SATURDAY 23 MAY
Nickey Rackard Cup semi-final **** Moved to Sunday****
Mayo v New York, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park (new venue), 2pm
SUNDAY 24 MAY
Leinster SHC
Dublin v Kilkenny, Parnell Park, 2pm - LIVE ON RTÉ2
Kildare v Offaly, Cedral St Conleth's Park, 2pm
Wexford v Galway, Chadwick's Wexford Park, 2pm
Munster SHC
Cork v Clare, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 4pm - LIVE ON RTÉ2
Limerick v Tipperary, TUS Gaelic Grounds, 4pm
Joe McDonagh Cup
Antrim v Carlow, Corrigan Park, 1pm
Down v Westmeath, McKenna Park, 1pm
London v Laois, Ruislip, 1pm
ONLINE
Follow a live blog on all matches on the RTÉ News app and on rte.ie/sport.
TV
Live coverage of Dublin v Kilkenny in the Leinster SHC on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 1.30pm, followed by Cork-Clare in the Munster SHC (throw-in, 4pm).
GAA+ will broadcast Kildare v Offaly in the Leinster SHC (throw-in, 2pm).
RADIO
Live commentaries and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport as well as Spórt an Lae on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.
WEATHER
Sunday: Current indications suggest Sunday will be a dry, warm and sunny day for most, although mist and fog may linger in some coastal areas. For more, check met.ie.
Potentially seismic day in Leinster
Huge goings-on in Leinster hurling.
The always perceptive - and alert - Richie Hogan has observed in the past that 'round-robin hurling' had never really floated their boat in Kilkenny.
This partly explained why Kilkenny had such an underwhelming record against Galway in the provincial league format - the 2025 victory in Nowlan Park is still their only round-robin win over the westerners - and also why they've lost to Wexford as often as they've beaten them in the last decade.
That ennui could be attributed to the fact that Kilkenny had, until now, been the one county in elite hurling that felt pretty much assured of progression from the province. In that context, the provincial phase had the feeling of an extended preamble for Kilkenny, whereas it was a do-or-die in Munster.
They usually perked themselves up by Leinster final day, an occasion to get their juices flowing, and typically turned over Galway, or occasionally Dublin, to avail of the fast-track route to the All-Ireland semi-final.
But they're in a different scenario this Sunday. Derek Lyng's side face into the weekend knowing that they likely need a result against Dublin in Parnell Park to preserve their interest in the 2026 championship.
Things could head in multiple directions. A win will book them a spot in another Leinster final.
A draw will probably be sufficient to keep them alive in third spot, provided Galway don't do something unexpected and lose to Wexford. (A draw in Parnell Park, combined with wins for Offaly and Wexford will see Kilkenny eliminated by virtue of the fact that they lost to Galway by more than Offaly did).
But a loss on Sunday and they'll be praying that Kildare, managed by Brian Dowling, can do them a favour against Offaly in Newbridge.
Of course, it's possible that if they lose to Dublin, some of their tough-minded traditionalists might prefer they were put out of their misery...
The good news for Kilkenny is that their jersey alone has usually been worth a few points against the Dubs, who've only beaten them once since World War II. The Cats have won the last 10 championship games against Dublin since losing the 2013 Leinster semi-final replay.
They've also been boosted by the return of Adrian Mullen, whose absence was sorely felt throughout the league and the first three rounds of the championship. He was introduced for the first time in 2026 with 17 minutes remaining against Kildare.
The situation at half-time against Kildare was a little alarming. They led by one point having played with a huge breeze and had their best performer this season, Cian Kenny, sent off before the break. Then they emerged and mauled Kildare after the break, hitting 2-04 early to kill the contest.
Former captain Andy Comerford, whose soapbox on Kilkenny community radio has become required listening for national reporters this summer, struck a more bullish tone than he had earlier in the Leinster championship, declaring this week that Dublin were "no great shakes".
Dublin's second successive championship win in Salthill has guaranteed them a spot in the All-Ireland series, at least. Though Niall Ó Ceallacháin stressed that from the perspective of the Leinster championship, the result didn't change a whole pile. They will likely still need to avoid defeat on Sunday to book their provincial final spot, that being a major target, as ever.
Liam Rushe's return to the heart of the defence has coincided with their rapid improvement in that department. Having shipped seven goals against Cork last year and then four against Offaly in the Leinster opener, they've won in both Wexford and Galway, keeping clean sheets in both games.
It was an opportunistic victory. They mustered just 27 attempts against Galway but benefitted from their opponents' ruinous wides tally, as well as an early gift from Daithí Burke.
Having made limited use of the gale for most of the second half, they sprang the twin towers in the final quarter and won the game.
Dublin lost their last home game against Kilkenny in agonising fashion, Eoin Cody's late goal helping the visitors to a two-point victory. Two years earlier, when the Dubs had been fancied beforehand, they were slaughtered by 17 points after a shocking under-performance.
