Saturday
All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals
Galway v Tipperary, Gaelic Grounds, 6.15pm (Live, RTÉ2) – Up until two years ago, in all of the meetings between these counties in the modern era, from 1987, neither had managed to win more than two consecutive matches. That was until Galway won the 2023 All-Ireland quarter-final at the same venue to go three in succession. Aside from that, the sense is very much that it’s Tipperary’s time and not simply because it’s their turn.
Liam Cahill fields a much changed team this time, having introduced a cohort of younger players, all of whom have shown promise. The big defeat to date was by Cork after a match Tipp had to navigate with 14 players and in the circumstances, put their heads down and competed until the end.
They have momentum and purpose. Coming third in Munster was an achievement and not a failure like two years ago, and they look like a team that’s learning as they go. Older members, John McGrath and, Ronan Maher and Jason Forde are also playing well.
Tipperary’s All-Ireland winning under-20s have supplied Darragh McCarthy, a precociously ice-veined freetaker, and Sam O’Farrell, a lively middle third player.
Cahill gives an unexpected full debut to Peter McGarry, who came in against Laois in the preliminary quarter-final and acquitted himself very well in the half forwards.
Galway have been a more complicated story. They are under new management this year, as Micheál Donoghue has made a welcome return but he hasn’t been able to magic up a cohort of new players and so they are less changed from two years ago.
Leinster was book ended by cuffings from Kilkenny, even if there was a dead-cat bounce at the end of the provincial final. But as has been widely pointed out as one of the lessons of 2023, Galway have frequently arrived at this stage after chastening experiences in the province and yet their All-Ireland quarter-final record is very strong, having won their last five over the past 10 years.
The most recent Croke Park display remains troubling however, as it featured a lengthy fade-out which all but sank their prospects, plus random distribution into attack and a lack of bite in defence. Even in the de facto Leinster semi-final with Dublin, Galway inattention enabled their opponents to renegotiate a hammering as a simple defeat.
It is likely they will find improvement here. Cathal Mannion has been their best player but has occasionally been stymied by the collective malaise. Donoghue has lost Fintan Burke to injury but the team has more in them.
They’ll need it, as Clare found that any slackness in defence can invite a goal rush.
Ultimately, Tipperary’s hard eked-out passage through Munster contained more signs of sustainable progress and better life lessons than Galway’s thrashing of their weaker co-provincials and meltdowns against Kilkenny. Verdict: Tipperary
Limerick v Dublin, Croke Park, 4pm (Live, RTÉ2) – Dublin signed off in Leinster with a very disappointing defeat to Galway but dealt briskly with what on the face of it was a tricky challenge from Joe McDonagh Cup winners Kildare in last week’s preliminary quarter-final. Niall Ó Ceallacháin has reason for cheer with Dónal Burke’s reappearance – at last – in the matchday panel.
Their opponents, however, look a little over-qualified for this. Unless the definite signs of slippage (losing last year’s drive-for-five and then this year’s grip on their Munster title) in Limerick accelerate alarmingly, they should be emerging from this with some sense of purpose restored.
They had undeniably good performances from some players, such as the enduringly menacing Aaron Gillane, but there were also errors – between handling and shooting – that helped to undo them against Cork.
One worry for John Kiely is that three years ago, Clare having lost a Munster final in extra time found themselves very flat in the All-Ireland quarter-final and although they won, were unable to raise the bar higher for the semi-final.
Although his focus is strictly on this weekend, the Limerick manager will be scanning anxiously for signs of an upswing that can get the team back on the All-Ireland track after the unexpected derailing earlier in the month. Verdict: Limerick
