FIXTURES
Saturday
Division 1
Derry v Dublin, Celtic Park, 5pm
Mayo v Roscommon, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, 7.30pm
Division 2
Cavan v Meath, Kingspan Breffni, 7pm
Division 3
Limerick v Clare, Rathkeale, 6pm
Division 4
Carlow v Wexford, Netwatch Cullen Park, 7pm
Laois v London, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, 7pm
Sunday
Division 1
Kerry v Tyrone, Fitzgerald Stadium, 1.15pm
Monaghan v Galway, Clones, 3.15pm
Division 2
Donegal v Louth, Ballyshannon, 2pm
Fermanagh v Armagh, Brewster Park, 3pm
Cork v Kildare, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 3.30pm
Division 3
Antrim v Westmeath, Corrigan Park, 1pm
Down v Sligo, Páirc Esler, 2pm
Offaly v Wicklow, Glenisk O'Connor Park, 2pm
Division 4
Tipperary v Waterford, FBD Semple Stadium, 2pm
Longford v Leitrim, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 2.30pm
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, and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's Spórt an tSathairn and Spórt an Lae.
TV
Live coverage of Derry v Dublin on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 4.30pm on Saturday.
Fermanagh v Armagh will be shown on BBC iPlayer/GAAGO on Saturday (6pm throw-in) while Mayo’s clash with Roscommon will be on TG4 (7.30pm).
On Sunday, TG4 will screen the Division 1 double of Kerry v Tyrone (1.15pm) and Monaghan v Galway (3.15pm). The Division 2 fixture between Cork and Kildare (3.30pm) will be on the TG4 app.
Highlights and reaction to all the weekend's action on Allianz League Sunday, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, 9.30pm.
WEATHER
Saturday: Cold with sunny spells and showers, some of hail with some sleet over the mountains. Highest afternoon temperatures of 4 to 8 degrees with a moderate north-westerly wind.
Sunday: A bright day with sunny spells and isolated showers. Not as cold as previous days with highest temperatures of 6 to 8 degrees with light to moderate westerly winds.
For more information, visit met.ie.
Division 1: Big two set for mammoth clash
Peter Canavan said it, and while it may provoke some tutting in Kerry, Dublin and Derry do seem like the current big two right now.
Mickey Harte’s shock appointment only seems to have strengthened the Oakleafers and four wins from four means that they’re on the cusp of a first Division 1 final spot since 2014, where they were hammered by Dublin.
That was Croke Park though, where they have only ever won six championship games, and Celtic Park is a different kettle of fish.
Derry won last year’s thrilling Division 2 encounter at the city ground, Brendan Rogers with a last-gasp winning point.
Con O’Callaghan was held to a single point that day but after his thrilling hat-trick against Kerry last time out, chances of a repeat appear slim.
While Derry are streaking away at the top, the remaining seven sides are separated by just two points – so this weekend really is absolutely critical in the relegation picture.
As the top two are meeting in the Maiden City, the bottom two will clash in an equally crucial game in Clones, perhaps even more important, as Monaghan host Galway.
After their opening-day win over the Dubs at Croke Park, things have dipped considerably for Vinny Corey’s Monaghan. Kerry, Derry and Roscommon have all inflicted heavy defeats on them – nine, 13 and 12 points the losing margins.
Rory Beggan’s at the NFL international combine this weekend and his absence is being sorely felt. The home support could see their first on-field glimpse of Conor McManus in 2024 though. The Clontibret ace was added to the subs late on for last week’s clash with Roscommon but didn’t appear.
Galway close out with a home match against Dublin and a trip to Kerry, so this really feels like a match that needs to been circled in red.
Pádraic Joyce has been dealt a rough hand injury wise with Matthew Tierney, Liam Silke, Paul Conroy, Shane Walsh, Cillian McDaid and Damien Comer all doubtful. Only Conroy has been named in the starting team.
