SATURDAY 11 JANUARY
Dr Crokes (Kerry) v Errigal Ciarán (Tyrone), Cedral St Conleth's Park, 3pm
Coolera Strandhill (Sligo) v Cuala (Dublin), Kingspan Breffni, 5pm
ONLINE
Live blogs of both games on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app.
TV
Live coverage on TG4 from 2.30pm.
RADIO
Live commentary and updates on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
WEATHER
Saturday will be generally cloudy with scattered outbreaks of light rain and drizzle. Scattered showers will spread across the south and southwest during the afternoon and evening. Highest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees, milder near south and west coasts, in light to moderate southerly winds. For more go to met.ie.
All eyes on the polar front
A week on from the postponement of both semi-finals, the hope is that the weather will play ball to allow the action take place in Newbridge and Cavan. Of course, the newly refurbished St Conleth's Park, in a change of venue, will now host Dr Crokes-Errigal Ciarán, this after officials opted to switch the game from Laois Hire O'Moore Park.
On Thursday it was reported that Croke Park would be on standby if both provincial grounds were to be deemed unplayable, but officials on Jones' Road subsequently ruled this out, referencing Sunday's junior and intermediate club finals at the venue and the wear and tear on the pitch that would result from an extra two games over the weekend.
According to Met Éireann, the end to this cold snap is in sight, with temperatures set to recover across the weekend. The thermometer is predicted to show a figure of between 3 and 7 on Saturday afternoon, with the polar front, the dividing line between the Arctic air and the warmer air from the south, set to move further to the north, so allowing temperatures to rise.
So, fingers crossed that the semis will go ahead, with matters to be settled on the day, so we could have extra-time and penalties. For the winners, it will be an eight-day turnaround till the final on Sunday week.
Crokes been there and done that - and now eye a clean sweep
Of the semi-finalists, Dr Crokes are the only ones to have tasted All-Ireland glory, with two titles coming their way in 1992 and 2017. Manager Pat O'Shea remains a constant over that time, stepping up from player to manager, and is again on the sideline, his third stint at the helm. He steered Kerry to their last back-to-back All-Ireland victory in 2007 (Jack O'Connor was both his predecessor and successor).
After the county final win, Crokes attacker Micheál Burns labelled his manager O'Shea as a "crazy genius" and "the Pep Guardiola of the GAA." High praise indeed!
This is Crokes' ninth semi-final appearance, with their sights set on a fifth victory at this stage.
After accounting for Nemo Rangers of Cork and Waterford's Rathgormack, O'Shea's men then, after a second-half surge, accounted for Tipperary's Loughmore-Castleiney in the decider.
Tony Brosnan and Micheál Burns kicked 0-05 each to complete a brilliant year for the Killarney kingpins, taking a clean sweep of Kerry league, club, county, and Munster titles.
David Shaw, Cian McMahon, Tom Doyle and Gavin O'Shea are other able score-getters, while Kieran O'Leary, now 37, remains a useful addition when sprung from the bench. Kingdom star Gavin White and another veteran Brian Looney adds much solidity in the half-back line.
Dr Crokes expect, with former player and now chairperson Eoin Brosnan emphasising that point, when speaking to GAA.ie: "2024 was a super year altogether and we're not finished yet," he said
"Pat is in his third stint as manager and he has won Munster club championships in all three of his different stints so it just shows he knows how to put a team together.
"There's a good core of experienced players there along with an influx of younger talent.
"I think we have the Munster U20 footballer of the year for the last three years in the team. We have good players coming through in the club at the moment and that should continue because we had a very good minor team last year so we should get a couple of players from that in the coming years as well."
Errigal Ciarán continue quest to put Tyrone on the ultimate roll of honour
Eleven county titles and three provincial crowns. No other Tyrone has reigned supreme in the province. Errigal Ciarán's trio of victories was completed with a narrow win over Down's Kilcoo on 8 December.
Peter Óg McCartan fired over the dramatic stoppage-time winner at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, to end a 22-year wait for provincial success.
