SATURDAY 19 FEBRUARY
RESULTS
Allianz Football League Division 1
Armagh 1-07 Monaghan 0-10
Dublin v Mayo
Allianz Football League Division 3
Antrim 2-10, Wicklow 1-07
Fermanagh v Laois, Brewster Park - OFF
Allianz Football League Division 4
Carlow 2-12 Waterford 2-08
SUNDAY 20 FEBRUARY
Allianz Football League Division 1
Kerry v Donegal, Fitzgerald Stadium, 2pm
Tyrone v Kildare, O'Neills Healy Park, 3.45pm
Allianz Football League Division 2
Derry v Cork, Owenbeg, 1pm
Galway v Offaly, Pearse Stadium, 2pm
Meath v Down, Páirc Tailteann, 2pm
Roscommon v Clare, Dr Hyde Park, 2pm
Allianz Football League Division 3
Limerick v Louth, TUS Gaelic Grounds, 2pm
Westmeath v Longford, TEG Cusack Park, 2pm
Allianz Football League Division 4
Leitrim v London, Connacht GAA Centre, 1pm (note change of venue)
Sligo v Cavan, Markievicz Park, 2pm
Wexford v Tipperary, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 2pm
ONLINE
Live blogs each day on RTÉ Sport Online and the RTÉ News app.
RADIO
Live updates and commentaries on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday and Sunday Sport.
TV
Saturday's clash of Dublin v Mayo will be live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 7.15pm. The meeting of Armagh v Monaghan at the Athletic Grounds is live on the BBC iPlayer. TG4 cameras on Sunday will bring coverage of Kerry v Donegal in Killarney and Tyrone v Kildare in Omagh from 1.30pm, while a deferred showing of Derry v Cork (live on the TG4 app) commences at 5.35pm.
Armagh v Monaghan also available to watch on GAAGO.
Highlights of all the weekend's action on Allianz League Sunday on RTÉ Two and RTÉ Player from 9.30pm.
WEATHER
Saturday: A wet start on Saturday with falls of rain, sleet and snow in the morning, clearing to showers as milder air extends from the west by afternoon. Further outbreaks of rain will move in from the Atlantic through the evening. Afternoon temperatures will recover to highs of 5 to 10 degrees north to south. Staying quite breezy in fresh and gusty westerly winds.
Sunday: A wet and blustery morning with widespread rain and localised flooding possible. The rain will clear to sunny spells and showers by the afternoon, some of hail or sleet. Early afternoon temperatures of 7 to 12 degrees, but much cooler air will extend from the northwest later and some showers will turn to sl eet over higher ground once again in fresh to strong and gusty westerly winds. For more go to met.ie.
Another notable first
Cavan's Maggie Farrelly will again make history by becoming the first woman to referee in the Allianz Football League when she takes charge of the Leitrim-London Division 4 encounter at the Connacht GAA Centre on Sunday.
Farrelly is well used to achieving firsts, having last November become the first woman to referee a men's county final, when she oversaw the Cavan SFC final replay between Ramor United and Gowna.
A highly-experienced official, Farrelly began refereeing in 2006, swiftly rising through the ranks to oversee the 2007 All-Ireland junior football final.
She refereed the 2014 All-Ireland Ladies final between Dublin and Cork.
A year later she refereed her first men's inter-county game – Fermanagh versus Antrim at minor level – and in 2016 she become the first female referee to officiate a senior men's inter-county game for the refixed McKenna Cup clash between Fermanagh and St Mary's.
Something spicy in store as familiar foes collide again
It's six month on since Mayo ended Dublin's quest for that All-Ireland seven-timer. Extra-time was not without its rancour as the westerners finally got one over on the Dubs on 14 August. The coming together of East v West has given us a modern day rivalry to savour - some classic games, imbued with late, late drama.
After laying the hoodoo, Mayo will now look to put the foot on Dublin's neck. A consecutive win over Dessie Farrell's side would leave the Westerners on five points, a mark that may guarantee safety in the top flight, though I'm sure there's a greater ambition to add to that points tally.
Another loss for the Dubs and talk about a relegation scrap would ratchet up. Yes, notable players have stepped away and the likes of Con O'Callaghan, Eoin Murchan and Cormac Costello are still absent, but the boys in blue have not been themselves of late. Paul Mannion, excluding himself from the current set-up, is also a blow.
The Dubs did show a bit of grit and determination in making the final scoreline against Kerry respectable. But as Kevin McStay pointed out on a recent RTÉ Podcast, Dublin's 'aura' has gone. The cloak of invincibility is no longer as tightly wrapped around their shoulders. Winning six Sam Maguires on the spin was a tremendous achievement. All good things do come to and end.
The transitional period has begun. Patience will be required, with Dean Rock telling RTÉ Sport this week: "There's been a massive influx of new players on the panel this year. There's 14 new players in the panel so trying to integrate them guys into the team and even just getting to know them, from my perspective getting to know new guys on the panel, you were so comfortable with the lads who were there.
"Obviously there's so many lads who've gone over the last number of years, your best friends and guys you could easily communicate with. So it's totally different trying to get to know new guys.
"There is a transition there, absolutely but we certainly still want to be very, very competitive in this year's championship and the remainder of the league."
The sight of the green and red jersey could just be the spark required to get Dublin motoring again.
Mayo's battling qualities - we're well accustomed to that trait now - was very much in evidence in the draw against Donegal and the win away to Monaghan. They will target a good start against the Dubs, to put more doubts in the minds of opposition who desperately need a positive return in front of their own fans.
If the weather behaves itself, expect these two to again deliver a contest worth watching. It's ten years since Mayo last emerged in a league clash between the counties.