Tyrone are in Killarney for Sunday’s early game in a fixture that also provokes warm memories, mostly for the Red Hand faithful who held such a hoodoo over Kerry for so long.
The panic button was being hovered over after a fairly uninspiring start to the league for the Ulster outfit – even their sole win looked like it owed more to how awful Roscommon were rather than any Tyrone brilliance – but their second-half performance against Mayo last week has injected new life into their campaign.
Darren McCurry was sprung from the bench after a poor first half and landed eight points from eight shots while Darragh Canavan provided further evidence to suggest that he is a superstar. His first point, when he squirmed, twisted and battled his way out of trouble to point was like watching something from his Da’s Youtube club score compilation (well worth the five minutes it takes to watch).
It’s another forward that will be the key focus though. David Clifford, surprisingly marked by Eoin Murchan, had a rare off day against Dublin last weekend. On a different day he could have matched O’Callaghan’s hat-trick as he blasted into the side of the net and twice fired over the bar when going for goal. Tyrone be warned, he rarely has back-to-back games like that.
The final game also carries plenty of peril as Mayo host Roscommon in a Connacht derby.
Kevin McStay’s side are third currently, but if results go a certain way they could find themselves in the relegation zone. Things are that tight.
There was no Aidan O’Shea against Tyrone with the player clearly unhappy with being substituted in the loss to Kerry in round four. He looked so sharp in last year’s league and now would be a great time for it to click again. Despite the OTT criticism he regularly faces, he remains a superb talent.
Division 2: Nothing signed, sealed and delivered just yet
The punditry after Armagh’s error-strewn but generally entertaining draw with Donegal last Sunday was that the two sides were nailed on to be meeting at Croke Park in a few weeks’ time in the final.
There’s a long way to go though and if either slip up this weekend, against Fermanagh and Louth respectively, then it’s game on.
Kieran McGeeney’s side are on the road to Enniskillen, a ground they haven’t always performed well at. Their last league visit there was a behind-closed-doors Division 2 clash in 2020 where they won handy in what would be their last game until the league resumed seven months later due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Their previous visit was a five-point Ulster loss in 2018 when the Orchard County managed a measly seven points.
Rian O’Neill made a cameo late on against Donegal and can expect to see more minutes in a game moved from Saturday evening to Sunday morning due to snow.
Fermanagh should be sitting on five points, but Maurice Shanley’s additional time goal for Cork last week inflicted the second defeat of the campaign on Kieran Donnelly’s side.
Donegal, meanwhile, host a Louth side who were involved in a somewhat bizarre clash with Cavan last week, with the Breffni County just squeezing through.
Ciaran Downey will miss out through suspension after a straight red against Cavan while the dangerous Sam Mulroy has yet to find his groove in the league.
For Jim McGuinness, the sight of Oisin Gallen holding his side after taking a brave mark against Armagh will be worrying. The Tir Chonaill forward stayed on the pitch, missing a penalty late on, but he never looked comfortable from that collision with defender Paddy Burns.
While Louth finished with 14 players, Cavan ended with 13 last week – James Smith being lined as Cavan tried to replace him before Oisin Brady picked up a second yellow when he was substituted, his replacement Tiarnan Madden having to head back to the bench.
Six points from eight is a great return to date for Raymond Galligan’s side considering three of their four games were on the road. The home loss was a one-point defeat to Donegal, so no shame there.
Meath have posted back-to-back wins after strong finishes against Louth and Kildare, but they’ll need to be good from the start to take anything from Breffni.
The most important game in Division 2 this weekend is Cork’s home clash with Kildare with the Tailteann Cup very much on the radar for both sides. Reminder, Cork have Kerry in a potential Munster semi-final so that route to the Sam Maguire may be blocked off. The Lilywhites are on the other side to Dublin, but plenty of good sides stand between them and a Leinster final.
