Lidl National Football League
FIXTURES
Saturday, 12 February
Division 1A
Mayo v Westmeath, Connacht Centre of Excellence, 7pm
Donegal v Galway, Ballybofey, 7.30pm
Division 1B
Meath v Cork, Pairc Tailteann, 1.30pm
Sunday, 13 February
Division 1B
Waterford v Dublin, Fraher Field, 2pm
Division 2A
Laois v Clare, Crettyard, 2pm
Kerry v Tipperary, Fitzgerald Stadium, 2pm
Division 2B
Armagh v Tyrone, Wolfe Tone GAC, 2pm
Cavan v Monaghan, Templeport Bawnboy, 2pm
Division 3A
Sligo v Louth, IT Sligo, 2pm
Down v Roscommon, Pairc Esler, 2pm
Division 3B
Wexford v Kildare, Shelmalier, 2pm
Wicklow v Longford, Aughrim, 3pm
Division 4A
Antrim v Derry, Davitt Park, 2pm
Leitrim v Fermanagh, Ballinamore, 2pm
Division 4B
Limerick v London, Staker Wallace, 12pm
Offaly v Carlow, Clara, 2pm
RADIO
Live updates on RTÉ Radio One's Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport.
TV
Donegal v Galway will be live on TG4 on Saturday. All other games are available to view on the LGFA's live-streaming service.
ONLINE
There will be reports, round-ups and reaction on rte.ie/sport.
WEATHER
Saturday will be a breezy day with outbreaks of rain in the southeast clearing to widespread blustery showers through the morning, with some heavy bursts in places. Some sunny spells will occur also with the showers becoming isolated towards evening. Highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in fresh and gusty southwest winds.
There is some uncertainty in the forecast for Sunday but it looks like outbreaks of rain will move up over the country with some heavy bursts in places. The rain looks set to clear northwards in the evening with scattered showers to follow. Highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees with moderate north to northwesterly winds.
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All-Ireland semi-final repeat kickstarts league
Meath's All-Ireland final victory last September over a previously all-conquering Dublin caused reverberations. But the Dubs were not the first favourites to fall to the Royals.
Cork met Meath twice during last summer's championship. The first saw the Rebel County prevail by a narrow margin in their championship opener with the perception being that Cork had made "hard work" of it in eking out a two-point victory.
But a Meath side, who had just progressed from the intermediate ranks, didn't just push them to the limit when they met again in an August semi-final, instead pulling off a stunning comeback victory and making history.
It was all the more impressive as Meath had trailed 2-08 to 0-07 in the closing stages before two late goals helped force extra-time and eventual passage to a maiden All-Ireland final where they wrote that aforementioned glorious chapter against Dublin.
But with the book closed on 2021 and inter-county action resuming again with the opening round of the Lidl National Football League, Meath and Cork meet again at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday in the first group game in Division 1B where the latter will be seeking to exact a measure of revenge for last year's semi-final heartbreak.
Meath have motivations of their own when it comes to the league, with goalkeeper Monica McGuirk telling RTÉ Sport that "a lot of people don't remember that we are coming up from Division 2" and that Cork will make it a "monumental battle".
Meath have named 12 of their All-Ireland winners in the starting team for Saturday, while new Cork manager Shane Ronayne will be without the Mourneabbey contingent who were involved in All-Ireland club action up to the end of January.
Dublin aiming to bounce back
As Meath saw to it, Dublin were unable to claim a five-in-a-row and their road to redemption in 2022 starts with a trip to Waterford.
Five of the team which started against Meath last September have been named for Sunday in what will be the start of an ultra-competitive Division 1B given Cork and Meath's presence in the group.
Waterford, meanwhile, have Pat Sullivan for a second spell in charge, having previously stepped down as manager in 2018.
Last year's geographically-split league saw the Déise survive in Division 1, with the All-Ireland campaign ending with a quarter-final loss to Cork.
Evenly-balanced Division 1A
All of the opening weekend of action in Division 1A will take place on Saturday, with Mayo hosting Westmeath and Galway heading up to Donegal.
Mayo, without a number of key players due to injury, will face an early test of their credentials against a Westmeath side who avoided league relegation last year at the expense of Tipperary in a play-off, before emphatically winning an All-Ireland intermediate title to end 2021 on a high.
Galway, still searching for a new manager after Gerry Fahy stepped down, and Donegal were both All-Ireland quarter-finalists last year and met in both the league and championship when each side picked up a victory in the head-to-head encounters.
