SATURDAY 26 APRIL
Leinster SHC
Dublin v Wexford, Parnell Park, 4.30pm
Offaly v Galway, Glenisk O'Connor Park, 6.30pm
Joe McDonagh Cup
Down v Laois, Ballycran, 1.30pm
Kildare v Westmeath, Cedral St Conleth’s Park, 4.30pm
Christy Ring Cup
Tyrone v Donegal, Carrickmore, 12.30pm
Wicklow v London, Echelon Park, 1pm
Derry v Meath, Celtic Park, 1pm
Nickey Rackard Cup
Mayo v Louth, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, 3pm
Fermanagh v Sligo, Brewster Park, 3pm
Lory Meagher Cup
Longford v Leitrim, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 12pm
Monaghan v Warwickshire, Inniskeen, 12.30pm
Cavan v Lancashire, Kingspan Breffni, 1pm
SUNDAY 27 APRIL
Leinster SHC
Antrim v Kilkenny, Corrigan Park, 2pm
Munster SHC
Waterford v Clare, Walsh Park, 2pm
Cork v Tipperary, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Joe McDonagh Cup
Kerry v Carlow, Austin Stack Park, 2pm
Nickey Rackard Cup
Roscommon v Armagh, King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park, 12.30pm
ONLINE
Live blogs and live scores on all games on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app.
TV
Saturday’s Leinster clash between Dublin and Wexford is live on GAA+.
Sunday’s Munster double-header, Waterford v Clare and Cork v Tipperary, is live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
Highlights on The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
RADIO
Live commentaries and updates on Saturday Sport/Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1, Spórt an tSathairn/Spórt an Lae ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.
WEATHER
Saturday: A mix of cloudy periods and sunny spells to start but more cloud will develop later in the afternoon with a few showers too. The showers will clear away again in the evening. Highs of 13 to 17 degrees with south-westerly breezes.
Sunday: Turning rather unsettled as persistent rain continues with strengthening south-westerly winds too. The rain will be heavy at times especially along western counties. Highest temperatures of 13 to 16 degrees with strong and at times gusty south-westerly winds.
For more, visit met.ie.
Please sir, can we have some more?
The Munster SHC started not with a bang, but with a series of explosions as Clare, Cork, Tipperary and Limerick provided one of the most memorable round-robin Sundays in a long time.
Two games, two crackers, two draws – we're only one weekend down and already it’s lining up to be a particularly special provincial series.
Limerick tag out for the week and Waterford enter the fray, keenly aware that they were the only Munster side to operate outside Division 1A this season.
That had its obvious disadvantages as their opponents got to play at a higher level, but Peter Queally’s side got a lot out of it too, not least that winning feeling having defeated Offaly in the 1B final.
They welcome Clare to Walsh Park with Tipp arriving the week after – so it’s the obvious thing to say that they need to turn the venue into the fortress it has yet to become since the round-robin was introduced with just two wins from six games in the current format. Déise fans hardly need reminding that five attempts at getting out of the round-robin group has materialised in five failures.
Jamie Barron has look reinvigorated in a more advanced role, Stephen Bennett averaged over 10 points per game in the league and Tadhg de Búrca and Austin Gleeson made very welcome returns so there are positives.
They’ll need them all when facing a Clare team who must feel like they can rescue any situation after their stunning turnaround against Cork last week. Twelve points down at the break, they led by one late on before having to settle for a point.
While the spirits are high, the legs are bound to be heavy, and the All-Ireland champions will be well aware of just how dangerous Waterford can be having sneaked by them in a thriller in Ennis last year, Mark Rodgers landing a '65 at the death for a 4-21 to 2-26 win.
Over at the Páirc, two sides also in recovery mode, Cork and Tipperary, will renew their famed rivalry.
Both would have had contrasting emotions to their Round 1 draws, the Rebels disheartened at letting such a big lead slip while Tipperary’s recovery plan continued with a battling draw with Limerick.
It’s been just three weeks since the Rebels hit 3-24 against Tipp in the league final but it already feels like so much has happened since.
Pat Ryan’s side will be without the suspended Shane Barrett while Rob Downey is an injury doubt due to a knee problem.
Liam Cahill’s side have the Tipp crowd behind them now – their progress is clear – and while they’ll be significantly outnumbered this weekend, the Premier County certainly arrive with renewed hope.
