Munster SFC final
Cork v Kerry, Sunday, Fitzgerald Stadium, 1.45pm
Connacht SFC final
Galway v Roscommon, Sunday, King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park, 4.15pm
Tailteann Cup
Clare v Offaly, Saturday, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, 4pm
Wexford v Limerick, Saturday, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 6pm
Sligo v Tipperary, Sunday, Markievicz Park, 12.45pm
Carlow v Antrim, Sunday, Netwatch Cullen Park, 1.30pm
Laois v Wicklow, Sunday, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, 2pm
Waterford v London, Sunday, Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field, 2pm
Fermanagh v Longford, Sunday, Brewster Park, 3pm
ONLINE
Follow a live blog on all matches on the RTÉ News app and on rte.ie/sport.
TV
Both the Connacht and Munster finals will be on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 1.15pm on Sunday.
GAA+ will show the Tailteann Cup opener between Laois and Wicklow on Sunday.
RADIO
Live commentaries and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport as well as Spórt an tSathairn and Spórt an Lae on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.
WEATHER
Saturday: Current indications suggest dry weather with sunny spells for many areas but with cloud and showery rain possibly moving into southern areas. Breezy with a moderate to fresh northerly wind and highest temperatures of 9 to 13 degrees.
Sunday: Cloud and showers possible for a time in the south but otherwise plenty of dry weather with sunny spells in the morning. Cloud will increase from the north through the day. Highest temperatures of 10 to 14 degrees with a moderate northerly breeze.
For more, visit met.ie.
A change to provincial final format
Some of the motions got lost in the chaos of this year's GAA Congress and the Allianz protests, but Motion 13 passed with 73.5% of the vote, meaning that if teams are level after extra-time in Sunday's two finals, it will be a replay rather than penalties.
Roscommon riding crest of a wave
Roscommon’s last two Connacht triumphs – in 2017 and '19 - both came against Galway, but you have to go all the way back to 2001 for the last time they lifted the Nestor Cup at the Hyde with a winning goal from Gerry Lohan deep, deep into additional time sparking wild scenes against Mayo.
That was the first year of second chances in football, and eventual All-Ireland champions Galway – ironically the only county to vote against the qualifier system - outlasted both finalists. It was also 25 years ago, so that Fergal O’Donnell-led Rossie side will be honoured during Sunday’s encounter.
Despite home advantage, finishing above Galway in the league, beating the Tribe already this season and scoring 7-47 in their two provincial games this season, Mark Dowd’s side will still be underdogs at the weekend, but maybe not to the extent expected if this final was predicted pre-season.
They’ll also be boosted by the return of Daire Cregg who missed the mightily impressive second-half semi-final destruction of Mayo having been dismissed out in New York. Brian Stack and Ruaidhrí Fallon remain injury doubts.
That Mayo trimming - they hit 1-17 after the break - served notice that they are a team to be respected, but there still remains an issue at the back.
Despite a top-half finish in Division 1, only three teams across all four divisions conceded more - Monaghan (D1), Offaly (D2) and Waterford (D4), the only sides who didn’t pick up a point across their seven games. Mayo still scored 1-18 against them last time too.
While we have a handle on Roscommon, knowing they are a free-scoring yet open team searching for a real statement victory to really light that fuse, putting a finger on where Galway stand right now is not just as easy.
They were far from impressive against Leitrim with their kick-out crushed in the second half, and their five-point win was maybe even a touch flattering.
Doubts still remain over whether or not Padráic Joyce knows his best 15 yet, although the return of Cillian McDaid, Damien Comer and Shane Walsh against Leitrim should make that task a bit easier.
This is Galway’s 11th consecutive Connacht final and they’re chasing a first five-in-a-row since Mayo 2011-15.
It would be an ideal time to remind the country of their threat ahead of the All-Ireland race.
Rebels hoping to redress balance
With the Munster seeding postponed for a year, there were hopes of maybe a novel final pairing this season but in the end, Cork and Kerry were kept apart and get ready to meet for the 73rd time in the provincial final – and that’s excluding replays.
While it’s the most regular provincial final pairing in Gaelic football, the wealth hasn’t been evenly shared in recent times with Cork in their first final since 2021 and chasing their first Munster Cup since 2012 when a semi-final replay win over their old rivals set them on their way.
Kerry have dominated this rivalry recently. Since that 2012 semi-final, they’ve met in the championship 14 times and Kerry have won 12 of those. Cork’s sole win came via AFL star Mark Keane’s dramatic strike at the end of extra-time in their Covid clash in 2020 while extra-time was also required in last year’s Munster semi-final.
John Cleary's side come in with promotion back to Division 1 secured and after a sluggish first half, they did pick things up against Tipperary in the Munster semi-final. They’ve only lost twice this season, although they were two very contrasting defeats.
Meath edged an entertaining Division 2 final while earlier in the campaign, Derry beat them out the gate with 20 points in it in the end.
Perhaps in a sign of the team's growth, despite being viewed as potentially fatal to their promotion hopes, Cork responded with wins over Kildare and Tyrone to move into the top flight.
Kerry have kept out of the spotlight really since their heavy Division 1 final loss to Donegal. Down flew south to play a challenge match that was competitive for 50 minutes and a week later the Clifford brothers – David and Paudie – stood out as they overcame a stiffish challenge from Clare in their Munster opener.
Daniel O’Mahony will pick up the younger Clifford while Paudie will likely face a host of faces over 70 minutes. Limiting the sibling threat is absolutely crucial for the Rebels. At the other end, Brian Hurley and Dara Sheedy look set to miss out. Conor Corbett did make his comeback against Tipp though last time out.
Jack O'Connor is sweating on the fitness of one of the country’s most in-form players, Tom O’Sullivan, who has a calf issue. Seán O’Shea, Joe O’Connor, Dylan Geaney, Graham O’Sullivan, Brian Ó Beaglaioch, Paul Murphy and Shane Ryan are all in various battles to be fit too.
Cork haven’t won a championship match at Fitzgerald Stadium since 1995 – a third consecutive win over the Kingdom in the Munster championship.
On Sunday, Kerry are aiming for a 13th provincial title in 14 years. The balance of power has shifted dramaticially, but there is a sense that Cork are starting to close the gap. Sunday will tell a tale.
Tailteann throw-in
The fifth-ever Tailteann Cup begins in Ennis on Saturday afternoon as the country’s bottom 17 battle start their journey in the tier 2 competition.
Much has been made over the drama of Down’s inclusion – Conor Laverty’s side host Leitrim next weekend – and while they are the clearest of favourite, a host of sides will be aiming to get some momentum built up this weekend.
Of the previous four winners, Meath (2023) have reached an All-Ireland semi-final since, Westmeath (2024) are into the Leinster final, while Down (2025) had that famous win in Donegal. Holders Kildare will be hoping to take a scalp in the coming weeks in the All-Ireland series.
Like the Sam Maguire race, the group format of last year has been nuked in favour of a qualifier-style format.
New York will once again join at the preliminary quarter-final stage with their opponents having home advantage, unless it’s London; in that case the game will be played in Ireland at a neutral venue.
Limerick are the side hoping to go one step better after last year’s loss. Down managed that in 2024 after losing the 2023 final, but the other two previous finalists before them – Cavan and Laois – flubbed their lines the following year with neither able to reach even the semi-final.
Watch Kerry v Cork in the Munster Football final (1.45pm) and Roscommon v Galway in the Connacht Football final (4.15pm) on Sunday from 1.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch Wexford v Dublin in the Leinster Hurling Championship on Saturday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch The Saturday Game and The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on the RTÉ News app and on rte.ie/sport
