
Subs: Lorcan Quinn, Frank Burns, Aidan Clarke, Niall Devlin, Richard Donnelly, Niall Kelly, Nathan McCarron, Cathal McShane, Sean O'Donnell, Joe Oguz, Niall Sludden.
Ulster duo keen on making the next step
There will be a spot in the semis for either Armagh or Monaghan, perhaps the target at the start of the year. Losing a penalty-shootout denied the Orchardmen a place in the last four in 2022. The Oriel County were last at that juncture in 2018, losing narrowly to Tyrone, with many of that squad still involved this weekend.
"They do blow hot and cold in terms of form"
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) June 30, 2023
Dessie Dolan assesses Armagh ahead of their quarter-final against Monaghan
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Kieran McGeeney is now nine years at the helm in Armagh. Every year you sense he's adding a bit more but perhaps not enough to satisfy supporters. Still no silverware to show, and they will have regrets about not ending their long wait for an Ulster title back in May. With Rian O'Neill back from suspension, there is more of cut to their attack now; they have more options up front than Monaghan. And that could be enough to swing a tight game.
At this stage, Monaghan fans are probably getting a bit fed up about all the talk of them punching above their weight. A near decade-long stay in Division 1 and regularly getting to the business end of the championship has them well in that bracket of teams just under the Kerrys, Dublins and Mayos of this world.
Vinny Corey's side found Kildare's defensive set-up a bit of a hard nut to crack the last day. Armagh will pose a similar challenge, though Monaghan's grittiness and determination was keen to getting them over the line in Tullamore. Evergreen Karl O'Connell put in a tremendous shift in the heart of their defence, while Conor McCarthy was unerring in firing over the winning point.
Armagh have had the advantage of an extra week to prepare. We'll see whether this really is a plus for the four group winners.
Teams
As mentioned, Rian O'Neill returns from suspension to further bolster the Armagh attack.
For Monaghan, Ryan Wylie comes in as an indirect replacement for Darren Hughes who drops to the bench.
Armagh: Ethan Rafferty; Paddy Burns, Aaron McKay, Aidan Forker; Conor O'Neill, Greg McCabe, Callum Cumiskey; Ciaran Mackin, Ben Crealey; Jason Duffy, Rory Grugan, Stefan Campbell; Conor Turbitt, Rian O'Neill, Andrew Murnin.
Subs: Shea Magill, Joe McElroy, Jemar Hall, Justin Kieran, Oisin Conaty, Shane McPartlan, Barry McCambridge, Ross McQuillan, Jarly Óg Burns, Connaire Mackin, Tiernan Kelly
Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Ryan O'Toole, Kieran Duffy, Ryan Wylie; Karl O'Connell, Conor Boyle, Conor McCarthy; Karl Gallagher, Killian Lavelle; Stephen O'Hanlon, Michael Bannigan, Ryan McAnespie; Jack McCarron, Gary Mohan, Dessie Ward.
Subs: Darren McDonnell, Kieran Hughes, Conor McManus, Sean Jones, Darren Hughes, Shane Carey, Kevin Loughran, Fintan Kelly, Darragh McElearney, Francie Hughes, Colm Lennon.
Rebels rising ahead of Derry test
Cork had a seven-week break between their defeat to Clare in Munster and facing Louth in the first of their round-robin games. It would seem now that it was time well spent. Aside from the notable wins over the Wee County, Mayo and Roscommon, along with the creditable showing ln losing narrowly to Kerry, the Rebels' fighting spirit in battling to the end of games is now clear to see.
It was particularly evident against Mayo and also when edging the Rossies last weekend, a game where there without Brian Hurley.
John Cleary's side are in the quarters on merit. And they are now back, says one Kerryman.
'They're after beating Mayo, they're after beating Roscommon, I think they have fully turned the corner' - Tomás Ó Sé formally declares that Cork are back
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 25, 2023
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Derry have ticked all the boxes they've wanted to tick so far: promotion to Division 1, retaining Ulster and topping their round-robin group. The defeat to Dublin in their league final and the below-par draw against Monaghan in the first of the All-Ireland group games would give some cause for concern, but subsequent wins over Donegal and Clare show that they are back on track following Rory Gallagher's departure.
The midfield battle, pitting Conor Glass and Brendan Rogers up against Colm O'Callaghan and Ian Maguire, will be one to watch. But the main question for Cork will be their ability to force turnovers against opposition who are bit more physically imposing. The Rebels like to play football, but may have to be a bit more pragmatic in trying to get the best from their men up front, notably Ruairi Deane and Steven Sherlock.
Teams
Chrissy McKaigue return to the Derry full-back line after missing the win over Clare.
Kevin O'Donovan, who kicked the winning point against Roscommon after coming on a sub, is named to start on the half-back line for Cork. Luke Fahy, who sustained an ankle injury against Roscommon, makes way and is not even on the panel.
Derry: Odhran Lynch; Christopher McKaigue, Eoghan McEvoy, Conor McCluskey; Conor Doherty, Gareth McKinless, Padraig McGrogan; Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers; Benny Heron, Paul Cassidy, Ethan Doherty; Ciaran McFaul, Shane McGuigan, Niall Loughlin.
Subs: Thomas Mallon, Declan Cassidy, Niall Toner, Shea Downey, Lachlan Murray, Ben McCarron, Paul McNeil, Padraig Cassidy, Conleth McGuckian, Mark Doherty, Diarmuid Baker
Cork: Míchéal Aodh Martin; Maurice Shanley, Rory Maguire, Tommy Walsh; Kevin O'Donovan, Daniel OMahony, Matty Taylor; Colm O'Callaghan, Ian Maguire; Brian O'Driscoll, Ruairi Deane, Killian O'Hanlon; Sean Powter, Steven Sherlock, Eoghan McSweeney.
