Limerick's Sean Finn and Patrick Horgan of Cork will go at it again in the Munster SHC final. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Saturday June 7
Munster SHC final
Limerick v Cork, TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, 6pm, RTE
A first Cork versus Limerick Munster senior hurling final since 2014 and, potentially, a classic encounter.
Cork won that 2014 decider and have retained four players in their matchday 26 - Damien Cahalane, Seamus Harnedy, Patrick Horgan and Conor Lehane - who started that day.
For Horgan, it will be his sixth final while Cahalane's return to the Cork defence is one of two changes from the team that defeated Waterford in Round 5, Diarmuid Healy also coming in at wing-forward.
Captain Robert Downey and Niall O'Leary are fit enough after injuries for bench duties though Ger Millerick's hand injury keeps him out entirely.
Cork beat Limerick twice in last year's Championship though John Kiely's crew won the most recent game between them, in mid-May, by 3-26 to 1-16.
Limerick are chasing a staggering seventh consecutive provincial title while Cork, with a record 54 Munster crowns, last won it in 2018.
Limerick have made eight changes from the side that started against Clare, and lost, last time out. They were already through to the final before that game and, perhaps more significantly, there's just one change - Aidan O'Connor's recall - from the side that started against Cork in Round 4.
Aside from being at home, Limerick have a good record of delivering in Munster finals at the TUS Gaelic Grounds, winning there in 2019 and 2023. Crucially, they are injury free and able to start their strongest possible team which means Kyle Hayes locking down the centre-back slot again and the in-form Cian Lynch retaining his centre-forward berth.
Like Allianz League champions Cork, Limerick have the ability to run it through the lines or go more direct, opening up a world of possibilities to their gifted stick men.
Cork need to find the explosiveness and dynamism they showed earlier in the campaign to register a landmark win and to secure an All-Ireland semi-final place.
LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey; Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash; Adam English, Will O'Donoghue; Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey; Aaron Gillane, Aidan O'Connor, David Reidy.
Subs: Shane Dowling, Peter Casey, Colin Coughlan, Seamus Flanagan, Declan Hannon, Barry Murphy, Shane O'Brien, Donnacha O Dalaigh, Darragh O'Donovan, Paddy O'Donovan, Cathal O'Neill.
CORK: Patrick Collins; Damien Cahalane, Eoin Downey, Sean O'Donoghue; Cormac O'Brien, Ciaran Joyce, Mark Coleman; Tim O'Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Diarmuid Healy, Shane Barrett, Seamus Harnedy; Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes.
Subs: Brion Saunderson, Niall O'Leary, Robert Downey, Tommy O'Connell, Ethan Twomey, Luke Meade, Conor Lehane, Shane Kingston, Jack O'Connor, Robbie O'Flynn, Brian Roche.
Galway forward and captain Conor Whelan. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Sunday June 8
Leinster SHC final
Kilkenny v Galway, Croke Park, 4pm, RTE
Like Limerick in Munster, Kilkenny have virtually put a patent on winning Leinster SHC titles.
They are going for six-in-a-row this weekend and having defeated Galway by 11 points when they met in the opening round robin game, their supporters will be optimistic.
Derek Lyng's crew qualified for the final with relative ease, winning their first four games before experimenting in Round 5 against Wexford. Unsurprisingly, there are many changes to the team from that game, 10 in total. Only Eoin Murphy, Tommy Walsh, Adrian Mullen, Cian Kenny and TJ Reid are retained.
Perhaps more significantly, there are 12 starters from the side that beat Galway in Round 1 with Walsh, Stephen Donnelly and Reid the three that didn't start that day. Eoin Cody hit 1-5 in that game but hasn't featured since the Antrim match due to injury.
Interestingly, powerful full-forward Marty Murphy is included among the subs after helping the U-20s to the All-Ireland final. Murphy is from the same Tullogher Rosbercon club as Walter Walsh who famously hit 1-3 on his debut against Galway in the 2012 All-Ireland final replay. Could lightning strike twice?
Mullen played at centre-back against Wexford but is named in his more accustomed centre-forward position this time with Richie Reid at number six.
