SATURDAY
Allianz Football League round one
Division One
Kerry v Donegal (Fitzgerald Stadium, 2.30pm)
Read our full match preview from Cahair O’Kane in the weekend’s Irish News.
Odds H 10/11 D: 8/1 A: 11/10
Verdict Donegal
Division Three
Leitrim v Laois (Ballinamore, 2.30pm)
THE refixed encounter between these sides should have seen some Laois men given time to recover, with Evan O’Carroll, Paul Kingston and Mark Timmons amongst the Tailteann Cup final starters who missed out against Offaly.
Leitrim’s netminder would have enjoyed watching Offaly’s Paddy Dunican venture the entire way up the pitch to score a screamer of a goal against Laois last week, though former keeper Nevin O’Donnell has switched allegiance back to Cavan.
Keith Beirne’s return is a huge plus, and he kicked three points in defeat last week, but Leitrim will likely be underdogs in every match in this division.
Odds H: 9/2 D: 11/1 A: 1/6
Verdict Laois
Division Four
Wicklow v Waterford (Aughrim 2.30pm)
A TRIP to London did not transpire in the fashion that Wicklow would have anticipated. Shay Rafter, star of Tara’s run to the All-Ireland JFC quarter-final, kicked three huge scores off the bench.
Liam Gallagher also punished Wicklow’s indiscipline on frees, as Oisín McConville admitted to the BBC that his side were second best, despite another stellar showing from Dean Healy around the middle.
Waterford were defeated fairly comfortably by Carlow last week, and though Alan Dunwoody at full-forward looks a real player, they will do well to overturn McConville’s men.
Odds H: 1/9 D: 12/1 A: 13/2
Verdict Wicklow
Allianz Hurling League round three
Division 1A
Wexford v Kilkenny (Chadwicks Wexford Park, 5.30pm, live on RTÉ2)
LEE Chin is back in the country after his travels. For Wexford folk and for hurling that is huge news. Whether he features against Kilkenny or not is a different matter.
The Yellowbellies could be doing with their talisman. After two games they are rooted to the bottom of Division 1A with a scoring differential of -19.
Conor McDonald and the Reck brothers are amongst Wexford’s injuries, with a raft of retirements and a lack of recent underage success creating the perfect storm in this early season.
The re-structured League means Wexford will be desperate. They will improve, but Eoin Cody and Martin Keoghan have been in impressive form and The Cats should edge a tight affair.
If Limerick do the business against Tipperary, Kilkenny could even sneak their way into top spot by the end of the weekend.
Odds H 15/4 D 12/1 A 2/9
Verdict Kilkenny
Galway v Clare (Pearse Stadium, 7.30pm, TG4)
AFTER round one, many were banking on Galway going down after what was a rather shambolic showing against a Tipperary side that never got going in 2024.
To win away in Kilkenny was almost bonus territory to all but the most faithful, with Micheál Donoghue back at the helm after a spell in Dublin.
A home game is welcome against the reigning All-Ireland and League champions, though it will be the Tribesmen’s final encounter in Pearse Stadium in this division.
With three games in 14 days, Galway will get a three-week break after the weekend, and interestingly are unbeaten in their last five League and Championship games against the Banner, dating back to 2015.
Clare will still be missing several key men, with David McInerney and Conor Leen joining the injury list in defeat to Kilkenny but they owe Galway one and could grab two points under the new Salthill lights.
If they don’t, Brian Lohan’s men will be nought from two and relegation talk will mount.
Odds H 11/10 D 9/1 A 5/6
Verdict Clare
Division Four
Warwickshire v Louth (Birmingham 2pm)
Odds N/A
Verdict Louth
Leitrim v Longford (Drumshanbo, 2pm)
Odds N/A
Verdict Longford
SUNDAY
Allianz Hurling League round three
Division 1A
Limerick v Tipperary (the TUS Gaelic Grounds, 3.45pm, live on TG4)
IT has become apparent quickly that it’s never as bad as they say for Tipperary. 2024 was a massive underachievement, and a few League victories won’t wipe away some Championship scars.
Beaten 2-27 to 0-18 in Munster by this weekend’s opponents, Limerick certainly won’t fear The Premier. Cian Lynch completed the full 70 minutes against Cork, though Will O’Donoghue looks likely to miss out after a man-of-the-match display in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
His hunger was typical of this Limerick side at their peak, and they are well capable of claiming the Liam McCarthy back given the average age of John Kiely’s squad.
Oisin O’Donoghue and DCU’s Shane O’Brien will play a key role in any Tipp’ upset, but they don’t look quite at that level just yet.
Odds H 2/5 D 10/1 A 85/40
Verdict Limerick
Division 1B
Waterford v Laois (Walsh Park, 2pm, live on Sport TG4, deferred on TG4)
Whether Carlow’s shock win against Waterford serves to kick them into gear or be reflected upon as the beginning of a cliff fall remains to be seen. How they bounce back this weekend will be a telling factor however.
Peter Queally, having served as a selector under Davy Fitzgerald, is now at the helm, and his backroom team includes Déise legend Dan Shanahan, as well as former Tipperary star Eoin Kelly.
Shanahan’s brother Maurice has not been part of the set-up in recent years, with Jamie Barron and Shane Bennett among the more experienced players in a youthful squad. This year’s skipper Dessie Hutchinson did not feature in the defeat to Carlow.
