GAA coach Steven Poacher and former Mayo star Enda Varley get stuck into the week’s big Gaelic football talking points.
DOUBLE QUARTER-FINAL SPECTACULARS IN CROKE PARK
Itโs quarter-final weekend in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championships with
fascinating double-headers in Croke Park this Saturday and Sunday.
Ulster have four representatives (Armagh, Derry, Monaghan, Tyrone); Munster have two (Cork, Kerry) while Connacht (Mayo) and Leinster (Dublin) have one each. Five of the teams (Armagh, Kerry, Mayo, Monaghan, Tyrone) were in Division 1 this year while three (Cork, Derry, Dublin) were in Division 2.
Saturdayโs programme features an appetising clash (3.45pm) between Kerry, the defending All-Ireland champions, and Tyrone, the 2021 winners. Itโs followed at 6.00pm by Armagh, who are bidding to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2005, and Monaghan who were last there in 2018.
Cork (bidding to reach the semi-final for the first time since 2012), and Derry (who
reached last yearโs semi-final) start Sundayโs programme (1.45pm). It will be followed at 4.00pm by Dublin (bidding to reach the semi-final for a 14th successive year) and Mayo (last in the semi-final two years ago).
KERRY v TYRONE
They meet in the championship for the ninth time, having first clashed in the 1986 All-Ireland final.
Their most recent championship meeting was in the 2021 All-Ireland semi-final when Tyrone won by a point in extra-time before going on to win the All-Ireland final.
ARMAGH v MONAGHAN
They last met in the championship two years ago when a high-scoring Ulster semi-final ended in a win for Monaghan (4-17 to 2-21).
CORK v DERRY
They meet in the championship for only the second time, having previously clashed in the 1993 All-Ireland final, which Derry won by 1-14 to 2-8 to take the title for the first and โ so far โ only time.
The last competitive clash between the counties was in Division 2 this year when they drew 1-14 each in Round 7. Derry beat Cork by nine points in the 2022 Allianz League.
DUBLIN v MAYO
It has been a very busy championship rivalry over the last eleven years, with no fewer than ten games.
Dublin won six to Mayoโs two while two were drawn.
