SATURDAY FIXTURES
DIVISION 1
Kerry v Derry, Austin Stack Park, 5.30pm
Dublin v Monaghan, Croke Park, 7.30pm
DIVISION 2
Meath v Fermanagh, Páirc Tailteann, 2.30pm
Kildare v Cavan, Netwatch Cullen Park, 5pm
Armagh v Louth, Box-It Athletic Grounds, 6pm
DIVISION 4
Laois v Longford, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, Portlaoise, 6pm
Tipperary v Carlow, FBD Semple Stadium, 6pm
SUNDAY FIXTURES
DIVISION 1
Galway v Mayo, Pearse Stadium, 1.45pm
Tyrone v Roscommon, O'Neills Healy Park, 3.45pm
DIVISION 2
Donegal v Cork, Ballybofey, 1.45pm
DIVISION 3
Limerick v Antrim, Rathkeale, 12.30pm
Wicklow v Down, Echelon Park, 2pm
Offaly v Westmeath, Glenisk O'Connor Park, 2pm
Clare v Sligo, Cusack Park, 2pm
DIVISION 4
London v Wexford, McGovern Park, 1pm
Waterford v Leitrim, Fraher Field, 2pm
ONLINE
Live blogs each day on RTÉ Sport Online and the RTÉ News app.
RADIO
Live commentaries and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport.
TV
RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player will have live coverage of Derry's trip to Kerry on Saturday, coverage starting from 5pm, with Allianz League Sunday returning on Sunday at 9.30pm.
Also on Saturday, Armagh’s meeting with Louth will be on GAAGO and the BBC iPlayer while TG4 will show the clash of Dublin and Monaghan.
On Sunday, TG4 will show the Division 1 double bill of Galway v Mayo and Tyrone v Roscommon and will also have deferred coverage of Donegal’s clash with Cork.
WEATHER
Saturday: Plenty of dry weather at first tomorrow with some bright or sunny spells. However, cloud will build from the southwest in the late morning and afternoon with patchy outbreaks of rain and drizzle developing. Staying largely dry in the south and east. Highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in moderate to fresh southerly winds.
Sunday: Largely dry with a mix of cloud and hazy sunny spells at first with just a few spots of light rain or drizzle. While there is uncertainty in the timing, a band of rain will push in from the west later, slowly moving southeastwards with colder air following from the northwest. Very mild with highest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees, with a moderate to fresh south to southwest wind, before turning colder behind the rain as the winds ease northwesterly.
For more, visit met.ie.
Ulster’s potential Division 1 peril
Life, death and Monaghan proving relegation predictions wrong.
The Farney County, as always, left it to round seven last year to secure a 10th straight season in Division 1 as they won in Mayo, but they’re still the side most tipped to slip through the trapdoor as the league campaign begins.
The evidence is there. Rory Beggan is heading to America to try and secure an NFL contract, promising youngster Karl Gallagher is off to the AFL, Conor McManus, while back this season, is unlikely to be available early doors while Kieran Hughes has retired.
Oh, and they start their season with a trip to Croke Park to face All-Ireland champions Dublin.
Another side expected to endure a difficult league campaign is fellow Ulster side Tyrone, who open up with a home game against Roscommon on Sunday.
Since their 2021 All-Ireland triumph, Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher’s side have failed to catch fire and the loss of Niall Sludden and Ronan McNamee to retirement and the decision of Richie Donnelly to step aside for now leaves them looking weaker this term.
Bad league starts haven’t cost them yet, but it’s become a trend – the Red Hands have won just one of their last six opening day fixtures, a 2020 win over Meath in Omagh.
Another home win will be expected on Sunday, but the Rossies looked sharp and dangerous in their FBD League final win against an extremely experimental Galway.
The Tribesmen will have a much stronger line out this Sunday as they host rivals Mayo. It’s a repeat of last year’s opening game, albeit with home advantage swapped, and that was a real blood and thunder affair with Ryan O’Donoghue earning a draw for Mayo right at the death.
The first game of the new Division 1 season, live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, will be a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland semi-final as Kerry host Derry.
A lot has changed since then, not least that Mickey Harte will manage for the first time in the Kingdom since the 2019 league when he was with Tyrone, while the Kingdom will be without the Clifford brothers, David and Paudie.
GAA: NO REFEREE SHORTAGE FOR OPENING WEEKEND
While it may be expected that the Glen contingent will be nowhere near things for a while given last Sunday’s thrilling All-Ireland success, it is understood that some were watching training at Owenbeg midweek so they could be involved sooner rather than later.
All to play for in Division 2
It’s said most years, but it still rings true – Division 2 looks ultra-competitive, and the dangers of relegation to both the third tier and the Tailteann Cup has added an extra dimension in recent times.
Meath are the current holders of that cup so they’ll be playing in the All-Ireland series regardless of what happens, and the Royals will be hoping that success speeds up their return to the upper echelons of the GAA world.
