Preview: Weekend's All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness and Michael Murphy. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Saturday, June 28
All-Ireland senior football championship, quarter-final
Donegal v Monaghan, Croke Park, 4pm, GAA+
It is striking that while both teams are just three steps from heaven; Donegal have played eight games to get to this stage while Monaghan have contested half that figure, just four.
Quite who that favours is anyone's guess with fatigue a potential issue for back-to-back Ulster champions Donegal who are preparing to play their fourth Championship game in June.
Any injuries have been managed well, however, while they eased to victory over Cavan in the All-Ireland SFC group, and Louth last weekend at the preliminary quarter-final stage. Momentum should be on their side.
Brendan McCole and Finbarr Roarty are in terrific form at the back for Donegal but they will be severely tested by the pace and hard running of Monaghan's speed merchant forwards Micheal Bannigan and Stephen O'Hanlon. Conor McCarthy will chase down gaps in Donegal's defence too.
Jack McCarron, recalled to the Monaghan team along with midfielder Gavin McPhillips, was brilliant when he came on against Down last time out, scoring 1-3, and has been retained in attack. Closer to goal, or kicking for two-pointers around the edge of the arc, he will take watching.
Monaghan won the Division 2 final when last at Croke Park, in late March, though lost to Donegal in their next game, an Ulster SFC quarter-final tie in Clones. Donegal won that game by two points but Monaghan won the second-half 0-14 to 0-9 and have carried on that fine form since, winning all three of their Championship games and topping Group 3.
Daire O Baoill came on for Donegal last weekend against Louth, scoring two points, and has retained his starting place, bumping out Caolan McColgan.
Donegal will feel they have all the attributes throughout the field to heap more misery on Monaghan, particularly with Michael Murphy and Oisin Gallen carrying such a threat in the top third.
And what an option Patrick McBrearty is on the bench with Hugh McFadden likely to see game time at some stage also for the 2024 All-Ireland semi-finalists.
Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Ciaran Moore; Jason McGee, Michael Langan; Daire O Baoill, Ciaran Thompson, Shane O'Donnell; Conor O'Donnell, Michael Murphy, Oisin Gallen.
Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Stephen McMenamin, Odhran McFadden Ferry, Eoin McHugh, Odhran Doherty, Aaron Doherty, Patrick McBrearty, Jamie Brennan, Niall O'Donnell, Caolan McColgan, Hugh McFadden.
Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Ryan Wylie, Kieran Duffy, Dylan Byrne; Ryan O'Toole, Dessie Ward, Conor McCarthy; Micheal McCarville, Gavin McPhillips; Aaron Carey, Micheal Bannigan, Ryan McAnespie; Jack McCarron, Andrew Woods, Stephen O'Hanlon.
Subs: Kian Mulligan, Ronan Boyle, Louis Kelly, Darren Hughes, Gary Mohan, Ciaran McNulty, Jason Irwin, Killian Lavelle, Stephen Mooney, David Garland, Karl O'Connell.
Darragh Canavan of Tyrone scores a point during the All-Ireland SFC Round 2 match between Tyrone and Mayo. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Dublin v Tyrone, Croke Park, 6.15pm, GAA+
This is an All-Ireland SFC encounter laced with history, tale tales and endless possibilities.
Former Tyrone captain Sean Cavanagh spoke during the week about just how significant a game it is for both camps; win and All-Ireland success will seem a realistic target, lose and the season will feel like a disappointing one.
That neatly sums it up with both of these teams desperate to put in a huge performance and to rekindle former glories.
Peter Canavan fired 11 of Tyrone's 12 points in the 1995 All-Ireland final against Dublin. Perhaps his son, Darragh, who starts at corner-forward again, or his other son, Ruairi, who is on the bench can conjure similar magic. Or maybe there'll be another 'magic, magic Mulligan goal' from Tyrone, a la 2005.
Whilst Michael McKernan misses out for Tyrone with the shoulder injury that forced him off early on against Cavan, robbing them of both his defensive ability and two-point threat, it is a potent Red Hands outfit generally.
Mark Bradley, one of a number of Tyrone starters from the 2018 All-Ireland final loss to Dublin, comes in for McKernan and will require careful handling alongside Darragh Canavan and Darren McCurry.
