The main event
This weekend is all about the Senior Football Championship, and Sunday’s meeting of Mayo and Dublin is the headliner. The familiar foes meet in Croke Park, with throw-in at 4pm.
It could prove to be a difficult day out for Dublin at HQ – as Ciarán Murphy argues, “the relatively serene sailing conditions” that Dessie Farrell’s men have enjoyed in the championship thus far may act as a major disadvantage, and any wobble could be fatal.
That being said, Lee Keegan is of the opinion that Mayo will have to bring chaos and their shooting boots if they are to secure a semi-final spot. Indeed, by virtue of the fact that Mayo are the opposition on Sunday, Dublin will undoubtedly be fired up.
Settling scores
Tyrone and Kerry step back in the championship ring for the first time since they met in the semi-finals of the 2021 All-Ireland SFC. That fixture, of course, was remembered not just for (eventual championship winners) Tyrone’s gritty victory – a controversial delaying of the match after a Covid outbreak in the Tyrone camp stoked debate, to put it lightly.
Seán Moran: League’s championship promise may be clouding but it remains bright at the top
Malachy Clerkin: The GAA should make more of St Patrick’s Day - and more of its intercounty stars
Sports Review 2023: Mary Hannigan picks the best quotes from the sporting year
GAA happy that GAAGo has ‘bedded in well’ as 2024 season launches
The sides have met more recently in the league: Tyrone came out on top that day too, 1-15 to 2-9 victors in Omagh in March.
For Gavin White, Kerry’s most notable defeat this season – that loss to Mayo in Killarney – is well and truly behind them.
And then some
Football enthusiasts – neutrals or otherwise – won’t have much reason to leave the television set this weekend. Along with the two massive aforementioned clashes, we also have Armagh and Monaghan on Saturday and Cork and Derry on Sunday to look forward to.
TV and Fixtures
SATURDAY, JULY 1st
All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals Kerry v Tyrone, 3.45pm, Croke Park (Streaming on GAAGO); Armagh v Monaghan, 6pm, Croke Park (Streaming on GAAGO)
SUNDAY JULY 2nd
All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals Derry v Cork, 1.45pm, Croke Park (Live on RTÉ); Dublin v Mayo, 4pm, Croke Park (Live on RTÉ)
Team news
Jack McCaffrey is set to make his first Dublin start in seven weeks as he was named in the team to play Mayo in Sunday’s All-Ireland senior football quarter-final.
The 41-year-old goalkeeper veteran Stephen Cluxton starts in a strong side where Cormac Costello has been named on a bench that includes options like Davy Byrne, Paul Mannion and Dean Rock.
Mayo manager Kevin McStay has made two changes to his team which beat Galway last weekend. Regular midfield Matthew Ruane is recalled to the starting 15 in place of Kevin McLoughlin with Pádraig O’Hora getting the nod this time out ahead of his club mate Sam Callinan in defence.
Kerry (SFC v Tyrone): Shane Ryan, Graham O’Sullivan, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan, Paul Murphy, Tadhg Morley, Gavin White, Diarmuid O’Connor, Jack Barry, Dara Moynihan, Seán O’Shea, Adrian Spillane, Paudie Clifford, David Clifford , Paul Geaney. Subs: Shane Murphy, Tony Brosnan, Mike Breen, Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Barry Dan O’Sullivan, Ruairí Murphy, Micheál Burns, Stephen O’Brien, Donal O’Sullivan, Dylan Casey, Seán O’Brien.
Tyrone (SFC v Kerry): Niall Morgan, Michael McKernan, Ronan McNamee, Pádraig Hampsey, Cormac Quinn, Michael O’Neill, Peter Harte, Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick, Conor Meyler, Ruairí Canavan, Kieran McGeary, Darren McCurry, Matthew Donnelly, Darragh Canavan. Subs: Lorcan Quinn, Frank Burns, Aidan Clarke, Niall Devlin, Richard Donnelly, Niall Kelly, Nathan McCarron, Cathal McShane, Seanie O’Donnell, Joe Oguz, Niall Sludden.
Monaghan (SFC v Armagh): Rory Beggan, Ryan O’Toole, Kieran Duffy, Karl O’Connell, Conor Boyle, Conor McCarthy, Karl Gallagher, Killian Lavelle, Stephen O’Hanlon, Michéal Bannigan, Ryan McAnespie, Jack McCarron, Gary Mohan, Dessie Ward. Subs: Darren McDonnell, Kieran Hughes, Conor McManus, Sean Jones, Darren Hughes, Shane Carey, Kevin Loughran, Fintan Kelly, Darragh McElearney, Francie Hughes, Colm Lennon
Armagh (SFC v Monaghan): Ethan Rafferty, Paddy Burns, Aaron McKay, Aidan Forker, Conor O’Neill, Greg McCabe, Callum Cumiskey, Ciaran Mackin, Ben Crealey, Jason Duffy, Rory Grugan, Stefan Campbell, Conor Turbitt, Rian O’Neill, Andrew Murmin. Subs: Shea Magill, Joe McElroy, Jemar Hall, Justin Kieran, Oisín Conaty, Shane McPartlan, Barry McCambridge, Ross McQuillan, Jarly Óg Burns, Connaire Mackin, Tiernan Kelly.
Cork (SFC v Derry): Micheál Aodh Martin, Maurice Shanley, Rory Maguire, Tommy Walsh, Kevin O’Donovan, Daniel O’Mahony, Matty Taylor, Colm O’Callaghan, Ian Maguire, Brian O’Driscoll, Ruairí Deane, Killian O’Hanlon, Sean Powter, Steven Sherlock, Eoghan Mc Sweeney. Subs: Patrick Doyle, Cian Kiely, Tom Clancy, Darragh Cashman, Paul Walsh, Chris Óg Jones, Conor Corbett, John O’Rourke, Mark Cronin, Brian Hurley, Fionn Herlihy.
Derry (SFC v Cork): Odhran Lynch, Christopher McKaigue, Eoin McEvoy, Conor McCluskey, Conor Doherty, Gareth McKinless, Padraig McGrogan, Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers, Benny Heron, Paul Cassidy, Ethan Doherty, Ciaran McFaul, Shane McGuigan, Niall Loughlin. Subs: Thomas Mallon, Declan Cassidy, Niall Toner, Shea Downey, Lachlan Murray, Ben McCarron, Paul McNeill, Padraig Cassidy, Conleth McGuckian, Mark Doherty, Diarmuid Baker
Mayo (SFC v Dublin): Colm Reape, Jack Coyne, David McBrien, Padraig O’Hora, Paddy Durcan, Stephen Coen, Eoghan McLaughlin, Matthew Ruane, Diarmuid O’Connor, Jason Doherty, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn, Aidan O’Shea, Tommy Conroy, Ryan O’Donoghue. Subs: Rory Byrne, Sam Callinan, James Carr, Enda Hession, Conor Loftus, Fionn McDonagh, Darren McHale, Donnagha McHugh, Kevin McLoughlin, Cillian O’Connor, Bob Tuohy.
Dublin (SFC v Mayo): Stephen Cluxton, Daire Newcombe, Michael Fitzsimons, Lee Gannon, James McCarthy, John Small, Jack McCaffrey, Brian Fenton, Brian Howard, Ciarán Kilkenny, Seán Bugler, Niall Scully, Paddy Small, Con O’Callaghan, Colm Basquel. Subs: Evan Comerford, David Byrne, Cormac Costello, Craig Dias, Tom Lahiff, Seán MacMahon, Paul Mannion, Eoin Murchan, Cian Murphy, Lorcan O’Dell, Dean Rock.
