Preview: Weekend's All-Ireland SHC Semi-Finals

All-Ireland SHC Semi-Finals

Saturday, July 5

Dublin v Cork, Croke Park, 5pm, RTE/BBC

Dublin's defeat of Limerick to make it to a first All-Ireland semi-final in a dozen years has been the story of the Championship so far.

Would beating Cork now be even bigger? Possibly, if only because Cork will surely leave absolutely nothing to chance and throw everything they have at the Leinster outfit. The Rebels have certainly been forewarned.

That's not to suggest Limerick took their eye off the ball. Dublin simply overwhelmed the Shannonsiders with a brand of hungry hurling, intensity, clever use of possession and scoring ability that few imagined they could muster.

John Hetherton had a major influence when he came on at half-time for Diarmaid O Dulaing in that landmark quarter-final win, scoring a goal and helping to create another. The powerful St Vincent's man has been held in reserve again but will expect to see significant game time.

Rising star O Dulaing has also been named among the subs with Darragh Power this time preferred in attack while Conor Donohoe is back in the team following suspension. Donohoe's return somewhat offsets the loss of captain Chris Crummey to suspension.

In a positional tweak that the team will be comfortable with, regular midfielder Donohoe slots in next to the athletic Brian Hayes with semi-final Man of the Match Conor Burke playing at centre-back. Burke started the semi-final at midfield but dropped deep after Crummey's 15th minute exit and was excellent in a position he has played many times over the years.

Alongside Hetherton on the bench is two-time All-Star nominee Donal Burke, experienced defender Daire Gray, O Dulaing and All-Ireland club final Man of the Match Andrew Jamieson-Murphy, so Dublin have plenty of scope for team-tweaking if required.

Cork assume the Limerick position this time - as red hot favourites. The Allianz League and Munster champions have been riding a red wave of optimism and excitement all season. Could this finally be their year to lift Liam, after a 20-year wait? They certainly believe so.

That 2013 semi-final was a close-run thing and Cork only defeated Dublin by five points when they met at the quarter-final stage last year, in Thurles.

Pat Ryan has made three changes to his team this time, from the Munster final lineout. Seamus Harnedy is injured and is replaced by Declan Dalton while captain Robert Downey and Niall O'Leary come in at the back, for Cormac O'Brien and Damien Cahalane.

Dublin have played two games since Cork last crossed the whitewash; beating Kildare in a preliminary quarter-final and then Limerick.

The challenge for Cork is to hit the ground running and to avoid falling into the trap of previous Cork teams. The last three Cork sides to win a Munster final - in 2018, 2017 and 2014 - have all lost their next game after breaks of at least four weeks.

The last time Cork followed up a Munster final win by winning their next game? 2006, when they defeated Limerick in an All-Ireland quarter-final.

This is a great opportunity to set that record straight and the 2021 and 2024 All-Ireland finalists are rightfully favourites. They are ultra experienced, fully battle hardened and just two steps from heaven.

Dublin: Sean Brennan; John Bellew, Paddy Smyth, Conor McHugh; Paddy Doyle, Conor Burke, Andy Dunphy; Conor Donohoe, Brian Hayes; Rian McBride, Fergal Whitely, Darragh Power; Sean Currie, Ronan Hayes, Cian O'Sullivan.

Subs: Eddie Gibbons, Donal Burke, Colin Currie, Paddy Dunleavy, Daire Gray, John Hetherton, Andrew Jamieson-Murphy, David Lucey, Paul O'Dea, Diarmaid O Dulaing, Conal O Riain.

Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O'Leary, Eoin Downey, Sean O'Donoghue; Ciaran Joyce, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman; Tim O'Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Diarmuid Healy, Shane Barrett, Declan Dalton; Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes.

Subs: Brion Saunderson, Damien Cahalane, Ger Millerick, Tommy O'Connell, Ethan Twomey, Luke Meade, Brian Roche, Jack O'Connor, Shane Kingston, Robbie O'Flynn, Conor Lehane.

Sunday, July 6

Kilkenny v Tipperary, Croke Park, 4pm, RTE/BBC

It is a remarkable statistic that since playing Tipperary in the 2019 All-Ireland hurling final - Tipp's last outing at Croke Park - Kilkenny have played 15 Championship games there.

That is a wild disparity in experience terms and could count for something when James Owens throws in the sliotar on Sunday afternoon.

Tipperary manager Liam Cahill has gone with an unchanged lineup for what is also their first semi-final appearance in six years.

Michael Breen, Ronan Maher, John McGrath and Jason Forde, all of whom started the 2019 final win over Kilkenny, are retained in the lineup. Willie Connors and Jake Morris came on in that final and also start this time.

Noel McGrath and Seamus Kennedy are on the bench and all of those experienced players will be expected to play a role in encouraging, cajoling and ultimately calming Croke Park rookies Darragh McCarthy, Peter McGarry and Sam O'Farrell.

On the flip side, Tipp have momentum on their side from a strong Munster championship campaign - they only missed out on a final appearance on scoring difference - and have played two games since Kilkenny won the Leinster final on June 8.

Tipp blitzed Laois the following weekend in an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final before taking out Galway with relative ease at the quarter-final stage a fortnight ago.

They had 10 scorers that day and look a team full of belief, high on adrenaline after four wins in a row. Stringing consecutive wins together like that is something else they haven't done since 2019.

Perhaps significantly, Tipp beat Kilkenny when they met in the league although that early March encounter was marred by four dismissals, three for Kilkenny.

Eoin Cody also missed that game and has been recalled for this one following injury, joining Shane Murphy in returning to the team. Cody's availability lends vital punch to Kilkenny's attack, the sort Tipp have enjoyed since U-20 star McCarthy burst through.

Martin Keoghan is in the form of his career for Kilkenny too. And then there's TJ Reid and Adrian Mullen, two more gifted performers. Tipp captain Ronan Maher and his defensive colleagues will have their hands full.

Richie Reid is at six again for Kilkenny with Cian Kenny and Jordan Molloy at midfield, a stout central axis that Derek Lyng has finally settled on.

Kilkenny may feel they owe Tipp one, after the 2016 and 2019 final defeats. Those were crushing losses which have left Kilkenny on the brink of a new and unwanted record - entering 2026 without an All-Ireland win in 11 years, something the county has never experienced. They know what has to be done to avoid that happening.

Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Shane Murphy; Mikey Carey, Richie Reid, Paddy Deegan; Cian Kenny, Jordan Molloy; Adrian Mullen, John Donnelly, Billy Ryan; Martin Keoghan, TJ Reid, Eoin Cody.

Subs: Aidan Tallis, Tommy Walsh, David Blanchfield, Padraic Moylan, Killian Doyle, Zach Bay Hammond, Fionan Mackessy, Stephen Donnelly, Luke Hogan, Luke Connellan, Billy Drennan.

Tipperary: Rhys Shelly; Robert Doyle, Eoghan Connolly, Michael Breen; Craig Morgan, Ronan Maher, Bryan O'Mara; Willie Connors, Peter McGarry; Jake Morris, Andrew Ormond, Sam O'Farrell; Darragh McCarthy, John McGrath, Jason Forde.

Subs: Barry Hogan, Joe Caesar, Sean Kenneally, Seamus Kennedy, Brian McGrath, Noel McGrath, Oisin O'Donoghue, Johnny Ryan, Conor Stakelum, Darragh Stakelum, Alan Tynan.