Galway bounced back from the Kilkenny defeat with four wins and were excellent against Dublin last time out. They had to win that game to make the final and, as one commentator noted, 'managed' the game superbly, leading virtually throughout.
Ultra experienced duo David Burke and Conor Whelan were both influential at Parnell Park and are retained in Micheal Donoghue's team for the nearby Croke Park encounter. More of the same is needed. Kevin Cooney replaces Anthony Burns in attack.
Galway's last Leinster title came in 2018, during Donoghue's first stint as manager. They've lost three finals since, all to Kilkenny. The 2023 defeat surely cut deepest, when Cillian Buckley's 76th minute goal stole it for Kilkenny.
KILKENNY: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh; Mikey Carey, Richie Reid, Paddy Deegan; Cian Kenny, Jordan Molloy; John Donnelly, Adrian Mullen, Billy Ryan; Stephen Donnelly, TJ Reid, Martin Keoghan.
Subs: Aidan Tallis, Padraic Moylan, David Blanchfield, Shane Murphy, Killian Doyle, Zach Bay Hammond, Fionan Mackessy, Harry Shine, Luke Hogan, Luke Connellan, Marty Murphy.
GALWAY: Darach Fahy; Padraic Mannion, Daithí Burke, Fintan Burke; Cianan Fahy, Gavin Lee, TJ Brennan; Seán Linnane, David Burke; John Fleming, Cathal Mannion, Tom Monaghan; Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon, Kevin Cooney.
Subs: Eanna Murphy, Darren Morrissey, Jack Grealish, Joshua Ryan, Dan Loftus, Ronan Glennon, Conor Cooney, Tiernan Killeen, Anthony Burns, Colm Molloy, Jason Flynn.
Laois captain David Dooley and Kildare goalkeeper Paddy McKenna. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Joe McDonagh Cup final
Kildare v Laois, Croke Park, 1.45pm, RTE
A year after winning the Christy Ring Cup, Kildare have impressively made it to the Joe McDonagh Cup decider.
That is a huge achievement in itself but throw in the fact that they'd never won a Joe McDonagh Cup game before this season, and lost their Round 1 fixture at home to Kerry, and you get a feeling for just how remarkable a feat it really is.
Laois won this competition in 2019 and were runners up last year so have the stronger tradition and pedigree.
But they needed a last gasp goal just to draw with Carlow in Round 5, edging the Barrowsiders out of the final on scoring difference.
Kildare, who have named an unchanged team from the side that beat Down in their last group game, also defeated Laois when the teams met in Round 4 by a significant 11-point margin.
Cody Comerford and the more experienced Fiachra C Fennell have been recalled in the Laois defence and midfield respectively while Mark Dowling is in for Cha Dwyer up front.
Tomas Keyes is in top form for Laois who have three of their 2019 winning team - Lee Cleere, Ryan Mullaney and Padraig Delaney - starting in defence again. Paddy Purcell is still there too and has the potential to be a match-winner.
Regardless of the result, both teams will have a home All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final the following weekend, against Dublin or Tipperary.
KILDARE: Paddy McKenna; Richy Hogan, Rian Boran, Simon Leacy; Daniel O'Meara, Cian Boran, Paul Dolan; Daire Guerin, James Burke; Cathal McCabe, Jack Sheridan, David Qualter; Darragh Melville, Cathal Dowling, Gerry Keegan.
Subs: Mark Doyle, Jack Travers, Harry Carroll, Liam O'Reilly, Conn Kehoe, Muiris Curtin, Oisin Lynam, Killian Harrington, James Dolan, Cormac Byrne, Jack Higgins.
LAOIS: Cathal Dunne; Cody Comerford, Lee Cleere, Diarmaid Conway; Tom Cuddy, Padraig Delaney, Ryan Mullaney; Fiachra C Fennell, David Dooley; Aidan Corby, Tomas Keyes, Paddy Purcell; Mark Dowling, Jer Quinlan, Ben Conroy.
Subs: Eoin Fleming, Padraic Dunne, Donnacha Hartnett, Jordan Walshe, John Lennon, James Keyes, Martin Phelan, Aaron Dunphy, James Duggan, PJ Scully, Colin Byrne.
