SATURDAY FIXTURES
DIVISION 1
Mayo v Dublin, MacHale Park, 7.30pm - LIVE ON RTÉ
DIVISION 2
Armagh v Meath, Athletic Grounds, 6pm
Fermanagh v Kildare, Brewster Park, 6pm
DIVISION 3
Down v Limerick, Pairc Esler, 6pm
DIVISION 4
Carlow v Waterford, Dr Cullen Park, 6pm
Wexford v Laois, Wexford Park, 6pm
SUNDAY FIXTURES
DIVISION 1
Monaghan v Kerry, Clones, 1pm
Roscommon v Galway, Dr Hyde Park, 2pm
Derry v Tyrone, Celtic Park, 3.40pm
DIVISION 2
Louth v Cork, Pairc Mhuire, Ardee, 1pm
Cavan v Donegal, Breffni Park, 4pm
DIVISION 3
Antrim v Offaly, Corrigan Park, 2pm
Sligo v Wicklow, Markievicz Park, 2pm
Westmeath v Clare, Cusack Park, 2pm
DIVISION 4
Leitrim v London, Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, 1pm
Longford v Tipperary, Pearse Park, 2pm
ONLINE
Live blogs each day on RTÉ Sport Online and RTÉ News app.
RADIO
Live commentaries and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport.
TV
The Mayo v Dublin clash from MacHale Park is live on RTÉ 2 on Saturday evening and of course we will have highlights of every game on League Sunday on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 9.30pm.
Meanwhile on GAAGO, you can catch Fermanagh and Kildare’s Division 2 clash live on Saturday evening from 6pm.
On Sunday TG4 will show Mickey Harte’s Derry hosting Tyrone followed by the clash of Monaghan and Kerry in Clones.
WEATHER
Saturday: It be mostly cloudy for many with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle. Some mist and hill and coastal fog too. It'll be mostly dry though in Ulster and north Connacht, with some bright spells likely and just a few isolated light showers. Highest temperatures of 9-12C in mostly light to moderate westerly winds.
Sunday: Cloudy for a time with rain and drizzle, becoming mostly confined to Ulster into the afternoon, where it'll be persistent in parts. Drier and becoming a little brighter elsewhere with some sunny spells, the best chance across Munster and south Leinster. Highest temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees in moderate to fresh and occasionally gusty southwest winds.
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Wait, I’ve seen this one before...
Yeah, that pair down in MacHale Park know each other well, in fairness. Sure they’ve been hopping off one another since Moses wore short pants. Mayo looked tidy last week, Dublin not so much. Kevin McStay's side clipped Galway’s wings in an all-Connacht affair while Dessie Farrell’s Dubs were chinned on the line by a game Monaghan outfit. Were Galway that poor on opening night? Were Monaghan that good? I guess we’ll find out on Saturday evening in front of the RTÉ cameras.
Strange as it may seem, deep down, neither of these sides might actually want to win the league. But the All-Ireland champions don’t want to start their campaign with two straight losses. And Mayo certainly don’t want to get beaten at home by the team that has tormented them for over a decade.
McStay was more than happy with his defending Division 1 champions’ opening night display against the Tribesmen and, while he knows all roads lead to their Connacht SFC opener in New York on the first weekend of April – and likely ensuing semi-final trip to Roscommon a fortnight later – the visit of the Dubs won’t be taken lightly.
"I’d like to follow that up with another good performance against Dublin and then we’ll take stock after that and see where we are," the former Roscommon manager told RTÉ after beating Galway.
On the flip side, a late Ciarán McNulty point was enough to see Monaghan pip a strong Dublin side at Headquarters and leave the All-Ireland champions facing the prospect of finishing the opening fortnight of league action pointless.
With Jack McCaffrey unexpectedly among the starters on Saturday evening and James McCarthy one of the first men in from the bench, Farrell suggested he will turn to his veteran stars earlier in the calendar than some might have otherwise assumed.
While David O’Hanlon continues to deputise ably between the sticks, the manager declared he would quite like to call on regular number one Stephen Cluxton at some point during the league as well as his fellow nine-time Celtic Cross winner, Michael Fitzsimons. "You’d be hoping to see them at some stage, for sure," Farrell said after the Monaghan loss. "Some fellas need extra time to let the bodies heal thoroughly and be fully recovered and ready to go… those lads are in that boat."
How about Sunday?
Oh what a Sunday it will be. Hard to imagine that Mayo-Dublin would ever be considered a warm-up for anything, but when Derry host Tyrone on Sunday evening, the eyes of the GAA world will be locked on their TG4 screens.
When Mickey Harte left Louth after one season to take over from Rory Gallagher in the Derry dugout last winter, it went down about as well as can be expected in his home county of Tyrone.
Unsurprisingly, Harte was all business in Tralee last weekend when he sent out a full-strength Oak Leaf side – All-Ireland conquering Glen players and all – to beat Kerry in their own back yard.
Meanwhile, in Omagh, Tyrone’s Darragh Canavan did a passable impression of his old man with an eight-point, match-winning display to hold off Roscommon.
When the pair meet on Sunday afternoon at Celtic Park, the goings-on on the sideline might be as keenly watched as the fare on the field. Don’t miss this one, folks…
Second tier not second rate
Some of the most eye-catching displays of the opening weekend came in Division 2. Not least, of course, Donegal putting a number on Cork in Jim McGuinness’ first league contest of his second stint in charge of the 2012 All-Ireland winners.
All in all, the Ulster counties were the talk of the island after week one. With a record of Played 9, Won 8, Drew 1, the northern province had its best foot forward. Only a late Meath equaliser against Fermanagh in Navan prevented Ulster finishing the weekend a perfect nine-for-nine.
Cavan had an eye-catching four-point win over Kildare in Carlow while Armagh edged Ger Brennan’s Louth by a single point. In Division 3, Down had five points to spare down in Wicklow and Antrim beat Limerick in Rathkeale.
It’s the earliest of early days, but if Donegal look as good this weekend away to Cavan as they did last weekend at home to Cork, the Ballybofey bandwagon will be well and truly rolling.
Anything else?
How long have you got? Armagh and Meath’s Division 2 meeting feels important for the second tier with Kieran McGeeney approaching the 'do-it-or-get-off-the-pot’ stage of his Orchard County stewardship. Royals boss Colm O'Rourke will be keenly aware that his countymen's patience is not infinite. A Tailteann Cup bought his young squad some time. But they could do with taking a big scalp someday soon.
In Division 3, as mentioned, Down, Westmeath and Antrim all kicked off their campaigns with away wins on opening weekend. All three are back at home this weekend knowing a win might see them sit top of the pile a fortnight in.
In Division 4, Wexford need to back up last week’s win in Ruislip by holding serve at home to Laois – who held off back-to-back O’Byrne Cup winners Longford at O’Moore Park last week.
Laois manager Justin McNulty might need a helicopter to make it to the game. The Armagh native is a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly and is expected at Stormont for the recall of that parliament at 1pm.
Watch Mayo v Dublin in the Allianz Football League on Saturday from 7.15pm 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
