The distinction of becoming the first provincial champions in the 2018 GAA football All-Ireland championship will fall to either Roscommon or Galway, who meet in the Connacht final at Dr. Hyde Park on Sunday.
The Cork v Kerry Munster final will be played on Saturday week, June 23 with the Ulster (Fermanagh v Done-gal) and Leinster (Dublin v Laois) on Sunday, June 24.
Fermanagh v Donegal will be the first clash between the counties in the Ulster final while Dublin and Laois last met in the Leinster final in 2007, which was also the last year Laois reached the final.
GALWAY v ROSCOMMON
They meet in the Connacht final for a third successive year, with Galway winning a replay in 2016 and Ros-common winning last year.
PATHS TO THE FINAL - GALWAY
Galway 1-12 Mayo 0-12
Galway 4-24 Sligo 1-12
Top Scorers
Damien Comer....2-4
Shane Walsh........0-8 (0-2 frees)
Sean Kelly............1-3
PATHS TO THE FINAL - ROSCOMMON
Roscommon 0-24 Leitrim 0-10
Top scorers
Diarmuid Murtagh ......0-5 (0-1 free)
Cathal Cregg.................0-4
Ciaran Murtagh.............0-3 (0-1 free)
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES
2017: Roscommon 2-15 Galway 0-12 (Connacht final)
2016: Galway 3-16 Roscommon 0-14 (Connacht Final) Replay
2016: Galway 0-13 Roscommon 1-10 (Connacht final) Draw
2015: Galway 3-15 Roscommon 0-10 (Connacht quarter-final)
2008: Galway 2-16 Roscommon 0-6 (Connacht quarter-final)
LAST FIVE CONNACHT FINAL CLASHES
2017: Roscommon 2-15 Galway 0-12 (Connacht final)
2016: Galway 3-16 Roscommon 0-14, Castlebar (Replay)
2016: Galway 0-13 Roscommon 1-10, Pearse Stadium
1998: Galway 1-17 Roscommon 0-17 Dr. Hyde Park (Replay)
1998: Galway 0-11 Roscommon 0-11, Tuam Stadium
This is the first time since 1976-1977-78 that Galway and Roscommon have met in three successive Connacht finals.
Roscommon’s last Connacht final win in Dr. Hyde Park was in 2001 when they beat Mayo by 2-10 to 1-12.
Galway’s last Connacht final win in Dr. Hyde Park was in 1998 when they beat Roscommon in a replay (extra-time) by 1-17 to 0-17.
Roscommon beat Galway 2-16 to 3-12 in this year’s FBD Connacht League final in Dr. Hyde Park in February.
Both sides have excellent records this year. Galway have won eight, drawn one and lost one of ten Allianz (Division 1) League and Connacht championship games. Roscommon have won seven, drawn one and lost one of nine League (Division 2) and Connacht championship games.
Roscommon are bidding to win successive Connacht titles for the first time since 1990-91.
The winners will qualify for the All-Ireland quarter-finals where they will be in a group with the Munster champions (Cork or Kerry), Ulster runners-up (Fermanagh or Donegal) or Round 4 winner and Leinster runners-up (Dublin or Laois) or Round 4 winner.
TWO NOVEL PAIRINGS IN ROUND 2 QUALIFIERS
Two first-time championship pairings will be a feature of the Round 2 qualifiers on the weekend after next. Carlow v Tyrone and Waterford v Monaghan are novel pairings while the other six previously met as follows:
Armagh v Sligo....2002 All-Ireland quarter-final (Armagh won replay)
Cavan v Down......2007 Ulster championship preliminary round (Down won replay)
Tipperary v Mayo....2016 All-Ireland semi-final (Mayo won)
Kildare v Longford...2015 qualifiers (Kildare won)
Leitrim v Louth.........2015 qualifiers (Louth won)
Offaly v Clare....2010 qualifiers (Offaly won in extra-time)
2018 GAA FOOTBALL ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIPS
CONNACHT
May 6: Quarter-finals: Leitrim 0-19 New York 1-15 (aet), Gaelic Park; Sligo 1-21 London 1-11, McGovern Park, Ruislip.
May 13: Quarter-final: Galway 1-12 Mayo 0-12, Elverys Mac Hale Park.