Colm O’Rourke’s side have perhaps the easiest game on paper, a home clash with a Fermanagh side without the departed Sean Quigley, Ryan Jones, Conall Jones and Ciaran Corrigan. The supremely talented Conor Love is also a doubt while Darragh McGurn and Jonny Cassidy are out with injury.
Football’s longest-serving manager Kieran McGeeney of Armagh – now in his 10th season – will be hoping to bring his side back to Division 1 at the first attempt.
The Orchard County have Oisin O’Neill and Niall Grimley back on board this year in what should be a massive boost to their midfield credentials, but no matter what team they have on the field they always find Louth, who they face on Saturday, a tough nut to crack bar a 2017 Division 3 hammering.
Louth’s last two visits to the Athletic Grounds have resulted in a two-point loss and a two-point win, the latter secured under former Armagh defender Aidan O’Rourke.
In Sam Mulroy, new Louth boss Ger Brennan has a genuine superstar while the elusive Ciaran 'Kiki’ Keenan is an incredible young talent. Armagh have been warned.
Kildare and Cavan has the whiff of a game where nobody knows what to expect. The Lilywhites have lost serious bodies over the off season, but Niall Kelly does return.
Raymond Galligan moves from nets to the sideline for Cavan and Liam Brady of Ramor will get his chance in goals.
DIVISION 2 PREVIEW: NEW MANAGERS FACING HIGH STAKES
Donegal’s home tie with Cork will be dominated by the return of Jim McGuinness, almost a decade on from his last league game as manager – the 2014 Division 2 final loss to Monaghan.
Cork, with Kevin Walsh’ impact already evident, looked much improved last year and John Cleary’s side have pre-season silverware to boost them after their penalty shoot-out win over Kerry.
The Mourne Supremacy in Division 3
The shortest price for promotion across all four divisions is for Down to come out of Division 3.
It’s a fair shout, but Conor Laverty’s side were favourites for the Tailteann Cup last year but lost out to Meath in the final.
That means that they still have work to do if they are to compete in this year’s All-Ireland series, although the news that midfielder Odhran Murdock has repelled a move to the AFL for now is a real boon. The Burren youngster looks like a star in the making and plays with a game intelligence that belies his lack of experience.
A trip to Wicklow awaits in round one where they will come up against Oisín McConville and former Down coach Mark Doran. McConville was the bane of Down’s life in his playing days with Armagh and he was in Newry to watch their recent McKenna Cup win over Cavan.
Westmeath are the other big hitter in Division 3, especially after last year’s All-Ireland series performance when they should have picked up points against Armagh and Tyrone but were unable to get over the line.
They face a Leinster derby first as they come up against Offaly. The Faithful County have a new boss in the form of Declan Kelly, the man who guided them to an All-Ireland under-20 title in 2021. He’ll be keen to give many of those players a chance.
After so long under the stewardship of Colm Collins, Clare also have a new boss with Mark Fitzgerald now in charge.
DIVISION 3 PREVIEW: FINE MARGINS TO HAVE BIG CONSEQUENCES
Pádraic 'Podge' Collins and Cathal O’Connor have retired, two huge losses, and they face a sticky looking opener against a Sligo side with a bit of consistency now as Tony McEntee begins his fourth season in charge.
The final Division 3 game will see Limerick host Antrim. The Saffrons have added Justin McMahon, Tyrone All-Ireland winner, to their backroom and they will be keen to build on last year’s impressive run to the Tailteann Cup semi-final.
Leinster's Division 4 warfare
Half of Division 4 is made up of Leinster sides and Laois and Longford are two of the favourites for promotion while Wexford and Carlow will also be hoping to be in the mix.
The opening game could potentially be the biggest as Laois host Longford. The O’Moore County are preparing for their second spell under Justin McNulty while Paddy Christie’s side enter the league on the back of another O’Byrne Cup success. It didn’t do them much use last year as they were relegated from Division 3, so they’ll be hoping it can inspire them more this time around.
Tipperary's only wins in 2023 came against Waterford - three in all - but they did add Limerick to the list in this year's McGrath Cup. The visit of Carlow should present another chance to add to their tally in round one.
London have also an early season win to build on, their first-ever victory over Mayo, and after a poor 2023, they’ll be confident of testing Wexford in Ruislip despite 15 panel changes from last season.
DIVISION 4 PREVIEW: THE BEAST FROM THE SOUTH-EAST
The final game sees Leitrim travelling to Waterford. Andy Moran’s side have taken eight points from 14 in his first two seasons in charge, so they don’t have far to go to be truly in the mix.
Paul Shankey is in his first year with Waterford, so the league will be a learning curve for both players and management.
Watch Kerry v Derry in the Allianz Football League on Saturday from 5pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to updates on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch highlights on Allianz League Sunday on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 9.30pm, follow a live blog every Sunday afternoon on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live updates on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