Laois for their part were beaten 1-24 to 1-15 by rivals Offaly, with new manager Tommy Fitzgerald stating there were elements of preparation left to be desired in the O’Moore camp.
Odds H 1/20 D 20/1 A 11/1
Verdict Waterford
Westmeath v Dublin (TEG Cusack Park, 2pm)
ON RTÉ's Allianz League Sunday, Galway legend Joe Canning was among those to back Dublin for promotion back up to the top Division.
With an All-Ireland Club senior title secured with Na Fianna, now Dublin manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin has kept his Midas touch in sky blue, though a 14-point win over Antrim is their only match so far in 2025.
There is the potential some of the Na Fianna men come back into the fold this weekend, and though Liam Rushe has not officially retired, he has not played county hurling since stepping away from the panel in 2022.
Westmeath will have taken much belief from Alan Mangan’s Castletown-Geoghegan, who defeated Kilkenny champions Thomastown in Leinster, but a nine-point defeat to Antrim was far from an ideal start to their campaign.
Dublin will keep a keen eye on David Williams, but they have more than enough to power through.
Odds H 11/1 D 20/1 A 1/20
Verdict Dublin
Offaly v Antrim (Glenisk O’Connor Park, 1.45pm, live on TG4)
Read our full match preview from Brendan Crossan in the weekend’s Irish News.
Odds H 10/11 D 9/1 A 10/11
Verdict Antrim
Division Two
Kerry v Derry (Austin Stack Park, 1pm)
JUST three years ago, the Kerry hurlers had what was described as a ‘landmark win’ against Tipperary in the Munster pre-season hurling competition known as the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling Cup.
The days of pre-season competitions are gone for now at least, with a repeat encounter in 2024 seeing Liam Cahill’s side gain revenge in a 14-point defeat.
It feels as though the Kingdom have regressed in that time. One of their star men Dan Goggin has been blighted with injury, not helping their case, although Shane Conway remains a thorn in the side of any opposition.
That said, even the latter’s 0-11 tally could not overturn Kildare, as Kerry came away from Newbridge with a comprehensive 2-28 0-17 defeat last weekend.
As for Derry, a defeat to Down last time out was not unexpected. The manner of the 2-26 to 0-13 loss will sting a little, yet they know they cannot afford to linger on it.
They will feed into the notion that their opposition are not as strong as in years gone by, but anything other than a home win would resemble a huge surprise.
Odds H 2/11 D 12/1 A 4/1
Verdict Kerry
Down v Donegal (McKenna Park, 2pm)
Read our full match preview from Neil Loughran in this weekend’s Irish News.
Odds H 2/13 D 12/1 A 9/2
Verdict Down
Tyrone v Meath (Eoghan Ruadh, Dungannon, 2pm)
WHEN previewing this year’s League, Tyrone manager Stevie McGarry described last year’s run to the final as a ‘tremendous achievement’, with The Red Hands struck with a number of players making themselves unavailable.
McGarry was in his first year as manager last year, but had coached the senior squad for three years, with Ben Gormley one of the stars he has introduced to the fold in more recent times.
Two Ulster derby defeats have perhaps put a dampener on things, with a Gerard Bradley goal seizing victory for Derry, before McGarry’s men were beaten by 10 by Donegal.
Meath have made five changes from their last outing, a fine win over Donegal, as three Trim men in the shape of Ben Holden, James Toher and Joey Cole all start.
Odds H 5/1 D 12/1 A 1/7
Verdict Meath
Division Three
London v Cavan (Ruislip, 1pm)
EAST Cavan Gaels run through the Club championship in 2024 was a real emblem of change in The Breffni county, who didn’t even field an inter-county side just a few short years ago.
County star and East Cavan Gaels man Jack Barry was among those who drew the attention of Jarlath Burns, as he used the club as an example for fellow non-hurling strongholds to follow.
London, however, are a tricky proposition in Ruislip, and have made the addition of former Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash to their management team.
Odds H 1/14 D 16/1 A 15/2
Verdict London
Armagh v Wicklow (the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 2pm)
Armagh are unfortunate with the tricky start they’ve been handed. A tough assignment in Roscommon last week ended in a 15-point defeat, as teak-tough Wicklow visit the Orchard on Sunday.
With London to come, however, there is no promise of any easy points. The Garden county went down to The Exiles by the smallest of margins last week, with Padraig Doyle starring in defeat for Wicklow as he grabbed their only goal from full-forward.
A 20-point win in the Nicky Rackard Cup was what Wicklow had to show for their last venture into Armagh in 2023. It may be tighter this time around even if Armagh don’t have enough.
Odds H 11/2 D 12/1 A 1/8
Verdict Wicklow
Sligo v Mayo (Markievicz Park, 2pm)
Odds H 11/2 D 12/1 A 1/8
Verdict Mayo
Division Four
Fermanagh v Monaghan(Brewster Park, 2pm)
Monaghan will have been disappointed with their showing against Louth the last day out, having had a series of close matches against The Wee County in recent seasons.
Louth manager Trevor Hilliard certainly had his homework done – no surprise given he plies his trade with Inniskeen – as his side ran out 2-23 to 0-11 winners after Shane Slevin saw red for the hosts.
Monaghan will have an extra day’s rest over Joe Baldwin’s Fermanagh, though the Erne continued their upsurge in form with a three-point win over Longford last Sunday.
Odds N/A
Verdict Monaghan
(Odds from Paddy Power)