Preview: Weekend's Gaelic football championship action
Tomás McCormack of Armagh and Stephen O’Hanlon of Monaghan shake hands ahead of the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Monaghan and Armagh at St. Tiernach's Park in Clones, Monaghan. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile.
Saturday, May 17
Tailteann Cup Round 1
Down v Leitrim, Pairc Esler, 6pm - GAA+
Down are warm favourites to win this year’s Tailteann Cup, but the big question around them is whether they’ll struggle for motivation in the second tier competition having expected to be competing in the Sam Maguire Cup following their Allianz Football League Division 3 triumph.
A few short weeks ago they might have even have dreamed of seriously challenging for that competition when they sensationally beat Donegal in the Ulster SFC quarter-final, but they were brought down to earth with a resounding crash after their heavy provincial semi-final defeat to Armagh.
Leitrim performed very well in the Connacht SFC, beating Sligo and giving Galway a serious run for their money, so they won’t lack for self-belief.
But if Down are in a positive frame of mind then they should win with something to spare thanks to the scoring power of players like Pat Havern, Miceal Rooney, Odhran Murdock, and Daniel Guinness.
DOWN: Ronan Burns; Peter Fegan, Pierce Lverty, Finn McElroy; Callum Rogers, Pearse McPolin, Ryan Magill; Odhran Murdock, Daniel Guinness; Shane Annett, Ceilum Doherty, Miceal Rooney; John McGeough, Pat Havern, Adam Crimmins. Subs: John O'Hare, Patrick Brooks, Jamie Doran, Gareth McKibben, Tom Close, Barry O'Hagan, Seamus Loughran, Ruairi McCormack, Eamon Brown, Finn Murdock Órán Cunningham.
LEITRIM: Killian Gaffey; Eanna McNamara, Conor Reynolds, Seán Harkin; Eoin McLoughlin, Mark Diffley, Keith Keegan; Conor Quinn, Colm McLoughlin; Fergal McLoughlin, Ben Guckian, Riordan O'Rourke; Paul Honeyman, Ryan O'Rourke, Oisín McLoughlin. Subs: Daire O'Shea, Arek Oberwan, Donal Feely, Peter Prior, Jack KElly, Ruairi O'Rourke, Tom Plunkett, Kieran Clancy, Michael McKiernan, James Rooney, Bailey McBride.
Sunday 17 May
Leinster SFC final
Dublin v Westmeath, Páirc an Chrócaigh, 2pm - RTE
Westmeath have been given a big boost ahead of Sunday’s Leinster SFC Final with the news that Matthew Whittaker has been passed fit to play and is named at wing-back.
The attack-minded defender has been nursing an Achilles injury for the past couple of weeks and was only fit enough for a substitute’s role against Kildare in the Leinster semi-final.
With Luke Loughlin already ruled out through injury his return to the starting XV is a timely fillip for the underdogs.
Rumours of John Heslin’s return to the panel are indeed true as he’s named on the bench for the game, putting him in line for an unexpected return to inter-county duty having announced his retirement in January 2025.
Dublin will go into this game as warm favourites based on their very impressive semi-final victory over Louth, which was comfortably their best performance so far this year and a marked improvement on their quarter-final showing against Wicklow.
Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne and Brian Howard give them a good platform in the midfield and forwards like Sean Bugler, Niall Scully, Ciaran Kilkenny, Cormac Costello, and Paddy Small are capable of putting up a big score.
Westmeath will believe though that if Ray Connellan and Brían Cooney can win the midfield battle that they have the firepower to really test what’s still a very new-look Dublin defence.
Luke Loughlin is obviously a huge loss, but Westmeath still have quality forwards in Brandon Kelly, Sam McCartan, and Shane Corcoran, while Senan Baker and prodigal son Heslin give them good options off the bench.
Based on their wins over Meath and Kildare, Westmeath are entitled to believe they can pull off an upset here, but if Dublin play to the same level as they did against Louth they should be good enough to come out on top again.
DUBLIN: Evan Comerford; Theo Clancy, Nathan Doran, David Byrne; Seán MacMahon, Charlie McMorrow, Eoin Kennedy; Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne, Brian Howard; Seán Bugler, Niall Scully, Ciaran Kilkenny; Paddy Small, Killian McGinnis, Cormac Costello. Subs: Hugh O'Sullivan, Tom Lahiff, Liam Smith, Cian O'Connor, Cian Murphy, Seán Guiden, Ethan Dunne, Páidí White, Niall O'Callaghan, Luke Breathnach, Greg McEneaney.
WESTMEATH: Jason Daly; Daniel Scahill, Charlie Drumm, Tadhg Baker; Ronan Wallace, Shane Allen, Matthew Whittaker; Brían Cooney, Ray Connellan; Kevin O'Sullivan, Sam McCartan, Conor Dillon; Shane Corcoran, Jack Duncan, Brandon Kelly. Subs: Jack Connaughton, Adam Treanor, Tom Molloy, Robbie Forde, Ian Martin, TJ Cox, Shane Ormsby, Danny McCartan, Eoghan McCabe, Senan Baker, John Heslin.
Ulster SFC final
Monaghan v Armagh, Clones, 4.15pm - RTE
Armagh have unsurprisingly named the same team that destroyed Down in the semi-final for Sunday’s Ulster Final against Monaghan.
With Louis Kelly ruled out through injury Monaghan make one change to the XV that defeated Derry in their semi-final.
Darragh McElearney comes into their defence which necessitates a reshuffle that sees Karl Gallagher moved to midfield and Aaron Carey named in the half-forward line.
Kelly is a loss, but on the flip side Monaghan have been boosted by the return to fitness of Gary Mohan and Ryan Wylie who are named on a very strong looking bench that also includes Bobby McCaul, Jack McCarron, Ryan McAnespie, and Max Maguire.
Monaghan certainly look like a better team now than they did during a miserable League campaign that included a heavy 12-point defeat to Armagh.
The Orchard County nevertheless go into this game as hot favourites based on their scorching form in their semi-final win over Down.
They scored a whopping 3-33 in that match and in players like Conor Turbitt, Oisin Conaty, Tomas McCormack, and Cian McConville have forwards full of confidence.
Monaghan are especially dangerous opponents when they are written off, but Armagh’s body of work so far this year has been much more convincing.
ARMAGH: Blaine Hughes; Peter McGrane, Aaron McKay, Paddy Burns; Greg McCabe, Tiernan Kelly, Jarly Og Burns; Joe McElroy, Jason Duffy; Darragh McMullan, Conor Turbitt, Tomas McCormack; Cian McConville, Andrew Murnin, Oisin Conaty. Subs: Ethan Rafferty, Gareth Murphy, Oisin O'Neill, Ross McQuillan, Daniel Magee, Ciaran Mackin, Barry McCambridge, Ryan Duffy, Aidan Forker, Tomas Galvin, Rory Grugan.
MONAGHAN: Rory Beggan; Darragh McElearney, Ryan O'Toole, Dylan Byrne; Cameron Dowd, Killian Lavelle, Dessie Ward; Míchéal McCarville, Karl Gallagher; Aaron Carey, Míchéal Bannigan, Stephen O'Hanlon; Conor McCarthy, Andrew Woods, Stephen Mooney. Subs: Kian Mulligan, David Garland, Robbie Hanbratty, Bobby McCaul, Gary Mohan, Max Maguire, Ryan McAnespie, Shane Hanratty, Oisin McGorman.