Over in Newbridge, Offaly will be looking to conclude their Leinster campaign with a win, while anxiously keeping an eye on events in Donnycarney.
The season has probably already been a success for Johnny Kelly's side. after picking up landmark results against Dublin, Kilkenny and then a win over Wexford. Still, they won't want to undo some of that goodwill with a final-day loss to Kildare.
The hosts have been considerably more competitive at home than they have on the road, across both league and championship. Even aside from the much-hyped showing against Galway, they had earlier led Clare well into the second half in the league game in February. They also dispatched Antrim and Carlow with some ease at home.
LEINSTER SHC TABLE
Kildare are down, regardless, barring some emergency structural change in the off-season. Even if they win and finish on two points, Wexford will have them on the head-to-head metric.
Some pundits have bemoaned a structure that sees Kildare turfed back to the second tier after all their progress this season. But on this year's evidence, the county has the potential and the playing base to bounce back and mount a renewed tilt at Liam MacCarthy in 2028.
That could herald bad news for Wexford, whose dismal year concludes regardless of what happens on Sunday.
Their showing in 2026 has vindicated all the pessimistic predictions at the outset and Keith Rossiter gave a fairly strong indication that he'll be departing the manager's role in the off-season. In truth, the county had been struggling in recent seasons even before the opt-outs for this campaign, Rory O'Connor being the biggest absence.
They've often done well in their last hurrah games, though that's usually been against Kilkenny teams who had no need of a result.
Galway did lose by eight points in Wexford Park two years ago, though that was in the context of an abject season.
Already through to the All-Ireland series, a draw will be sufficient for Galway to pitch up in a Leinster final. Despite their slip-up last weekend, the form-guide strongly leans towards an away win.
Qualified teams: Dublin, Galway
Battling for qualification: Kilkenny, Offaly
Eliminated from contention: Wexford
Relegated: Kildare
More straightforward in Munster
The three qualifiers from Munster are already decided, all that's left is to sort out the provincial final participants.
First, a bit on the vanquished sides.
For the fourth time in seven provincial round-robin campaigns, Waterford and Tipperary will fill the bottom two slots. Waterford's travails have been well ventilated at this stage. Peter Queally's side have been competitive in the last two seasons but often luckless at key moments.
For the second year in a row, the manager had a blast at a calendar and a structure that sees his players putting away their hurleys before the end of May.
MUNSTER SHC TABLE
Tipp's bizarrely poor Munster SHC record since 2018 is less well known. They've won just seven of 27 Munster league games since 2018, four of which were in one campaign - 2019.
Their record in 'even years' since 2018 is especially appalling, with 11 losses, four draws and zero wins in 15 Munster SHC games.
It makes it all the more odd that they've mined two All-Ireland victories in this period. (The best sporting analogy to hand is the Welsh rugby team of the 2000s, who were usually knocking around wooden spoon territory but managed to win a couple of Grand Slams.)
Their season concludes away to Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds, a fixture they've lost on every occasion since 2018.
Cork sit top of the table on maximum points but a four-point defeat at home to Clare, combined with a Limerick victory over Tipperary will see them drop to third.
This is more than plausible given the spate of injuries that Cork have been hit with in recent weeks, Darragh Fitzgibbon the latest to be ruled out after undergoing surgery on his appendix. They're already short Ciaran Joyce though Rob Downey has made a quicker recovery than was originally promised and is down to start.
Clare are unbeaten in championship against Cork since the 2021 qualifiers, winning four of their last five encounters, including the 2024 All-Ireland final.
If Tipp, bound for the exit door, can pull off an unlikely result in Limerick, then there is a possibility that Cork-Clare could be a Munster final dress rehearsal though few would anticipate that outcome.
Qualified teams: Cork, Limerick, Clare
Eliminated: Waterford, Tipperary.
Joe McDonagh - Laois to set up clash with neighbours
A drama-free final round of the McDonagh Cup, with Carlow already bound for the final, with Laois more or less certain to join them, while London are heading back to the Christy Ring.
Laois head for Ruislip, knowing they can only be denied a final place on score difference in a three-way tie alongside Down and Antrim. And even that would take a huge score difference swing against them.
JOE MCDONAGH TABLE
And on the basis of form to date, the chances of them losing to London at all are extremely remote.
We can safely assume it'll be a Carlow-Laois McDonagh Cup decider.
At the other end, London are already headed back to the Christy Ring, having already lost to fifth-placed Westmeath.
After a traumatic campaign, Antrim have steadied things in recent weeks, Davy Fitzgerald's side dispatching London and Westmeath to at least assure themselves of their place in the second tier for 2027.
Watch a provincial hurling double-header, Dublin v Kilkenny (2pm) and Cork v Clare (4pm), on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch The Saturday Game and The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on the RTÉ News app and on rte.ie/sport