Cork’s win in Fermanagh last week felt huge, and if they can back it up at home on Sunday then the whole campaign will have a different complexion.
Kildare though, are in real bother as they remain pointless after four games. A Cork win and frankly they’d need a miracle to avoid relegation and a big improvement in the championship to compete in the All-Ireland series.
Division 3: A two-tier division
While it’s not unusual to see two teams – in this case Down and Westmeath – with full points after four rounds, the fact that three teams remain on zero points at this stage is most unusual.
The good news for those sides is that it is guaranteed to change this weekend as two of the teams without a point – Offaly and Wicklow - meet.
Garden County boss Oisín McConville remains suspended, making things more difficult against an Offaly side that gave Down a bit of bother in Newry last week but were let down badly by not taking their goal chances.
Limerick are the other side yet to pick up a point and they face another tough outing on paper against a Clare side that really is performing well after the loss of manager Colm Collins and a raft of players.
Mark Fitzgerald lost the likes of Eoin Cleary, Podge Collins, Jamie Malone and Keelan Sexton but only for a late slump against Westmeath they’d be on maximum marks.
It was Ronan O’Toole who scored the winner for Westmeath that day, moments after Cormac Murray had a goal ruled out at the other end for square ball, and instead they are the side on four wins from four.
They head into the heart of Belfast to face an Antrim side that had high hopes of a promotion push but are now looking over their shoulders after losses to Down and Sligo. Corrigan Park is a useful tool for the Saffrons, and Andy McEntee’s side need to find something special if they are to reel the leaders in.
The other side sitting pretty is Conor Laverty’s Down whose pace and power is causing teams all sorts of bother.
Young midfielder Odhran Murdock continues to see his star glow brighter while the return of Caolan Mooney has been a real boost.
Sligo will also have to keep a close watch on Pat Havern who is leading the line so well, while Ryan Johnstone made a great cameo off the bench against Offaly last week.
Sligo will bring plenty of confidence to Newry though. Tony McEntee’s side have adapted well to life in Division 3 with three wins out of four. This will be, by far, their toughest test to date though.
Division 4: More drama guaranteed
Division 4 has been the place for last-gasp drama and with so many teams still in the promotion hunt, don’t rule out some more this weekend.
In round three it was Leitrim’s hugely controversial penalty to beat Wexford at the death that made headlines whereas last time out Andy Moran’s side were on the wrong end of things when Colm Hulton blasted home a stunning goal at the death to give Carlow the points.
First, let’s get the likely out of the way – and that’s Justin McNulty’s Laois taking a huge step towards promotion.
He may have needed a helicopter to make one of their games, but the O’Moore men are on a roll and it would be the shock of the weekend if they don’t make it five wins from five at home to London on Saturday evening.
With that in mind, it’s looking very much like five teams hunting down one promotion spot, unless Tipperary can get a wiggle on in the final games.
The Premier County, who host a Waterford side without a point on Sunday, will need to be perfect from here with their draw in London in round three looking particularly costly.
There’s a huge game on Saturday as Carlow host Wexford. Outside the county, few gave Niall Carew’s side much chance of a promotion push but the manager had been seeing real good vibes in pre-season and three wins from four have them well placed. Wexford, meanwhile, have won two and lost two and really need to win here or it’s probably lights out.
Sunday’s clash between Longford and Leitrim is similarly massive. Like Wexford, Longford, who are on four points, need to find a win or they are looking at another year in Division 4.
Moran’s Leitrim will have to respond to last week’s sucker-punch, but they’re still on six points from eight. The manager said his team aim to reach 20 points in every game, and they may need a big tally to win on the road.
Listen to the RTÉ GAA Podcast on the RTÉ Radio Player, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts
Watch Derry v Dublin in the Allianz Football League on Saturday from 4.30pm 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
Follow the RTÉ Sport WhatsApp channel for the best news, interviews, analysis and features, as well as details of our sports coverage across all RTÉ platforms.