In team news, Oisín Mullin will make his first appearance for Mayo since deciding against a move to Aussie Rules.
Elsewhere, All-Star Matty Ruane will make his first league start, Kilmeena's Jack Carney starts at wing-forward and Paul Towey gets the nod ahead of Jason Doherty in attack.
Rory Brickenden and Donncha McHugh replace Padraig O'Hora and Paddy Durcan in defence.
Dessie Farrell has made one change from the side that lost to Kerry last time out.
Ryan Basquel, who came on and scored a point in Tralee, replaces Cameron McCormack in the full-forward line.
Orchard ripe for more pickings
The melee at the end of their joust with Tyrone dominated the headlines, but Armagh can be very pleased with the way things have gone so far.
They dominated the All-Ireland champions during a slick first half which saw them go 11 points ahead, and while the Red Hands pegged them back to four points late on, it never looked like they would turn the game around.
At this stage of the year, Armagh look very very conditioned. Other teams will no doubt catch up in that regard but the start made by McGeeney's outfit should instil them with confidence going forward. Against Dublin, they played their preferred kicking style in an impressive five-point win, while a different puzzle was solved in dealing with a Tyrone backline that was much more crowded.
Following the victory over the Red Hand, Oisin McConville was quick to point out the "momentum" that Armagh now have, when speaking on the RTÉ GAA Podcast and how this could aid them in what is a condensed football year.
It's only eight weeks to the start of the championship.
Greg McCabe will miss the visit of Monaghan because of his involvement in the Athletic Grounds sideshow.
The Farney have one point to show from their two games so far. They spurned many scoring opportunities early on against Mayo the last day and also fluffed their lines in their efforts to salvage a point late on.
Elsewhere in the top flight, Kerry welcome Donegal to Fitzgerald Stadium, while Tyrone, minus Kieran McGeary, Pádraig Hampsey, Michael McKernan and Peter Harte, host Kildare at O'Neills Healy Park.
A slick first-half showing from the Kingdom was enough of a cushion against Dublin in difficult conditions. A response that satisfied boss Jack O'Connor after they snatched a draw from the jaws of victory a week earlier.
Despite losing Michael Murphy to injury in the first half, Donegal were too good for a lethargic Kildare on 6 February. An important won for the Ulster side given the nature of how they let things slip in only taking a point against Mayo in round one.
As for the Lilies, can they hurt a Tyrone team shorn of key men? In what is a competitive section, teams need to avail of every opportunity.
Keeping an eye on the trap door
A few weeks back on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, Pat Spillane spoke about the prospect of Cork and Meath ending up in the Tailteann Cup, more or less saying that they would be too good for the second tier competition.
Who's to say that Cavan in Breffni Park, for example, would not give the Rebels or the Royals their fill of it in such a scenario? Pat also feels the football championship should have a third tier. But would there be enough teams to make such a tier viable? Probably not, you would have to say.
And so back to the matters at hand.
Galway, Derry and Roscommon lead the way with maximum points so far. The three teams many would have expected to be in the hunt for promotion. Clare also have designs on making the jump to the top flight. A test of their credentials will come away to the Rossies.
Galway should have too much for Offaly, who have yet to find a spark so far. We're still waiting to see Tomás Ó Sé's impact in the midlands.
Derry have had comfortable wins so far over Down and Offaly and will now look to make home comforts count against Cork.
Keith Ricken's side played out a tense stalemate against Clare a fortnight ago. Battling qualities will be needed in abundance if they are get something from their long journey north. A defeat will leave them looking at a possible relegation scrap. With Kerry to come in a Munster semi-final, the requirement to amass enough points is paramount in the weeks ahead if they want to avoid the Tailteann Cup.
With the returning Slaughtneil and Glen players now back in the squad, Rory Gallagher's side seem intent on channeling the hurt of last summer's championship loss to Donegal. They are a team on a mission; a team with aspirations to be considered a top-eight side.
Pointless after two games, both Meath and Down are preparing for something of a do-or-die encounter at Páirc Tailteann. Proud counties, who no doubt feel that they belong in the race for Sam.
There are no guarantees, however, in this new footballing structure.
Top two look to maintain momentum in Division 3
Limerick and Westmeath lead the way here with two wins from two. You would fancy them to keep their promotion push going with home wins against Louth and Longford respectively.
New boss Billy Sheehan has re-energised Laois. They came up short against Westmeath the last day, but their work-rate was impressive, with Eoin Lowry again catching the eye at number 11. However, the unplayable surface at Brewster Park has put pay to their clash with Fermanagh.
In the first of the games, Antrim had a 2-10 to 1-07 at home to Wicklow.
Bottom tier thrills in store
Before a ball was thrown in the expectation was that Cavan and Tipperary would be the leading lights. The Breffnimen, you suspect, should still the get out of a section they should never have ended up in in the first place.
Tipp, after a draw with Waterford and a loss to Leitrim, are now playing catch up. Wexford, also thought of as contenders are pointless so far, and they now welcome the Premier to Chadwicks Wexford Park. No more room for error here.
Sligo notched up 0-28 against Carlow, a tally that could end up being beneficial if scoring difference comes into play later on. Tony McEntee's side face up to Cavan at Markievicz Park, a true test awaits for a youthful Yeats County outfit.
London, in many respects the story of the league so far, put their unbeaten run on the line away to Leitrim.
Because of an unfavourable weather forecast, the game has been switched from from Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada to Connacht GAA Centre at Bekan.
Chris Farley's seven points were instrumental as the Exiles again showed their powers of recovery when edging Waterford.
Andy Moran's troops were impressive eight-point winners away to Tipperary, with Keith Beirne leading the scoring charge.
