Roscommon became the first county to book a place in a provincial final when they beat Sligo in the Connacht semi-final last Saturday.
Galway and Leitrim will battle it out to join Roscommon next weekend and there’s last four games too in Munster and Ulster. They each have one semi-final, followed by the second a week later when Leinster stage both semi-finals (Kildare v Westmeath; Dublin v Meath).
Next weekend’s line-up is as follows:
Saturday
Munster Semi-Finals: Cork v Kerry, Pairc Uí Rinn, 6.0
Sunday
Connacht Semi-Final: Galway v Leitrim, Pearse Stadium, 3.30
Ulster Semi-Final: Cavan v Donegal, Clones, 4.0
==
GALWAY v LEITRIM
They both have had one outing in this year’s championship – Galway beat Mayo by 1-14 to 0-16; Leitrim beat London by 3-12 to 2-11.
Galway are seeking their 11th successive championship win over Leitrim, having lost their previous two clashes in 1993-94.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2015: Galway 1-13 Leitrim 0-8 (Connacht quarter-final)
2008: Galway 2-14 Leitrim 1-13 (Connacht semi-final)
2007: Galway 0-17 Leitrim 1-10 (Connacht semi-final)
2005: Galway 1-11 Leitrim 1-8 (Connacht semi-final)
2003: Galway 2-13 Leitrim 1-7 (Connacht semi-final)
*They meet for the first time since 2015 when Galway won a quarter-final by eight points.
*Galway have won the last ten championship clashes with Leitrim, stretching back to 1995. Leitrim beat Galway in 1993 and 1994 and also drew in 1994. Leitrim’s win in 1993 was their first championship success over Galway since 1949.
*Galway are bidding to reach the Connacht final for the seventh successive year, something they last achieved in 1962. Leitrim were last in the final in 2000.
*Andy Moran is in his first season as Leitrim manager but he certainly has plenty experience of Galway as a player. He lined out for Mayo 13 times against Galway in the championship, winning seven and losing six.
*Galway manager, Padraic Joyce played against Leitrim eight times in the championship and was on the winning side each time.
*Shane Walsh is Galway’s top scorer so far this year, totalling 2-26 (0-15 frees, 1-0 pen. 0-2 ‘45’s, 0-1 mark) in the Allianz League and Championship. Keith Beirne has top-scored for Leitrim on 2-44 (0-28
frees, 0-2 s/l).
*The winners will play Roscommon in the final on May 29.
==
CORK v KERRY
A rivalry that had its first outing in 1889 continues to be one of the most intense, with the latest instalment scheduled for Pairc Uí Rinn on Saturday evening in a game that will decide who meets Limerick or Tipperary in the Munster final. This is the first outing for both in the championship.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2021: Kerry 4-22 Cork 1-9 (Munster final)
2020: Cork 1-12 Kerry 0-13 aet (Munster semi-final)
2019: Kerry 1-19 Cork 3-10 (Munster final)
2018: Kerry 3-18 Cork 2-4 (Munster final)
2017: Kerry 1-23 Cork 0-15 (Munster final)
*Cork v Kerry has been by far the busiest championship rivalry in football since 2000. They have met 32 times with Kerry winning 20 to Cork’s six while there were six draws.
*Cork’s win over Kerry in 2020 was their first over their great rivals in the championship since 2012. It ended the longest barren spell against Kerry since going from 1974 to 1983 without a win.
*Jack O’Connor led Kerry against Cork in twelve championship clashes in his first two stints as Kerry manager. Results were as follows: Kerry wins7; Cork wins 3; Draws 2.
*Cork are attempting to reach the Munster final for a 6th successive year. Kerry are bidding to reach a ninth decider in ten seasons, missing out only in 2020 when they lost to Cork in the semi-final.
*Kerry head into the championship as Allianz League Division 1 champions, having beaten Mayo in the final after winning five, drawing one and losing one of the seven group games.
*Cork finished sixth in Division 2 (two wins, one draw, four defeats)
*David Clifford (5-28, 0-6 frees) was Kerry’s top scorer in the Allianz League (Div 1)
*Steven Sherlock was Cork’s top scorers in the Allianz League (Div 2) on 1-36 (0-22 frees, 0-1 ‘45’).
*Other than in the 2020 defeat where they scored only 0-13 in regulation and extra-time, Kerry have hit very high totals in recent clashes with Cork. They averaged 2-21 to Cork’s 1-11 in 2017-18-19-
21.
==
CAVAN V DONEGAL
Donegal beat Armagh (1-16 to 0-12) and Cavan beat Antrim (1-20 to 0-10) to reach the semi-final.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2020: Cavan 1-13 Donegal 0-12 (Ulster final)
2019: Donegal 1-24 Cavan 2-16 (Ulster final)
2018: Donegal 2-20 Cavan 1-15 (Ulster preliminary round)
2012: Donegal 1-16 Cavan 1-10 (Ulster preliminary round)
2011: Donegal 2-14 Cavan 1-8 (Ulster quarter-final)
*Donegal are attempting to reach the Ulster final for the tenth time in twelve seasons, having missed out in 2021 and 2017.
*Cavan are bidding to reach the Ulster final for the third time in four seasons, having also been then in 2019 and 2020.
*Paddy McBrearty is Donegal’s top scorer in this year’s Allianz League and Ulster championship, accumulating 3-26.
*Gearoid McKiernan is Cavan’s top scorer in this year’s Allianz League and Championship on a total of 2-32 (0-15 frees, 0-2 marks)
*The winners will play Derry or Monaghan in the final.
==
GAA FOOTBALL ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP 2022
CONNACHT
Quarter-finals: Leitrim 3-12 London 2-11; Sligo 1-16 New York 0-15;
Galway 1-14 Mayo 0-16.
Semi-finals: Roscommon 0-23 Sligo 0-11; May 8: Galway v Leitrim
Final: May 29: Roscommon v Galway/Leitrim
LEINSTER
First round: April 24: Louth 5-10 Carlow 0-10; Wicklow 5-15 Laois 4-
12; Wexford 1-15 Offaly 1-12.
Quarter-finals: Dublin 1-24 Wexford 0-4; Westmeath 3-13 Longford
0-14; Meath 4-13 Wicklow 1-12; Kildare 2-22 Louth 0-12;
Semi-finals: May 15: Kildare v Westmeath; Dublin v Meath
May 28: Final
MUNSTER
Quarter-finals: Tipperary 2-13 Waterford 1-8; Limerick 2-16 Clare 1-
19 aet (Limerick win 4-1 on penalties).
Semi-finals: May 7: Cork v Kerry; May 14: Limerick v Tipperary.
Final: May 28
ULSTER
First round: Tyrone 2-17 Fermanagh 2-10
Quarter-finals: Cavan 1-20 Antrim 0-10; Donegal 1-16 Armagh 0-12;
Monaghan 0-23 Down 2-7; Derry 1-18 Tyrone 0-10.
Semi-finals: May 8: Donegal v Cavan; May 14: Monaghan v Derry
Final: May 29
ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP
June 4/5: All-Ireland qualifiers – Round 1
June 11/12: All-Ireland qualifiers – Round 2
June 25/26: All-Ireland Quarter-Finals
July 9/10: All-Ireland Semi-Finals
July 24: All-Ireland Final