Ruairi Canavan and Eoin McElholm are electric options on the bench for Tyrone while the fit again Conor Meyler and Peter Harte are also held in reserve, giving boss Malachy O'Rourke endless options to shift his chess pieces as required.
Dublin are unchanged though captain Con O'Callaghan's presence on the bench, after missing last weekend's preliminary quarter-final win over Cork with an apparent hamstring injury, is a significant boost. Might they even opt to start King Con?
Brian O'Leary has been added to the Dublin subs while full-back Theo Clancy, withdrawn from the lineup at the 11th hour against Cork, is on the bench as well.
Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne has been in strong form for Dublin at midfield but he and Killian McGinnis, or Ciaran Kilkenny, will meet an All-Ireland winning pairing in Brian Kennedy and Conn Kilpatrick. Right there is where this game could be won and lost.
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Eoin Murchan, David Byrne, Sean MacMahon; Brian Howard, John Small, Lee Gannon; Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne, Killian McGinnis; Sean Bugler, Ciaran Kilkenny, Niall Scully; Paddy Small, Cormac Costello, Lorcan O'Dell.
Subs: Evan Comerford, Luke Breathnach, Theo Clancy, Nathan Doran, Alex Gavin, Tom Lahiff, Greg McEneaney, Ross McGarry, Cian Murphy, Con O'Callaghan, Brian O'Leary.
Tyrone: Niall Morgan; Cormac Quinn, Padraig Hampsey, Niall Devlin; Peter Teague, Rory Brennan, Kieran McGeary; Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick; Seanie O'Donnell, Mattie Donnelly, Ciaran Daly; Darren McCurry, Mark Bradley, Darragh Canavan.
Subs: Oisin O'Kane, Aidan Clarke, Michael Rafferty, Frank Burns, Shea O'Hare, Ben McDonnell, Michael O'Neill, Peter Harte, Conor Meyler, Ruairi Canavan, Eoin McElholm.
Meath manager Robbie Brennan after the Leinster SFC semi-final win over Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
Sunday, June 29
Meath v Galway, Croke Park, 1.45pm, RTE
Outside of Kerry and Dublin, these are the two counties with the most All-Ireland titles. Galway have nine titles to Meath's seven.
Yet they haven't met all that often in the Championship, just seven times and not since 2011 when Meath won a Round 2 qualifier by a point.
Padraic Joyce played, and top scored, in that game and is on the line now for Galway, attempting to lead his county to a first All-Ireland title since 2001 when they beat Meath in the final.
He will have better memories from that game having struck 10 points in a landmark win. It doesn't bode well either for Meath that they famously beat Kerry that summer, as they have also done this season.
In fact, with Kerry, Dublin and Cork all beaten by Meath this season, supporters might normally expect to have the Sam Maguire Cup already tucked away at this stage.
They are still at the quarter-final stage though and underdogs to boot, against the four-in-a-row Connacht champions and 2024 All-Ireland runners up.
The really interesting thing about this one is that both sides have mixed the mercurial with the mediocre so far in this year's Championship.
When Meath have struggled, against Louth in the Leinster final and even going back to their league loss to Monaghan, midfield has been an issue. They're still without Jack Flynn so Adam O'Neill has been named again alongside the hugely experienced Bryan Menton. They will come up against Footballer of the Year Paul Conroy and All-Star John Maher. Galway will believe they have a vital edge there.
Meath have Mathew Costello available - for how much of the game remains to be seen. The Dunshaughlin man is the talisman performer of this team and has been included among the subs after missing the win over Kerry with hamstring trouble.
Galway have gone with an unchanged team too though there will be concern about the fitness of Shane Walsh who was forced off with a shoulder injury after scoring 1-7 against Down last weekend. Damien Comer is on the bench.
Both sides are stacked with terrific forwards capable of poaching two and three-pointers. If they cut loose, it could yet be the game of the weekend.
Meath: Billy Hogan; Seamus Lavin, Sean Rafferty, Ronan Ryan; Donal Keogan, Sean Coffey, Ciaran Caulfield; Bryan Menton, Adam O'Neill; Conor Duke, Ruairi Kinsella, Cathal Hickey; Jordan Morris, Keith Curtis, Eoghan Frayne.