The matchwinner spoke about a piece of history being created when he spoke to RTÉ Sport after the game.
"It's unbelievable. I can't believe I even kicked that over there at the end, but it means everything. To get over the line, with a one-point victory in an Ulster final, it's unbelievable.
"It has been 22 years. It's mad it took us that long to get back here, but we've written our own history here.
"Teams of the past. Everyone talks about Errigal with great pedigree and history. Now this team has finally shut up the critics and we've got over the line there and written our own history.
We have mentioned Dr Crokes' prowess in attack and Errigal Ciarán are also well served in that department.
Brothers Darragh and Ruairí Canavan, while not exerting as much influence in the Ulster final as one expected, have shown enough in the Red Hand colours to underline their threat and cousin Tommy is also an able operator in the forward ranks, as is that old warrior Peter Harte.
Defender Cormac Quinn and midfielder Joe Oguz add more inter-county pedigree to the Errigal cause.
For over 20 years, Kerry-Tyrone battles in the pursuit of Sam Maguire have been played with more than a certain edge. Expect something similar in Newbridge.
Coolera-Strandhill dream of taking another step on road gloriously travelled
Strandhill village is noted for its surfing. And riding a wave of much success in recent weeks has been the local GAA side. The most ardent of Coolera-Strandhill would not have thought that they would be lining up to take their place in an All-Ireland semi-final. But here there are, on merit, at a juncture where they will yet again come in as underdogs.
Their route this far has not been short of drama.
Back-to-back county titles were achieved when again they got the better of St Molaise Gaels in the final. This year a replay was required, however, with Coolera-Strandhill holding their nerve to emerge victorious by the bare minimum.
Onward then to provincial combat.
Mayo's Ballina Stephenites were the visitors to Markievicz Park. Another opportunity to finally deliver a performance of note against one of the neighbours. A low-scoring affair ended level after 60 minutes. The latter then pushed two clear in the second period of extra-time, before two late frees from Sligo county star Niall Murphy, who was subsequently black-carded, sent the game to penalties.
Coolera-Standhill were flawless from the spot, with Ross Doherty slotting home the winning kick, much to the joy of their supporters.
And so to the Connacht final at Markievicz Park against Roscommon's Padraig Pearses.
The home side trailed by five points on 40 minutes but staged a recovery to level matters and force extra-time. Ross Doherty was again on hand to nail a crucial score, as his goal early on the first period of additional time proved crucial in setting Coolera-Strandhill on their way to a maiden provincial title.
Winning tight games will no doubt stand to the Sligo champions as they look to cause another upset, as is the sight of many chipping in with scores against Pearses.
County star Niall Murphy is well served up front by Sligo U-20 winners Mark McDaniel and Ross Doherty, while transfers in the shape of former Kilmacud Crokes and Dublin dual player Ross O'Carroll and Seán Taylor from the Ballyshannon club have much steel in defence. Indeed, Taylor has clocked up more than a few air miles travelling over and back from London where he works as a strength and conditioning coach with Harlequins Rugby.
Coolera-Strandhill manager John McPartland was corner forward on Sligo's 2007 Connacht winning side. His father John Snr trained the side that won the 2005 Sligo title.
Cuala two steps away from joining elusive club
And so after the special DART that was hired to take Cuala fans to the Dublin final in Parnell Park, and then a direct train to Newbridge for the Leinster quarter-final win over Naas, it was a case of making your own way back to Parnell and then to Croke Park as the Dalkey outfit reigned supreme in Leinster.
Veteran Luke Keating struck the stoppage-time match-winning point in the win over St Mary's Ardee.
Cuala, All-Ireland hurling champions in 2017 and 2018, now have an opportunity to join Cork St Finbarr's as the only club side to win All-Ireland's in both codes.
The expectation is that the Dublin and Leinster champs will account for Coolera-Strandill; a side bolstered by Niall and 'King Con' O’Callaghan and Michael Fitzsimons should have enough to get back to Croker.
