SATURDAY 8 JUNE
Limerick 1-18 Tipperary 1-10
Leitrim v Wicklow, Glennon Bros Pearse Park, 7pm
SUNDAY 9 JUNE
Laois v New York, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, 12.30pm
Antrim v London, Corrigan Park, 2pm
ONLINE
Live scoring on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app. Highlights also available across the weekend.
TV
Leitrim v Wicklow and Laois v New York are available to watch on GAAGO. Highlights of all the weekend's action on The Sunday Game, RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player, from 10.05pm.
RADIO
Live updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport. Also live updates on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's Spórt an tSathairn and Spórt an Lae.
WEATHER
Saturday looks set to be a bright day with variable cloud and sunny spells. There'll be further showers though, these most frequent in the north and northwest, where they may be heavy. The showers will be more isolated elsewhere. Highest temperatures of 13 to 17 degrees in mostly moderate northwest breezes which will be fresher near northern and northwestern coasts.
Sunday will have a mix of sunny spells and showers. Highest temperatures of 13 to 16 degrees in light to moderate northerly breezes. For more go to met.ie.
Let the knockout stage begin
And so 16 becomes 12 in the Tailteann Cup, with New York entering the competition, some eight weeks on from their Connacht quarter-final defeat to Mayo. Alan O'Mara's side now face Laois in Portlaoise, the latter afforded home comforts by virtue of finishing second in their group. Antrim, Limerick, and Leitrim also occupied the runners-up spot, though Andy Moran's 'home' clash with Wicklow will take place at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park in Longford, as pitch refurbishment work is ongoing at Páirc Seán.
Whoever emerges victorious from the preliminary games will then be away from home in the last eight, with the draw for the quarter-finals set to take place on RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland from 8.35am on Monday.
Kildare, Sligo, Fermanagh and Down will be keeping a close eye on what happens in the preliminary ties.
Monday's draw shall be subject to the avoidance of repeat pairings from the group stage where possible.
Pairings that can't happen: Kildare v Leitrim, Sligo v Antrim, Sligo v Tipperary, Fermanagh v Laois, Fermanagh v Wicklow, Down v Limerick, Down v London
Unbeaten Saffrons looking further ahead
Antrim bring the best form forward from those in action this weekend: two wins and a draw so far. Their final group game against Sligo saw them battle back from being four down and then five behind to force parity at Kingspan Breffni.
After reaching the semi-finals last year, the Saffrons will no doubt believe they can get back to Croker, though manager Andy McEntee will be hoping they can be more clinical in front of goal, when reflecting on the game with the Yeats County.
He told BBC NI Sport: "We had two really good goal chances, which we've been doing and not taking. Either one of those would have made a big difference at the end."
Antrim will fancy their chances against a London side that, despite an impressive win over Offaly to start their campaign, were subsequently well beaten against Down and Limerick. The Exiles were competitive early on against the Shannonsiders but the concession of two quick-fire goals would alter the course of the game, with ten points between the sides come the final whistle.
Clutching progression from the jaws of elimination
Tipperary and Wicklow were pointless ahead of their final group games but produced drama late on to advance.
The Premier, up until last weekend endured a horrid year, with just two wins in Division 4 and that reverse against Waterford in Munster. Subsequent defeats to Antrim and Sligo in this competition did not bode well as they faced up to a Wexford side, who despite two losses on the spin looked to be in better shape.
And while Tipp started well at Netwatch Cullen Park, the Yellowbellies eventually took a grip on the game, and were a point to the good with seconds remaining. And then came that late twist.
Paudie Feehan launched a Hail Mary sideline into the square and Stephen Grogan rose highest to flick it into the net. Tipperary were through; at last a ray of light to illuminate their year.
They won't fear having a crack of Limerick in Rathkeale, though Jimmy Feehan's side, on the back of consecutive victories, will no doubt be confident that they can see another day out a week from now.
Oisín McConville's Wicklow, despite impressing in beating Westmeath and then pushing Kildare all the way in Leinster, looked to be limping out of the Tailteann after defeats to Fermanagh and Laois.
It was then a win or bust as they entered the last-chance-saloon that was Parnell Park for their date with Carlow.
Trailing by a point with five minutes to go, but a man up following Jamie Clarke's dismissal for Carlow, the Garden County dug deep to mine out the win over their neighbours and rivals.
Wicklow reeled off the last four scores of the game with substitute Christopher O'Brien and Padraig O'Toole each hitting a brace of points.
Free-taker Kevin Quinn top scored for Wicklow with six points and helped them to lock down third position and with it a date with Leitrim.
On paper it's the tie of the round. Andy Moran's men will take heart from their showing against Kildare, while Wicklow, if they reproduce their provincial form, could be hard stopped.
The remaining clash of Laois and New York is somewhat hard to get a handle on in that we haven't seen the latter for nearly two months. There was no shame in the 15-point loss to Mayo, with New York only having three of the side available that memorably defeated Leitrim a year previous.
Watch the Joe McDonagh Cup final, Offaly v Laois, on Saturday from 3pm. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch the Leinster Hurling final, Kilkenny v Dublin, 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 commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch the Munster Hurling final, Limerick v Clare, on Sunday from 3.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
