SATURDAY 8 AUGUST
All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals
1600 Monaghan v Tyrone, Croke Park
1800 Mayo v Donegal, Croke Park
SUNDAY 9 AUGUST
All-Ireland SHC semi-final
1530 Kilkenny v Waterford, Croke Park
ONLINE
Live blogs on RTÉ.ie from 1530 Saturday and 1430 on Sunday
ON TV
Saturday
1530 Monaghan v Tyrone (1600) & Mayo v Donegal (1800) live on Sky Sports 5
Sunday
1445 Kilkenny v Waterford (1530) live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
All games streamed live worldwide via GAAGO
ON RADIO
Saturday
1445 Updates on Monghan v Tyrone and live commentary on Mayo v Donegal (1800) on RTÉ Radio 1
1530 Live commentary on Monaghan v Tyrone (1600 on Newstalk (1600)
Sunday
1400 Live commentary on Kilkenny v Waterford on RTÉ Radio1
WEATHER
Early indications are that it will be dry at first in most areas on Saturday, but rain will develop along Atlantic coastal areas, with fresh to strong southerly winds. Rain and drizzle will extend further eastwards later, but will become very patchy in the east and south. Max 15 to 18 C, but becoming milder.
On Sunday, most areas will be dry, with some sunny spells, but a little patchy light rain or drizzle will occur, mainly along some Atlantic coasts. Max. 16 to 21 C, in a moderate to fresh southwesterly wind.
FIXTURES
Monaghan v Tyrone - All-Ireland SFC quarter-final
For the third consecutive year, Monaghan and Tyrone meet in the championship.
The score stands at one each after close-fought encounters. In 2013, also at the quarter-final stage, Tyrone prevailed by two points against opposition who had just come off the back of a first Ulster title in 25 years. However, the game will be remembered most for Sean Cavanagh's tackle on Conor McManus and Joe Brolly's reaction to it.
Last year's Ulster quarter-final saw the Farney gain revenge with a one-point victory at Clones.
The general consensus is that Saturday's game will also be tight. Monaghan's graph is continuing to rise and they are better team now than two years ago. In the Ulster final, they successfully nullified the main Donegal threats and, despite not scoring for the final 24 minutes, they held on for a famous victory.
Tyrone, we suspected after their loss to Donegal on 17 May, would be good enough to embark on a productive run through the qualifiers. That has come to pass and they certainly have "momentum" on their side, despite not being overly tested in their back-door games.
RTÉ analyst Tommy Carr points to an an over-reliance on five-time All Star Sean Cavanagh (32) in the Red Hand ranks.
"Cavanagh is their strongest player but you look at the Donegal team, whose strongest player is Michael Murphy, and there are seven years between them," said Carr.
However, the former Dublin player praises the efforts of corner-forward Darren McCurry, who scored 0-08 (4f) against Sligo last weekend but said that "his team-mates will need to up their game" to supply the Edendork man with the necessary ammunition against the big teams.
In saying that, Mark Bradley and Peter Harte have also stood out as Tyrone dream of a final berth for the first time since 2008.
Monaghan will also be keen to make the semis and a date with Kerry on 23 August. Looking at both defences, the Farney look better equipped to deal with the opposition threat and are physically that bit more imposing than Tyrone, That should tip the balance in their favour in a game where scores may not be too plentiful.
Mayo v Donegal - All-Ireland SFC quarter-final
Of the four football quarter-finals, this is the pairing that conjures up the most excitement. Mayo's quest to end that long wait for an All-Ireland title goes on and while they are not heading the market to make it happen this year, there is much anticipation as to how they'll fare on Saturday after their expected success in Connacht.
Sligo were easily swept aside in the Nestor Cup decider on a day when Aidan O'Shea lorded it at full-forward, admittedly against opposition who had no idea at all as to how to curb his threat. O'Shea's presence on the edge of the square was more telling against Galway in the semi-final. Allied with Cillian O'Connor's contribution to the scoreboard, Mayo have a twin threat in attack that can punish most teams.
As for Donegal, they have Michael Murphy, who was at his imperious best when orchestrating a second-half surge that saw then flatten Galway last weekend. A rejuvenated Colm McFadden also stood out on a day when the Ulster County did experience bouts of lethargy before finishing the game with a flourish.
The Ulster county did look a tired lot as they went in at half time against Galway and so added further fuel to the fire that their trademark intensity has left them. And while they subsequently found a second wind on the resumption, there are doubts as to whether they can go to the well again against a Mayo side that are relatively fresh and would have planned to peak for the second weekend in August. Donegal had to hit their stride for Tyrone on 17 May.
Yes, the westerners are probably a bit more suspect at the back, but they should have enough to once again take out Donegal at the quarter-final stage.
Verdict: Mayo
Kilkenny v Waterford - All-Ireland SHC semi-final
For many, Waterford are the team of the 2015 and what an achievement it would be if they could reach the All-Ireland final in a year where they have already won the Division 1 league and got to a Munster final.
Derek McGrath's blend of youth and experience and his 'system of play have the Déise firmly back at hurling's top table and he's confident of taming the Cats at GAA HQ. Speaking to RTÉ Sport, he said: "The fearlessness of youth combined with the huge experience with Michael Walsh, Shane O’Sullivan, Shane Fives, Kevin Moran, Noel Connors etc; it’s a good fusion and it’s working at the moment.
"There is only one way to approach an All-Ireland semi-final and that is to relish it and to go for it, as they are huge occasions. We will relish the chance but will be hugely respectful of our opponents."
And he's right that Brian Cody's troops should be respected. Key names may have left and injury has deprived them of Jackie Tyrrell and Richie Power for Sunday, but in the words of former Wexford star Tom Dempsey, "there is no better man than Brian Cody to get it right for semi-finals and make proper use of the five-week gap from the Leinster final".
Waterford, with the likes of Austin Gleeson, Tadhg de Burca and Shane Bennett are a team that should relish playing in Croke Park and so set us up for a clash that should belatedly kick-start the hurling championship.
There is a view that the Déise will stay with the Cats until the last few minutes before the reigning All-Ireland champions deliver a surge that will see them home.
Tom Dempsey expects it to be " a great battle for about 60 to 62 minutes before Kilkenny go on to win by four or five."
He may very well be right but I just think this Waterford team, even at this stage of their development, can stay the pace until the very end and in doing so create even more history.
Verdict: Waterford
