THE Ladies
Gaelic Football Association and Championship sponsors TG4 have announced today
(TUESDAY) that the 2019 TG4 All-Ireland Senior semi-finals will be played at
Croke Park on Sunday, August 25.
Croke Park is
the venue for the prestigious TG4 All-Ireland Senior, Intermediate and Junior
Finals on Sunday, September 15, but the stadium will also play host to a
glamour double-header three weeks earlier, when the Senior finalists will be
confirmed.
The exciting
news was confirmed at the official launch of the 2019 TG4 All-Ireland
Championships.
Meanwhile, it
has also been confirmed that the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate semi-finals on
August 17 will be played at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny.
12 counties will
battle it out for the Brendan Martin Cup, the big prize on offer for the TG4
All-Ireland Senior Championship winners, with holders Dublin aiming for a third
successive title.
TG4 has
committed to screening 17 Championship fixtures during the 2019 season,
beginning next Saturday, July 13, and running until All-Ireland Final Day on
Sunday, September 15, when the TG4 All-Ireland Junior, Intermediate and Senior
Finals will be screened exclusively LIVE.
Over the course
of eight weekends, TG4 will bring viewers the very best action from the
All-Ireland Championships, with the Senior and Intermediate Competitions to be
played once again on a round-robin basis.
The action gets
underway next weekend, July 13/14, and the TG4 cameras will be present at
O’Moore Park in Portlaoise for a LIVE double-header.
Connacht
champions Galway and opponents Kerry will throw-in at 1.45pm, with that game
followed by the meeting of TG4 All-Ireland and Leinster Senior champions Dublin
and Munster runners-up Waterford, at 3.30pm.
It has also been
confirmed that the LIVE double-header on Saturday July 20 (Donegal v Tyrone and
Cork v Cavan) will be played at TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar.
A week later, on
Saturday July 27, Bord Na Móna O’Connor Park in Tullamore will host Mayo v
Donegal and Armagh v Cork, two games which will also be shown LIVE by TG4.
Last September’s
TG4 All-Ireland Finals attracted a record 50,141 attendance to Croke Park, a
figure that was a world record for a stand-alone female sporting event in 2018.
TG4’s coverage
also attracts a significant TV audience in Ireland and globally on the TG4
Player www.tg4.tv
Speaking on
behalf of TG4, Ardstiúrthóir Alan Esslemont said: “TG4 is extremely
proud once more to be the main sponsors for the 2019 LGFA All-Ireland Ladies
Football Championship.
“The
comprehensive coverage we give to the games – at all levels – show the
importance that TG4 places on this wonderful sport, which is growing in
popularity year on year.
“It is yet
another great example of our unique heritage and we are extremely proud of the
wonderful partnership that has been built between the LGFA and TG4 over the
years.
“This
Summer TG4 will screen 17 fixtures covering the Senior, Intermediate and Junior
championships, running until All-Ireland Final day on Sunday, September 15.
“Over the
course of eight weekends, TG4 will bring the very best action from the
Championships not just on our TV channel in Ireland but also worldwide on the
TG4 Player, on our YouTube channel and now also on Facebook Live, culminating
at Croke Park when the TG4 All-Ireland Junior, Intermediate and Senior
champions will be crowned.
“Viewers
can keep up with all the action on social media @SpórtTG4 as well.
“TG4 is also
delighted to be supporting the ‘20 x 20 - Women in Sport’ initiative, which is
aiming to increase the profile of women’s sport at all levels.
“Through
our very successful partnership with LGFA and Lidl, TG4 is extremely proud that
we can help to give women’s football the prominence it deserves.
“The
#properfan campaign has contributed to a surge in interest in the games and the
stunning success of last year’s LGFA Championship has brought a very welcome
focus onto all women’s sports throughout Ireland.”
Marie Hickey,
President of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, commented: “We are
looking forward to another superb summer of action in the TG4 All-Ireland
Championships.