Subs: Sean Brennan, Brian O'Halloran, Eoin Harkin, James McEntee, Cian McBride, Conor Gray, Aaron Lynch, Daithi McGowan, Shane Walsh, Diarmuid Moriarty, Mathew Costello.
Galway: Conor Flaherty; Johnny McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald, Liam Silke; Dylan McHugh, Sean Kelly, Cian Hernon; Paul Conroy, John Maher; Cein Darcy, Matthew Tierney, Cillian McDaid; Rob Finnerty, Shane Walsh, Matthew Thompson.
Subs: Connor Gleeson, Jack Glynn, Kieran Molloy, Sean Mukerrin, Daniel O'Flaherty, John Daly, Peter Cooke, Sam O'Neill, Tomo Culhane, Johnny Heaney, Damien Comer.
Kerry's David Clifford kicks a point despite the efforts of Jason McLoughlin of Cavan during their All-Ireland SFC tie. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Armagh v Kerry, Croke Park, 4pm, RTE
Armagh's feverish support roared the team to a famous win over Kerry when the sides met at the semi-final stage last year.
The extra-time required to separate two powerhouse outfits that day was a treat for all neutrals and this rematch has been eagerly anticipated.
Armagh went on to win the All-Ireland, of course, and have displayed the better form so far in this year's Championship.
They may not have won their provincial title, as Allianz League champions Kerry did down south, but topping the devilishly difficult Group 4 with a game to spare was a major achievement.
Kieran McGeeney's Armagh lost their third game narrowly to Galway though tinkered a little personnel-wise and appear stronger now having recalled All-Star forward Oisin Conaty, former captain Rory Grugan and midfielder Ben Crealey.
Conor Turbitt, also a reigning All-Star, is a huge option from the bench alongside captain Aidan Forker, 2024 All-Ireland final goalscorer Aaron McKay and the in-form Cian McConville. A hand injury has ruled Stefan Campbell out entirely.
Injuries are a bigger problem for Kerry who are without Mike Breen and Tony Brosnan. Paul Geaney, in the form of his career before a shoulder injury picked up against Cork in the All-Ireland SFC group, is on the bench with Paudie Clifford.
Diarmuid O'Connor went off early in Kerry's last game against Cavan with a shoulder issue and has been replaced by Micheal Burns this time. Sean O'Brien and Joe O'Connor will constitute the Kerry midfield that faces down Crealey and Niall Grimley.
Dylan Casey has been preferred to Tadhg Morley in a Kerry defence that will have its hands full trying to contain Grugan - Man of the Match when Armagh beat Dublin at Croke Park earlier this month - Conaty and O'Neill. Murnin's aerial power is a big asset for Armagh too.
Kerry have been chugging along so far but won't lack motivation for this one and will look to their resident sorcerer David Clifford for inspiration.
Armagh: Ethan Rafferty; Paddy Burns, Barry McCambridge, Peter McGrane; Ross McQuillan, Tiernan Kelly, Jarly Og Burns; Niall Grimley, Ben Crealey; Darragh McMullan, Rory Grugan, Joe McElroy; Oisin Conaty, Andrew Murnin, Rian O'Neill.
Subs: Blaine Hughes, Greg McCabe, Aaron McKay, Aidan Forker, Connaire Mackin, Shane McPartlan, Conor Turbitt, Cian McConville, Jason Duffy, Tomas McCormack, Callum O'Neill.
Kerry: Shane Ryan; Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Dylan Casey; Brian O Beaglaoich, Gavin White, Tom O'Sullivan; Sean O'Brien, Joe O'Connor; Micheal Burns, Sean O'Shea, Graham O'Sullivan; David Clifford, Conor Geaney, Dylan Geaney.
Subs: Shane Murphy, Paudie Clifford, Evan Looney, Killian Spillane, Tom Leo O'Sullivan, Armin Heinrich, Mark O'Shea, Tomas Kennedy, Darragh Lyne, Paul Geaney, Dara Moynihan.