All eyes on Galway
While Munster, understandably, garnered the majority of hurling headlines last weekend, it didn’t go unnoticed just how poor Galway were in their loss to Kilkenny.
A trip to Tullamore to face a rejuvenated Offaly isn’t the easiest of assignments to get back on track either.
The Faithful County have played second fiddle to their neighbours recently in their rivalry – their last win a six-point 1994 All-Ireland semi-final win – but there is a sense that they can prey on the vulnerabilities of the Tribe with manager Micheál Donoghue calling last week’s loss "unacceptable."
Offaly’s performance in Dublin certainly was acceptable, but Johnny Kelly’s side still sit on zero points.
Three up with three minutes remaining, they were caught in a blue wave coming down the stretch but the showed more than enough to give their fanatical fans some enthusiasm for this weekend’s encounter.
Galway have won their last four championship meetings with Offaly by double-digit margins. A repeat feels unlikely.
Kilkenny are in Belfast to face Davy Fitzgerald’s Antrim and it could be a long day for the Saffrons with the Cats purring in their 12-point win over Galway.
TJ Reid could return from a calf strain but Adrian Mullen, who left the ground in a moon boot, David Blanchfield and Shane Murphy are doubts after being forced off in the victory over Galway.
Antrim were gifted an opportunity to really trouble Wexford in Round 1 as Jack O’Connor was sent off in the first half, but they still lost by 11 points after losing Conor Boyd to a second yellow card midway through the second half.
The Corrigan factor will be something they’ll be hoping to use with Wexford suffering their first championship loss to Antrim at the venue last season.
The Model County had more joy at home against Antrim last week, although they will be without the suspended Jack O’Connor for Saturday’s visit to Parnell Park.
Lee Chin was in imperious form in Round 1, finishing with a 0-16 haul, and with Conor McDonald again expected to miss out with a back injury, he’ll be expected to again lead the scoring charge.
Dublin showed real character to reel in Offaly last week, super-sub Ronan Hayes sparking the comeback with a late goal.
They haven’t lost to Wexford in Leinster since 2018, winning twice since while there were also two draws, including last year’s manic finale when Danny Sutcliffe and Cian O’Sullivan netted to earn Dublin a draw.
More McDonagh mismatches?
Round 1 of the Joe McDonagh Cup presented three exciting fixtures on paper, but two of those were damp squibs as Carlow hit an incredible 6-23 against Down while Laois had nine points to spare over Westmeath even with their opponents finding the net with the last puck.
The real drama came in Newbridge as Kerry hit the final five points for a good old smash and grab against Kildare.
It means that responses will be necessary, with Down – a pretty formidable outfit in Ballycran – sure to be much improved when Laois visit while Westmeath will be hoping for likewise when they travel to face Kildare.
Kerry, meanwhile, will be boosted by that comeback as they try and shut down Carlow’s goal-scoring attack on home soil.
Derry and Wicklow steal a march
We’re into Round 3 of the Christy Ring Cup with Derry and Wicklow hoping to protect their 100% records.
Both counties had great away wins last week – the Oakleafers taking the points in London and 14-man Wicklow holding out against Donegal – and they’ll have every chance at home to Meath and London respectively.
At the other end of the table, there’s an Ulster basement battle as Tyrone host Donegal in Carrickmore. Both sides sit on zero points, but the Tir Chonaill County had 10 points to spare when they met in the league earlier this season.
Mayo set to take control
Mayo are well fancied to make it three wins from three when they host Louth in the Nickey Rackard Cup. Understandably so given Ray Larkin’s side had six points to spare over Roscommon first time out and were 20 points better off than Armagh last time out.
Armagh could be facing more Connacht heartache as they are away to a Roscommon side that has held the upper hand in recent meetings.
Fermanagh are struggling after losses to Armagh and Louth, and need a big change in fortunes against Sligo.
Tight at the top in Lory Meagher
Cavan and Longford already look on a Lory Meagher Cup final collision course after back-to-back wins to open their championship campaigns – and favourable fixtures this weekend.
The Breffni County host Lancashire while Longford are at home to Leitrim, so either slipping up would be a surprise.
Monaghan eased past Leitrim first time out but lost last week’s derby duel against Cavan, so a win over Warwickshire is essential to keep in touch with the pace-setters.
Watch a Munster Hurling Championship double-header, Waterford v Clare and Cork v Tipperary, on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to updates from around the country on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