“We’ve
already witnessed some brilliant football in the provincial competitions, and
now attention turns to the race for All-Ireland Final places at Croke Park on
September 15.
“We are
also delighted to announce that our 2019 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship
semi-finals will be played at Croke Park on Sunday, August 25.
“This is
another huge step forward for our Association and it will be great to watch the
four semi-finalists battle it out at Croke Park for coveted places in the
Final.
“I would
once again like to pay tribute to our wonderful Championship sponsors and
broadcast partners TG4.
“We were
thrilled to sign a four-year extension with TG4 last year, taking us up to the
end of the 2022 season.
“2020 will
mark the 20th year of a partnership that dates back to 2000, when TG4 became
title sponsors of our Championships.
“TG4
continue to take our sport to new, unprecedented and record-breaking levels.
“We also
have a large overseas population to cater for and TG4 have the ability to
provide coverage to people outside of Ireland, which is hugely important to us.
“I would
also like to reference our National League sponsors and official retail
partners Lidl, who will work closely alongside TG4 in the promotion of our
Championship games along the road to Croke Park.
“I would
also like to take this opportunity to thank the GAA for their cooperation as we
now look forward to not one, but two, huge occasions at Croke Park in August
and September.
“Our
colleagues in the GAA have also helped us to secure county grounds for many of
our top-level games in the early rounds of the All-Ireland series.
“Ladies
Football continues to lead the way in Irish women’s sport and after setting yet
another attendance record for our TG4 All-Ireland Finals in 2018, we’re aiming to
go even higher again in September.
“We need
the help of clubs and counties to achieve that, and I’d appeal to all sports
fans, at home and abroad, to get behind our magnificent players and follow
their progress as they set out on their potential journeys to Croke Park, via
the All-Ireland series.
“I wish all
of the competing teams the very best of luck for the season ahead.
“It’s time
for you, our supporters, to show that you’re a #ProperFan and #FollowOurJourney
to Croke Park for the 2019 TG4 All-Ireland Finals.”
The 2019 TG4
All-Ireland Ladies Football championships were officially launched at Croke
Park today, with representatives from all 32 participating teams present at the
venue which will host the Finals on September 15.
Holders Dublin
will play their first qualifier game against Waterford next Saturday, July 13,
as part of TG4’s LIVE double-header alongside the meeting of Connacht champions
Galway and Kerry.
Elsewhere, Cork
will harbour hopes of regaining the TG4 All-Ireland Senior title they last won
in 2016, after winning the Lidl National League Division 1 crown and Munster
silverware.
In the West,
Galway made it three Connacht senior titles in a row, a feat that was also
achieved by Donegal in Ulster.
In the Senior Championship,
four qualifier groups will contain three teams in each.
Each team will
play two games each in their respective groups and, from there, eight
quarter-finalists will emerge.
The TG4
Intermediate and Junior championships will be keenly contested once again and
are sure to produce some cracking fare.
Meath, beaten
Intermediate Finalists last year, will hope to go one better but they’ll face
stiff opposition from Tipperary, the Intermediate Champions from two years ago,
and Wexford, who defeated Meath in the Leinster Final.
Roscommon, who
retained their Connacht title, will also fancy their chances and, in total,
there are 14 counties in the running for the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup.
The TG4 junior
championship will feature six counties including 2018 runners-up Louth.
Antrim, who beat
Fermanagh to win the Ulster title, are another impressive outfit, while Carlow,
Derry and London are also in the race.
TG4
All-Ireland Championship – Round 1 – July 13/14
Senior:
Group 1: Cavan v
Armagh
Group 2:
Waterford v Dublin
Group 3: Galway
v Kerry
Group 4: Tyrone
v Mayo
Intermediate:
Group 1: Down v
Sligo/Limerick v Kildare
Group 2:
Tipperary v Meath/Longford v Wicklow
Group 3: Clare v
Wexford
Group 4:
Roscommon v Leitrim
Junior:
Group A: Carlow
v Louth
Group B: Derry v
Antrim
