SATURDAY 1 JUNE
Group 2
Roscommon v Mayo, Dr Hyde Park, 5pm
Cavan v Dublin, Kingspan Breffni, 7pm
Group 3
Cork v Donegal, Páirc Uí Rinn, 2.30pm
SUNDAY 2 JUNE
Group 1
Westmeath v Galway, TEG Cusack Park, 3pm
Derry v Armagh, Celtic Park, 4pm
Group 3
Tyrone v Clare, O'Neill's Healy Park, 1.30pm
Group 4
Meath v Kerry, Páirc Tailteann, 2pm
Monaghan v Louth, Clones 3.30pm
ONLINE
Live blogs across both days on RTÉ Sport Online and RTÉ News app.
TV
Meath v Kerry and Derry v Armagh will be live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 1.30pm on Sunday. On Saturday, Roscommon v Mayo and Cavan v Dublin can be viewed on GAAGO.
RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player will have highlights of the weekend's action on The Saturday Game (10.50pm) and The Sunday Game (9.30pm)
RADIO
Live commentaries and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport.
WEATHER
Saturday: Fine and dry with plenty of long sunny spells and just a touch of cloud at times across Ulster. Light winds and highest temperatures of 16 to 20 degrees, warmest across Munster and south Leinster.
Sunday: High pressure will remain in charge bringing plenty of dry and sunny weather throughout. Temperatures look set to reach around 17 to 21 degrees. For more go to met.ie.
The round before the round that really matters?
This time last year the sun shone brightly on most days. Of course, those blue skies and temperatures up into the mid 20s had us all in a better mood; any thoughts on the apathy surrounding the opening rounds of the All-Ireland championship were not voiced too loudly.
That said, the echoes of dissatisfaction reverberated enough in advance of the final round, a series of matches that finally delivered drama of sorts as Cork upset Mayo; Armagh edged Galway to reach the summit; and Kildare found a renewed purpose in beating Roscommon. And then the knockout games followed and more souls perked up.
A year on and the sun isn't quite splitting the stones, so there is more apathy in the air. The paltry number who turned up at Croker to watch Dublin-Roscommon only adding to the sense that one could be elsewhere. Indeed, fans were elsewhere, with many eyeballs no doubt fixed on Manchester United players finally stirring themselves in beating neighbours City in the FA Cup final. Then you had Adam Idah scoring a late winner as Celtic prevailed over Rangers in the Scottish equivalent and a Champions Cup final, where Leinster made unwanted history in coming up short for the third year running.
Three cup finals on at the same time, all part of a busy Saturday. The condensed nature of the GAA championship now sees it competing with many international events for exposure and interest from the public. That wasn't the case in the pre split-season era, with things coming to the boil at the end of July and over the August Bank Holiday weekend in a somewhat less crowded calendar. The GAA have made their decision regarding the calendar, we are where we are and all that!
The other obvious reason for the 'I couldn't be bothered with it at the moment' view is the lack of jeopardy across the All-Ireland groupings, with 12 from 16 progressing to the knockout. Maybe after the Super 8s and the few dead-rubber games that were played, the GAA could not countenance a repeat. And so we have 24 games to eliminate four, a quartet that many would identify even at this stage.
Speaking on last Monday's RTÉ GAA Podcast, Tomás Ó Sé offered his solution on making the games more meaningful, when saying: "There is a fix in it. The GAA need to back off, bow the head and let whoever wins the first two games meet each other in the second round.
"There could be way more games where there is a need to win. There would be a championship feel to it. "There isn't a championship feel to games that are happening at the minute."
Ó Sé's idea would see Galway v Armagh and Dublin v Mayo in action this weekend, with top spot and a quarter-final berth the likely prize for the winner. Maybe enough to generate the championship feel, but the current system of knockout, league, and back to knockout, is somewhat unwieldy in ultimately deciding the Sam Maguire winner.
Hurling's current format works well and any calls for the fourth-placed team in Munster and Leinster to continue on in the championship should be ignored. If it ain't broke don't fix it!
It's not as if football's All-Ireland series is broke, it just needs tweaking, maybe not the radical overhaul that's coming in the Champions League by way of the 'Swiss Model' (I've explained it here), but a tweak nevertheless. Something to give us a bit of drama in advance of the many twists and turns we would like to see in the final round.
As for what might transpire in the next couple of weeks, most of the interest may be generated by the scrap to see who finishes second in the respective groups and with it the advantage of playing a third-placed team at home in the preliminary quarter-final.
Matters either side of that may be a bit more clear-cut.
Rossies get another crack at the neighbours
The Roscommon support may have been lacking on Jones' Road last Saturday, but the numbers will no doubt be be upped when Mayo come to Hyde Park on Saturday evening. It's six weeks since the counties last met, with Kevin McStay's side keeping their neighbours at arm's length in the Connacht semi-final.
Since then the Green and Red were pipped in the provincial final before comfortably accounting for Cavan in Round 1. Cillian O'Connor was in from the start and kicked four points in a fine display, when positioned at corner-forward. The loss of Paddy Durcan will be a blow going forward, though he will stay involved in the set-up, with McStay saying: "Paddy will remain our captain and a vital member of our squad, where he will continue to lead and inspire us."
The Mayo boss has been telling local media that he expects a "ferocious" battle at the Hyde, this against opposition who left more than a few chances behind them in that Connacht semi-final.
A 12-point defeat to the Dubs does not tell the whole story of how the Rossies fared at a subdued Croker.
