Connacht and Ulster launched their GAA football championship campaigns last weekend and now it’s Leinster’s turn to join the action with three first round games next Sunday.
Connacht and Ulster also have interesting ties, with Mayo v Galway and Donegal v Armagh major attractions.
Munster stage their quarter-finals on the weekend after next.
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The fixtures are as follows
SATURDAY
Ulster quarter-final: Antrim v Cavan, Corrigan Park, 2.0
SUNDAY
Connacht quarter-final: Mayo v Galway, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, 4.0
Leinster 1st round: Louth v Carlow, Pairc Tailteann, 2.30; Wexford v Offaly,
Chadwicks Wexford Park; Wicklow v Laois, Aughrim, 3.30.
Ulster quarter-final: Donegal v Armagh, Ballybofey, 2.0
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MAYO v GALWAY
They meet for a tenth successive year in the championship. Eight of the previous nine were in the Connacht championship and one (2019) in the qualifiers. Mayo won the last three after Galway won the previous three in 2016-17-18.
LAST TEN CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES
2021: Mayo 2-14 Galway 2-8 (Connacht final)
2020: Mayo 0-14 Galway 0-13 (Connacht final)
2019: Mayo 2-13 Galway 1-13 (Qualifier Round 4)
2018: Galway 1-12 Mayo 0-12 (Connacht quarter-final)
2017: Galway 0-15 Mayo 1-11 (Connacht semi-final)
2016: Galway 1-12 Mayo 0-12 (Connacht semi-final)
2015: Mayo 1-15 Galway 2-8 (Connacht semi-final)
2014: Mayo 3-14 Galway 0-16 (Connacht final)
2013: Mayo 4-16 Galway 0-11 (Connacht quarter-final)
2011: Mayo 1-12 Galway 1-6 (Connacht semi-final)
*This will be the 92nd championship game between the counties with results as follows: Mayo 44wins; Galway 41 wins; Draws 6. It’s their 25th clash in Castlebar with Galway having won 13 times to Mayo’s 11 of the previous 24.
*100 per cent…Mayo manager James Horan has led Mayo to six victories in his six championship games against Galway. The wins were in 2011-2013-2014-2019-2020-2021. As a player, he lined out against Galway four times, winning three and losing one.
*Close calls…other than last year when Mayo won by six points, their recent clashes with Galway have been very close. In the previous five games only one score separated them each time.
*Now in his third season as Galway manager, Padraic Joyce has yet to enjoy a championship win over their great rivals, having lost in the 2020 and 2021 Connacht finals. As a player, he lined out against Mayo eleven times in the championship, winning six and losing five.
*Mayo (beaten finalists) won four, drew one and lost three games in this year’s
Allianz League (Division 1). Galway won six and lost two of their eight games in
Division 2.
*Ryan O’Donoghue was Mayo’s top scorer in the Allianz League on 2-37 (0-26
frees, 0-3 mark). Shane Walsh was Galway’s top marksman on 2-21 (0-13 frees,
1-0 pen, 0-1 mark).
*The winners play Leitrim in the semi-final.
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DONEGAL v ARMAGH
This will be their 29thth championship clash, with Armagh winning fifteen to Donegal’s ten, with three three draws from the previous 28 contests.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES
2020: Donegal 1-22 Armagh 0-13 (Ulster semi-final)
2015: Donegal 2-11 Armagh 0-8 (Ulster quarter-final)
2014: Donegal 1-12 Armagh 1-11 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
2010: Armagh 2-14 Donegal 0-11 (All-Ireland qualifier)
2007: Donegal 1-9 Armagh 1-8 (Ulster quarter-final)
*Armagh are seeking their first championship win over Donegal since 2010. Donegal have won three times since then.
*Donegal haven’t lost their first game in the Ulster championship since 2010 when beaten by Down in extra-time in the quarter-final.
*Armagh and Donegal both won three, drew one and lost three of their seven games in this year’s Division 1 programme. Armagh finished third on the table, ahead of Donegal on scoring difference. Donegal beat Armagh by a point in their Round 7 meeting.
*Paddy McBrearty was Donegal’s top scorer in the Allianz League, accumulating 2-24 (0-12 frees, 0-1 mark). Rian O’Neill top-scored for Armagh 1-24 (0-13 frees, 0-2 ‘45’, 0-1 mark).
*Kieran McGeeney is in his 8th season as Armagh manager. They lost their opening games in in the Ulster championship in 2015-16-17-18 and have won in the last three years.
*The winners play Antrim or Cavan in the semi-final.
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ANTRIM v CAVAN
They meet in the Ulster championship for the second time in three seasons,
with Cavan having won in 2020, a season they went on to take the title.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES
2020: Cavan 0-13 Antrim 0-9 (Ulster quarter-final)
2009: Antrim 0-13 Cavan 1-7 (Ulster semi-final)
2008: Cavan 1-19 Antrim 1-14 (Ulster first round)
2005: Cavan 1-15 Antrim 2-6 (Ulster quarter-final) Replay
2005: Cavan 0-11 Antrim 0-11 (Ulster quarter-final) Draw
*Antrim finished fourth (three wins, one draw, three defeats) in this year’s Allianz League (Division 3). Cavan were promoted from Division 4, winning seven of eight games.
