FIXTURES
Saturday 12 February
Division 1A
Limerick v Galway, TUS Gaelic Grounds, 7pm
Division 1B
Antrim v Dublin, Corrigan Park, 2pm
Sunday 13 February
Division 1A
Clare v Wexford, Cusack Park, 1.45pm
Offaly v Cork, Birr, 2pm
Division 1B
Waterford v Laois, Walsh Park, 2pm
Tipperary v Kilkenny, FBD Semple Stadium, 3.45pm
Division 2A
Kerry v Kildare, Austin Stack Park, 12.30pm
Meath v Down, Trim, 2pm
Carlow v Westmeath, Netwatch Cullen Park, 2pm
Division 2B
London v Mayo, Ruislip, 1pm
Wicklow v Derry, Aughrim, 1pm
Sligo v Donegal, Markievicz Park, 2pm
Division 3A
Tyrone v Warwickshire, O'Neill’s Healy Park, 1pm
Louth v Roscommon, Dowdallshill, 2pm
Monaghan v Armagh, Inniskeen, 2pm
Division 3B
Cavan v Lancashire, Kingspan Breffni, 1pm
Longford v Fermanagh, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 2pm
ONLINE
Live blogs each day on RTÉ Sport Online and the RTÉ News app.
RADIO
Live updates from around the country on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday and Sunday Sport.
TV
RTÉ2 will have live coverage of Saturday’s clash between Limerick and Galway from 6.40pm with highlights from the weekend’s action also on RTÉ2 on Sunday at 9.30pm. Both will also be available on the RTÉ Player.
On Sunday, TG4 will have live coverage from 1.15pm of Clare’s meeting with Wexford followed by the game between Tipperary and Kilkenny. From 5.35pm there will be deferred coverage of Offaly and Cork.
Antrim’s Division 1B encounter with Dublin on Saturday will be live on the BBC iPlayer at 2pm and GAAGO.
WEATHER
Similar to last week with breezy conditions and showers forecast for most of the weekend. A spell of rain moving up over Ireland from the south could cause wet conditions during Sunday’s action.
More detail at met.ie.
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Limerick face off with Henry's free-scoring Galway
After a disappointing loss to Wexford in Round 1, Limerick could have asked for an easier round two game than a clash with Henry Shefflin’s Galway, who hit Offaly for 4-22 last weekend.
John Kiely’s side are preparing for their first home game without Covid restrictions since March 2020. Since then they have added two All-Ireland titles, so it’s not so much question marks but more curiosity about whether or not the Treaty are there to be got at early in the season.
Nine of the 15 that started last August’s All-Ireland final win over Cork were also in the line-up for the Wexford game so it was a surprise to see them only manage 11 points.
Limerick looked sluggish and showed an inaccuracy not usually associated with them as they racked up 16 wides. There’s no secret about what Kiely will be demanding on Saturday night.
Shefflin’s side have no such worries and the one question coming out of their trouncing of Offaly was, how did they only end up with 26 scores?
Four of those were goals though as Gearóid McInerney, John Fleming, Evan Niland and Donal O’Shea all hit the target.
They’ll travel full of confidence and the home side will have a point to prove – expect a cracker.
Dublin aiming to navigate awkward Antrim venue
The Antrim management and players have been on the charm offensive this week calling for home supporters to come out in numbers to Corrigan Park on Saturday – and you can understand why.
The Belfast venue is their biggest weapon in their hunt for Division 1B survival and they’ll be hoping that it provides assistance against a sharp looking Dublin on Saturday.
In 2021, Antrim defeated Clare and Laois at the venue and earned a credible draw with Wexford, and their performance against Kilkenny last weekend suggests that they will be no pushover as the Cats needed a last-gasp Darren Brennan save to prevent the Ulster men from leaving Nowlan Park with a fine point.
Dublin did get a point in their first game as cards of all colours were flashed regularly in their draw with Waterford.
Mattie Kenny’s side thought they had nabbed it when Donal Burke took his tally up to a dozen points in additional time, but the visitors were able to respond through Stephen Bennett.
This is Mattie Kenny’s fourth year with Dublin and speaking on Allianz League Sunday, analyst Dónal Óg Cusack feels that the pressure is building for success.
"I'm a big fan of Mattie, he's done a solid job with Dublin over the years," the former Cork goalkeeper said.
"There's so much pressure on all managers now for results, it's almost turning into soccer. Unless Mattie gets success this year, and some silverware, I think he'll be under pressure to hang on after this."
Elsewhere, there's a fixture that needs little introduction as Tipperary host Kilkenny in Thurles on Sunday.
This is the first league meeting between the sides since 2019, and the Premier County would have to go all the way back to 2015 for their last victory over the Cats in this competition.
Since then there has been one draw and four Kilkenny wins. Two of those victories were by a single point, and it’s likely to be another tight one at Semple Stadium.
Neither side was overly convincing in the first round with Kilkenny edging that aforementioned clash with Antrim while Colm Bonnar's reign as Tipperary boss got off to a winning start as they defeated 14-man Laois 0-21 to 1-14.
Jason Forde managed 11 points and Mark Kehoe and Jake Morris hit seven between them from play but they were pushed all the way in very tough conditions.
The O’Moore men will be hoping to bounce back, but a trip to Waterford looks like a difficult assignment. Paddy Purcell is set to miss out through suspension.
Pundit's view
RTÉ hurling analyst Anthony Daly has said that Offaly will still take valuable lessons from Division 1 hurling even if they suffer another heavy loss at home to Cork on Sunday.
Michael Fennelly’s suffered a hammering at the hands of Galway on their return to the top tier last weekend, and Daly said that while it was an unforgiving arena but they must get over it by the time their Joe McDonagh campaign begins.
"We said this last year about Westmeath. Westmeath were getting the hammerings and we said would they be better off in 2A and winning games but they won the Joe McDonagh," Daly told the RTÉ GAA podcast on Monday.
"If they [Offaly] can compartmentalise it, put it in its own section, 'we won’t be meeting Galway lads in the championship, we won’t be meeting Limerick.’
"’What can we learn? Can we get better every week?’"
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