Subs: Patrick Doyle, Cian Kiely, Tom Clancy, Darragh Cashman, Paul Walsh, Chris Óg Jones, Conor Corbett, John O'Rourke, Mark Cronin, Brian Hurley, Fionn Herlihy.
Derry and Cork meet in the championship for only the second time, having previously clashed in the 1993 All-Ireland final, which Derry won by 1-14 to 2-8 to take the title for the first and – so far - only time.
Football's latter day blockbuster pairing
And so Mayo and Galway had to collide last weekend, it perhaps was in the stars that the Connacht men would again be pitted against the Dubs.
Since 2012, the pair have ten times in championship - Dublin winning six to Mayo's two while two were drawn.
Their last meeting was in 2021 at the semi-final stage - an evening of high drama in Croker as Mayo, after extra-time, ended a nine-year wait to beat the Dubs.
Dublin versus Mayo - the defining rivalry of today?
Mayo will head east on the back of ending Galway's championship aspirations for the year. That brings with it pleasant mood music for green and red fans but how much will that win have taken out of them? Or will it act as a springboard for them to kick on after they were derailed by Cork a fortnight ago?
A strong third quarter, where they struck 1-05 without reply, was ultimately where Mayo won the game in Salthill. In truth they should have won by more, given that Shane Walsh underperformed for the hosts, Seán Kelly not being at full capacity and the loss of Damien Comer.
An epic awaits us on Sunday as Dublin and Mayo mark the latest chapter in their enthralling rivalry
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 30, 2023
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As for Dublin, well it's hard to read too much into their round-robin series, given their easy wins over Kildare and Sligo and that 'strange' draw against Roscommon. Facing Mayo again will be just their second joust against Division 1 opposition this year. Would they have preferred a game last weekend? A more productive workout for what could finally kickstart their season.
In his latest column on these pages, Lee Keegan feels there are more questions than answers hanging over both teams. It's easy to see why; the Dubs not the force they were prior to 2020 and not having a proper test of their credentials so far.
On Dessie Farrell's side, he said: "Occasionally, they look like a slick machine of old. Then, at times they look ponderous and lacking in spark. No doubt the sight of a Mayo jersey will get their competitive juices flowing, particularly among the veterans of the 2010s games. It could be just what they needed to rise their energy levels. I doubt we'll see the standoffish team we did against Roscommon.
The biggest difference between the late era Dubs, 2021 onwards, and peak Dubs was the strength of their bench. Back in 2016-19, their bench was stacked with All-Stars, multiple All-Ireland winners, former Footballers of the Year.
"In the 2016-17 finals, we knew we were right there but their cavalry coming off the bench was too much. Cormac Costello came off the bench in the 2016 replay, kicked three points in the final quarter. Diarmuid Connolly was sprung at half-time in 2017, had a huge second half. Meanwhile, we were fatiguing in the last 10 minutes.
"By 2021, they didn't have the same weaponry to call upon late on. There was a lot of newbies. Decent players but not the same intimidation factor."
On his native county, the Westport man added: "Kevin McStay will have concerns, notably around kickouts.
If Dublin review that first half in Pearse Stadium, you wonder will they be inclined to put a huge press on. The Salthill wind was a big factor but either way, if Dublin push up, it'll really test Colm Reape. He's a superb keeper, player of the match in the league final, but his deliveries will have to be pinpoint the next day. It'll be a real test of the variety of kicks, can he go long, can he go short?
Team news
Jack McCaffrey has been named to start for Dublin, with management happy that he can take his place in the half-back line after recovering from a hamstring injury that has so far disrupted his season. Eoin Murchan drops to the bench.
Seán Bugler has gotten over his hamstring strain and starts while Dean Rock and Evan Comerford have to settle for a place on what is a strong Dubs bench.
Regular midfielder Matthew Ruane is recalled to the Mayo starting XV in place of Kevin McLoughlin with Pádraig O'Hora getting the nod this time out ahead of his club-mate Sam Callinan in the full-back line.
Aidan O'Shea will make his 84th championship appearance, which equals Andy Moran's Mayo record. It also places him joint sixth on all-time list behind Stephen Cluxton, Seán Cavanagh, Tomás Ó Sé, Marc Ó Sé and Colm Cooper.
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Daire Newcombe, Michael Fitzsimons, Lee Gannon; James McCarthy, John Small, Jack McCaffrey; Brian Fenton, Brian Howard; Ciaran Kilkenny, Seán Bugler, Niall Scully; Paddy Small, Con O'Callaghan, Colm Basquel.
Subs: Evan Comerford, David Byrne, Cormac Costello, Craig Dias, Tom Lahiff, Seán MacMahon, Paul Mannion, Eoin Murchan, Cian Murphy, Lorcan O'Dell, Dean Rock
Mayo: Colm Reape; Jack Coyne, David McBrien, Pádraig O'Hora; Paddy Durcan, Stephen Coen, Eoghan McLaughlin; Matthew Ruane, Diarmuid O’Connor; Jason Doherty, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn; Aidan O'Shea, Tommy Conroy, Ryan O'Donoghue.
Subs: Rory Byrne, Sam Callinan, James Carr, Enda Hession, Conor Loftus, Fionn McDonagh, Darren McHale, Donnacha McHugh, Kevin McLoughlin, Cillian O’Connor, Bob Tuohy.
