AIB All-Ireland Club Football Championship
Saturday, 3 January
Ballyboden St Enda's (Dublin) v Daingean Uí Chúis (Kerry), SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 3.15pm
Sunday, 4 January
Scotstown (Monaghan) v St Brigid's (Roscommon), Kingspan Breffni, 3pm
ONLINE
Follow both semi-finals via our live blogs on rte.ie/sport.
RADIO
Folow updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport.
TV
Both semi-finals will be live on TG4.
WEATHER
Saturday: A crisp and bright day with plenty of sunshine. Dry for most too, with isolated showers affecting western coastal fringes at first. Showers will gradually become more widespread throughout the day, some turning heavy at times with the chance of hail or isolated thunderstorms. Highs of 6 to 8 degrees with moderate to fresh southwest winds.
Sunday: Some uncertainty to the detail for Sunday but indications currently suggest a wet and blustery day with further outbreaks of rain, with the heaviest falls over parts of the west and southwest. Highest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees in fresh to strong southwesterly winds. Rain will gradually clear to the southeast.
Ballyboden St Enda's v Daingean Uí Chúis
Interestingly, Ballyboden St Enda's have had a tendency of winning major football honours in years ending in five or nine.
It's the 'fives' that have been most memorable. It was back in 1995 that the south Dublin men won their first senior county title.
Their third would come in 2015 and would be the launchpad towards further glory, first in Leinster and then onto their sole All-Ireland senior club title to date when they comfortably overcame Castlebar Mitchels in the decider at Croke Park on St Patrick's Day 2016.
A decade on and after October's victory over Na Fianna sealed a fifth Dublin title in another year ending in five, they have journeyed to within sight of another All-Ireland decider via a third provincial triumph.
However, Daingean Uí Chúis will want to write their own story when the two sides meet in Saturday's semi-final at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The Kerrymen have achieved landmarks aplenty through the autumn and winter already. A first county title in 77 years before the Geaneys and co won Munster for the first time this time last month after a dramatic conclusion in the provincial decider against St Finbarr's at Semple Stadium.
"The way we did it was, that's another story...I can't really describe it. I was just so proud to be a Dingle man," forward Conor Geaney said in the wake of the Munster success.
"This club, everybody's here, everybody left the town, nobody left at home, so it's just the best day ever."
It may be the club's best day to date but Daingean Uí Chúis won't need reminding that if they can get to Croke Park for an All-Ireland final, that would top anything they have already achieved.
Throw-in on Saturday will be at 3.15pm.
Peter Canavan's view
What a story Daingean Uí Chúis’ success has been this year. Ballyboden’s success has been a little more predictable perhaps, they know what it takes, what it is about. You could say they are favourites just on that front alone.
Yet the Kerry side will will be happy it is in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and with three Geaneys – Paul, Dylan and Conor - scoring heavily in the full-forward line, you would be foolish to back against them. Maybe Dingle have been too reliant on them. Between them they scored 2-09 out of 2-13 in the Kerry final, and 1-15 out of 1-18 in the Munster final.
From Ballyboden’s point of view, it’s all about midfield. If they can dominate around there and prevent ball going into the opposition full-forward line then they are in with a great chance. Therein lies a great battle as well as by all accounts Mark O’Connor has been released by his AFL side Geelong and will be available to play. His battle in the middle of the pitch with Galway’s Cein D'Arcy is going to be crucial. D'Arcy is a serious presence around the middle and has also been scoring for Ballyboden.
Verdict: Daingean Uí Chúis
Scotstown v St Brigid's
This stage of competition is old hat for St Brigid's who got to the final last time they contested an All-Ireland semi-finals two years ago.
The 2013 All-Ireland champions earned their sixth Connacht title at the end of November when they beat Maigh Cuilinn by two points at Dr Hyde Park, with Ruaidhrí Fallon's late, late goal and a seven-point contribution from Conor Hand proving pivotal in pushing them back through towards the national scene.
Scotstown, on the other hand, have had a longer bridge to cross. The Monaghan men have been dominant at county level in recent years, winning ten titles since the dawn of the 2010s.
But before this season, their hopes would run aground continuously in the Ulster Championship, tasting defeat in provincial finals in 2015, 2018 and 2023.
However, inspired by sharp-shooting Monaghan goalkeeper Rory Beggan, they finally got over the line in Ulster, beating Kilcoo after extra time in December's final to end a 36-year gap for Ulster glory.
And now they are within one more win of getting to a first All-Ireland since their sole previous appearance way back in 1979.
But Scotstown won't be looking that far ahead with the 'one game at a time' mantra having served them well as manager David McCague had outlined in the wake of their long-awaited Ulster final victory: "This was our 10th championship game tonight. We wanted to win game 10 because we wanted to have the experience of game 11.
"I'm not saying whether that made a difference or not, but it probably took away the mammoth albatross that is the Ulster Club Championship around Scotstown. We just focussed on the next game and that has proven to be a good approach for us."
Throw-in between St Brigid's and Scotstown on Sunday will be at 3pm.
Peter Canavan's view
There is no team in the country that has shown as much resilience as Scotstown. At different times in the championship they appeared to be dead and buried. Three of their last four games have gone to extra time and they have managed to hang on and finish strong.
They are very reliant on goalkeeper Rory Beggan for so many of their big scores. It took Conor McCarthy coming off the bench in the Ulster final against Kilcoo to swing it for them, with himself and Beggan the only players to score for Scotstown in extra time.
St Brigid’s, similar to Ballyboden in the other semi-final, know what it takes to get to an All-Ireland final. They are a very attack-minded squad with some brilliant players. Conor Hand is playing very well, as is Brian Carroll. They also have the wily and experiences Anthony Cunningham as manager.
I would nearly put my house on the fact it will go to extra-time, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we have Leinster-Ulster club All-Ireland final.
Verdict: Scotstown