After 54 minutes they were 0-15 to 0-13 behind, still well in it on a day when Diarmuid Murtagh, Daire Cregg and Conor Cox all kicked great scores. However, late goals from from substitute Colm Basquel and Con O'Callaghan eventually saw the All-Ireland champions power on to victory, with Roscommon failing to score in the last 20 minutes.
No doubt, Davy Burke will have targeted this game and the concluding clash with Cavan as where his side can get points. Getting a greater spread of scorers across the team will be key, but they showed enough against the Dubs in the way they set up their scores to suggest they'll give the next two games a right go.
Elsewhere in Group 2, Dublin are on the road to Cavan and will be expected to make it two wins from two.
Boss Dessie Farrell was pleased with the impact off the bench last Saturday, with Seán Bugler and Jack McCaffrey among those who joined Colm Basquel on the field of play during the second half.
"We started to roll the bench then and gaps started to appear and open up," said Farrell.
"Players are asked to play different roles at different times. They might be starting; they could be finishing.
"But I'm delighted how the subs finished the game for us."
Ulster duo in need of a pick up
Derry, once genuine All-Ireland contenders, are now in danger of losing a third championship match on the spin. Still, a win against Westmeath in their final game could maintain their interest in things, but they would like to have points on the board before that.
Conceding too many scores, injuries and the actions of Gareth McKinless in getting sent off against Galway, hasn't helped things. Mickey Harte will be hoping that Eoin McEvoy and Conor Doherty will be back for the date at home to Armagh.
As for the latter, the scars of the Ulster final loss were still apparent in the not-so-impressive win against Westmeath, but it was a case of getting the job done.
Similar to the provincial decider where they had an opportunity to push on against Donegal just after half-time, Armagh again failed to put the midlanders away. It's a recurring aspect of their play under Kieran McGeeney, something that's obviously holding them back. A point that Tomás Ó'Sé highlighted on a recent edition of the RTÉ GAA Podcast.
"They tucked in tight, defended hard and anytime they went at Westmeath, Westmeath were in trouble.
"They then seemed to batten down the hatches. Is there a hint or a fear that they might get exposed at the back if they are gung-ho going forward?
"Yeah, you have to do it the odd time (possession football), you have to reset and bring the ball back out, but Armagh should be going at teams a little bit more, I think.
🗨️ "It's been a tough two weeks, there's not much point in saying any different"
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 25, 2024
Kieran McGeeney chats to @lawlordamian after his Armagh side's win over Westmeath
📺 Watch live - https://t.co/AKAre5FHdN pic.twitter.com/u9FVh6zpnU
"I've seen interviews with Kieran McGeeney where he says the plan is always to go at teams, and I know that is the way they want to play.
"It is impossible to do that for a full match, but I think they could be doing it a little bit more than they are.
"All it takes is one guy. If you are defending, and one guy tackles like a lunatic, it sparks the rest of them. If one guy take on a defence and goes at them, and there is movement elsewhere, it sparks a response as well."
It's a hard one to call at Celtic Park. Maybe the view that Derry will have to summon something positive from their summer may just tip it in their favour.
In Mullingar, Westmeath host Galway. Much frustration from Pádraic Joyce as to the circumstances in which Damien Comer left the field of play against Derry. Sean Kelly and Robert Finnerty both limped off with injuries before the final whistle.
Joyce will hope that such setbacks won't derail Galway's campaign, this after a league campaign where his squad was stretched. The championship air has certainly breathed new life into the Tribesmen by way of the resolve shown in surviving a scare from Sligo, then holding their nerve to pip Mayo in the Connacht final, before putting in their best performance of year when beating the league champions a fortnight ago.
They should have enough to keep the winning run going in the midlands.
Louth continue to catch the eye
A trip to Paddy Kavanagh country had even more people waxing lyrical about Louth after Meath were cast aside.
Wing-back Craig Lennon netted a first-half brace of goals, this after Sam Mulroy slammed Louth into the lead they would never give up.
Tomás Ó Sé analyses the disparity in performance between Louth and Meath in their All-Ireland group clash today
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 25, 2024
📺 Watch live - https://t.co/AKAre5FHdN pic.twitter.com/9rYKfkb1oX
The 10-point winning margin did not flatter the Leinster finalists as they eased over the line in a composed second-half showing. Meath looked well out of ideas at that stage.
Monaghan are next up for the Wee County. Ever since they beat Dublin in the league at the end of January, things have not gone well for the Farney. Relegation to Division 2 and championship defeats to Cavan and Kerry leaves them in a brittle state as they look to curtail a Louth side who know the way to goal.
That said, the Farney's powers of recovery which has seen them cling on to their Division 1 status in the past and end up in All-Ireland quarter-finals and semi-finals shows they can't be totally discounted.
Kerry will be expected to top the section and should account for Meath before the RTÉ cameras in Navan.
Against Monaghan the last day, the Kingdom again failed to find the net, though 0-24 isn't a bad return, despite the feebleness of the Farney effort.
Expectation cranking up in the land of Tir Chonaill
After an impressive showing, Donegal overcame Tyrone for the second time this year to get their All-Ireland series off to the perfect start.
A performance that was up a notch from the Ulster final and the previous joust with the Red Hand.
A long trip south is next and a date with a Cork outfit, who again, as was the case last year, feel that an All-Ireland quarter-final place is there for them.
That and maybe a step more is what Jim McGuinness' side are targeting. A good spread of scores against Tyrone bodes well for when they do hit Croke Park.
The other game in the section sees Tyrone welcome Clare to Healy Park. On paper, the hosts should prevail, but the Banner have been resilient thus far, so expect it to be closer than many expect.