May 26: Semi-final: Roscommon 0-24 Leitrim 0-10, Carrick-on-Shannon.
June 3: Semi-final: Galway 4-24 Sligo 1-12, Pearse Stadium
June 17: Final: Roscommon v Galway, Dr. Hyde Park
LEINSTER
May 12: First round: Laois 2-21 Wexford 1-18 (aet), Innovate Wexford Park.
May 13: First round: Carlow 2-17 Louth 0-12; Wicklow 1-20 Offaly 1-15 (aet) Both in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise.
May 26/27: Quarter-finals: Laois 4-13 Westmeath 1-12, Tullamore; Carlow 2-14 Kildare 1-10, Tullamore; Dublin 4-25 Wicklow 1-11; Longford 0-16 Meath 0-14, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.
June 10: Semi-finals: Laois 0-12 Carlow 0-8; Dublin 2-25 Longford 0-12. Both in Croke Park.
June 24: Final: Dublin v Laois, Croke Park.
MUNSTER
May 19: Quarter-finals: Clare 1-23 Limerick 0-14, Gaelic Grounds; Tipperary 0-20 Waterford 0-9, Semple Stadium.
May 26: Semi-final: Cork 1-17 Tipperary 0-9, Semple Stadium.
June 3: Kerry 0-32 Clare 0-10, Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney.
June 23: Final: Cork v Kerry, Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
ULSTER
May 13: Preliminary Round: Donegal 2-20 Cavan 1-15, Ballybofey.
May 19: Quarter-final: Fermanagh 0-12 Armagh 0-7, Enniskillen.
May 20: Quarter-final: Monaghan 1-18 Tyrone 1-16, Omagh.
May 26: Quarter-final: Down 1-18 Antrim 0-14, Newry.
May 27: Quarter-final: Donegal 2-16 Derry 0-16, Celtic Park.
June 3: Semi-final: Fermanagh 1-8 Monaghan, 0-10, Omagh
June 10: Semi-final: Donegal 2-22 Down 1-12
June 24: Final: Fermanagh v Donegal, Clones
ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIPS
June 9/10: Qualifiers – Round 1: Kildare 2-22 Derry 2-14, Owenbeg; Tyrone 2-14 Meath 0-19 (aet), Navan; Louth 2-26 London 1-19, McGovern Park, Ruislip; Mayo 5-19 Limerick 3-7, Gaelic Grounds; Armagh 3-16 Westmeath 1-11, Mullingar; Waterford 3-14 Wexford 1-18, Innovate Wexford Park; Cavan 2-16 Wicklow 1-5, Joule Park Aughrim; Offaly 2-20 Antrim 1-15, Bord na Mona O’Connor Park.
June 23/24: Qualifiers – Round 2: Tipperary v Mayo; Carlow v Tyrone; Waterford v Monaghan; Sligo v Ar-magh; Longford v Kildare; Leitrim v Louth; Cavan v Down; Offaly v Clare.
June 30: Qualifiers Round 3: Round 2 winners – four games
July 7/8: Qualifiers Round 4: Round 2 winners v beaten provincial finalists (Galway/Roscommon; Dublin/Laois; Fermanagh/Donegal; Cork/Kerry)
QUARTER-FINALS
July 14/15: Phase 1: Group 1: Connacht winners v Munster winners; Ulster runners-up/Round 4 winner v Leinster runner-up/Round 4 winner. Group 2:
Leinster winners v Ulster winners; Munster runners-up/Round 4 winners v Connacht runners-up/ Round 4 winners.
July 21/22: Phase 2: Group 1: Connacht winners v Ulster runners-up/ Round 4 qualifier; Munster winners v Leinster runners-up/ Round 4 qualifier; Group 2: Ulster winners v Munster runners-up/Round 4 qualifi-er; Leinster winners v Connacht runners-up/Round 4 winner.
August 4/5/6: Phase 3: Group 1: Munster winners v Ulster runners-up/Round 4 winners; Connacht win-ners v Leinster runners-up/Round 4 winners; Group 2: Leinster winners v Munster runners-up/Round 4 winners; Ulster winners v Connacht runners-up/Round 4 winner.
August 11: All-Ireland semi-final.
August 12: All-Ireland semi-final.
September 2: All-Ireland final