*Antrim-Cavan championship games have been short on goals in recent times. The last five have produced only six (3-3).
*Gearoid McKiernan was Cavan’s top scorer in this year’s Allianz League, contributing a total of 1-30 (0-14 frees, 0-2 mark). Ryan Murray was Antrim’s top scorer on 0-17 (0-7 frees)
*The winners will play Donegal or Armagh in the semi-final.
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LOUTH v CARLOW
They meet for the 16th time in the championship, with Louth having won twelve of the previous fifteen to Carlow’s three.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2018: Carlow 2-17 Louth 0-12 (Leinster 1st round)
2016: Louth 2-24 Carlow 3-11 (Leinster 1st round)
2011: Carlow 0-14 Louth 0-13 (Leinster quarter-final)
2009: Louth 1-13 Carlow 1-11 (Leinster 1st round)
1997: Louth 1-13 Carlow 1-10 (Leinster quarter-final)
*They last met in the Leinster championship in 2018 when Carlow won by 11 points in a game where Paul Broderick scored 1-8 for the winners.
*Louth enjoyed a very successful Allianz League campaign this year, earning promotion from Division 3 as champions after winning six, drawing one and losing one of eight games. Sam Mulroy was their top scorer on a very impressive 3-57 (0-42 frees, 0-9 ‘45s).
*Carlow finished seventh in Division 4 – one win, one draw, five defeats. Darragh Foley was their top scorer on 0-26 (0-19 frees, 0-1 ‘mark’).
*The winners play Kildare in the quarter-final.
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OFFALY v WEXFORD
They meet in the Leinster championship for the first time since 2011 when Wexford win a first round game by 2-16 to 0-8.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2011: Wexford 2-16 Offaly 0-8
2009: Wexford 2-11 Offaly 0-16
2006: Offaly 2-15 Wexford 1-14
2004: Wexford 2-14 Offaly 0-15
1994: Wexford 0-10 Offaly 0-8
*Offaly won their opening Leinster championship games in 2021 and 2020, ending a bad run. Between 2007 and 2019, they won only one first round game.
*Wexford beat Wicklow in the Leinster first round last year, ending a losing run which saw them lose their first game in each of the previous six seasons.
*Offaly finished 7th (relegated) in Division 2 this year after winning one, drawing one and losing five of their seven games.
*Wexford finished sixth in Division 4, winning two drawing one and losing four of their seven games.
*Niall McNamee was Offaly’s top scorer in the Allianz League on 1-20 (0-9 frees, 0-2 mark). Mark Rossiter was top scorer for Wexford on 0-21 (0-16 frees).
*The winners play Dublin in the quarter-final.
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LAOIS v WICKLOW
They meet in the championship for first time in five years, their last clash having come in a Round 1 qualifier in 2017.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2017: Laois 2-16 Wicklow 3-10 (Qualifier)
2016: Laois 3-16 Wicklow 0-18 (Leinster first round)
2014: Laois 0-21 Wicklow 1-11 (Leinster first round)
2008: Laois 0-15 Wicklow 0-13 (Leinster quarter-final)
2002: Laois 3-6 Wicklow 0-8 (Leinster first round)
*Both Laois and Wicklow were relegated from Division 3 this year. Laois won two, drew one and lost four of their seven games while Wicklow won one, drew one and lost one. Laois beat Wicklow by 12 points in Round 5.
*Wicklow’s last win over Laois in the championship was in 1986. Laois were National League champions at the time but lost by four points in Aughrim
*Gary Walsh was top scorer for Laois in the Allianz League, finishing on 2-27. Eoin Darcy top-scored for Wicklow on 2-12.
*The winners play Meath in the quarter-final
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GAA FOOTBALL ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP 2022
CONNACHT
Quarter-finals: Leitrim 3-12 London 2-11; Sligo 1-16 New York 0-15; April 24:
Mayo v Galway
Semi-finals: May 1: Roscommon v Sligo; May 8: Mayo/Galway v Leitrim
Final: May 29
LEINSTER
First round: April 24: Louth v Carlow; Laois v Wicklow; Offaly v Wexford
Quarter-finals: April 30: Dublin v Offaly/ Wexford; May 1: Meath v
Laois/Wicklow; Kildare v Louth/Carlow; Westmeath v Longford
Semi-finals: May 15
May 28: Final
MUNSTER
Quarter-finals: April 30: Tipperary v Waterford; Clare v Limerick.
Semi-finals: May 7: Cork v Kerry; May 14: Clare/Limerick v
Tipperary/Waterford.
Final: May 28
ULSTER
First round: Tyrone 2-17 Fermanagh 2-10
Quarter-finals: April 23: Antrim v Cavan; April 24: Donegal v Armagh; April 30:
Monaghan v Down; May 1: Derry v Tyrone.
Semi-finals: May 8: Donegal/Armagh v Antrim/Cavan; May 14:
Monaghan/Down v Derry/Fermanagh/Tyrone.
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
TAILTEANN CUP
May 21/22: Preliminary Round (if required)
May 28/29: Round 1
June 4/5 Quarter-finals
June 19: Semi-finals
July 9: Final
