Women’s Football Championship: All you need to know

The TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship quarter-final line-up will be confirmed on Sunday.

There are four key games down for decision, which will determine who joins already qualified Armagh, Kerry, Cork and Mayo in the last eight.

Following Sunday’s Meath-Tipperary clash at Páirc Tailteann, the quarter-final draw will be conducted live on TG4.

ONLINE

Reports, round-ups and results on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app. The Spórt TG4 YouTube channel will provide coverage of the Galway v Laois and Kildare v Dublin.

TV

Waterford v Donegal and Meath v Tipperary are live on TG4.

RADIO

Updates on RTÉ Radio 1’s Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport.

WEATHER

It’ll be mainly dry on Saturday night with clear spells and isolated light showers. Lowest temperatures 10 to 12 degrees in light westerly breezes. We’ll have sunny spells on Sunday and it will be mainly dry. Highest temperatures 18 to 23 degrees. For more visit met.ie.

SUNDAY

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship

Group 1
Meath v Tipperary, Páirc Tailteann, Navan, 3.30pm, (Live on TG4)

Tipperary make the trip to Navan knowing that if they avoid defeat, they’ll join Armagh in the quarter-finals from Group 1.

Meath have to win to make it into the last eight and it’s all very much on the line.

On what we’ve seen to date, very little will separate these teams as Meath lost out to Armagh by just a point, while Tipp claimed a draw against the Orchard County.

The winners of this game will have a quarter-final away from home, with Armagh already guaranteed top spot.

Tipp are unchanged after claiming what could be a vital point against Armagh, as Meath make two changes to the team that narrowly lost out to the Orchard County.

Ciara Lawlor and Lisa Young are handed starts, with Sarah Wall and Kerrie Cole dropping out.

Meath: M McGuirk (capt); C Lawlor, MK Lynch, N Troy; N Gallogly, L Young, K Newe; M O’Shaughnessy, A Cleary; M Thynne, S Melia, C Smyth; M Byrne, M Farrelly, E Duggan.

Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; E Kelly, L Spillane, E Cronin; C O’Dwyer, M Curley (capt), S English; L Morrissey, A.R. Kennedy; C English, A Moloney, E Morrissey; M Creedon, A McGuigan, E McCarthy.

Group 2
Waterford v Donegal, Walsh Park, 1.30pm (Live on TG4)

It’s a very similar situation in Group 2 as Waterford and Donegal prepare for this massive Walsh Park fixture.

Donegal make the trip South knowing that avoiding defeat will see them through to the last eight.

Waterford must win after losing out heavily to Kerry last weekend but they’ll take motivation from a first appearance at Walsh Park in 21 years.

There’s a sense of history in the air for the Déise but they’ll need rapid improvement after falling heavily to the Kingdom in Killarney.

Donegal, in contrast, claimed a draw against the 2022 and 2023 All-Ireland finalists in their first group game, on the back of what was an encouraging display.

The winners of this game will finish second in Group 2 – and will be faced with a quarter-final away from home.

Waterford boss Pat Sullivan has handed a vote of confidence to the starting 15 that lined out against Kerry, as Donegal make just one change, with Jenny McGettigan coming in at midfield for Niamh Carr.

Waterford: E O’Brien; C Murray, H Power, K McGrath; A Murray, A McNulty, E Murray; K Hogan (capt), K Murray; C Carroll, A Fitzgerald, M Comerford; E Fitzgerald, L McGregor, M O’Brien.

Donegal: C Friel; S McLaughlin, A Temple Asokuh, E McGinley; K Dowds, N Boyle, T Hegarty; R Rodgers, J McGettigan; C Keon, N McLaughlin (capt), A Boyle Carr; S White, K Herron, K Long.

Group 3
Galway v Laois; Duggan Park, Ballinasloe, 2pm

Both sides have suffered defeats to Cork, who are through to the quarter-finals as group winners.

Now, Galway and Laois will battle it out for second spot in Group 3, and a place in the last eight.

Should this game end in a draw, the team that progresses will be the team that registers the most points (scores converted over the bar).

If they still can’t be separated, overall score difference will come into play, with Galway in pole position in this regard (-2 compared to -23 for Laois).

Galway are unchanged after showing some positive signs in the Cork game, as Laois opt for three changes in personnel.

Naomi Luttrell gets the nod ahead of Eimear Barry between the sticks, with Ciara Malone and Orla Hennessy coming in for Clodagh Dunne and Aishling Fitzpatrick further out the field.

Galway: D Gower; M Jordan, S Ní Loingsigh, E Gavin; K Geraghty, N Ward, A Ni Cheallaigh; M Glynn, A Davoren (capt); O Divilly, L Ward, N Divilly; E Reaney, L Coen, R Leonard.

Laois: N Luttrell; C Malone, S Farrelly, G Lalor; A Gorman, A Moore, L Kearney; O Hennessy, A Moran (capt); K Donoghue, K Jacob, G Moran; M Nerney, E Lacey, M Cotter.

Group 4
Kildare v Dublin; Manguard Park, 2pm

Reigning champions Dublin make the trip to Manguard Park knowing that a win or a draw will see them through to the last eight as group winners.

Mayo will hope that Kildare can spring a massive surprise, which could see the green and red through as table-toppers.

The odds are stacked against Kildare ahead of this one, however, as Dublin ran out 4-15 to 2-4 winners when the sides met in the Leinster Championship.

Kildare also lost out on their visit to Mayo last weekend but the Lilywhites will aim to be competitive against the Sky Blues.

Should this game end in a draw, Dublin will go through on top, with Mayo second.

To book a place in the last eight, Kildare need to win and win big as their scoring difference is currently -16, compared to Mayo and Dublin’s +8.

Kildare are unchanged following the Mayo game, as Dublin make two changes to the team that lined out against the Connacht side, with Niamh Crowley and Nicole Owens coming in for Niamh Donlon and Grace Kós.

Kildare: A Dunlea; F Troute, A Clifford, A Reynolds; L Gilbert, R Sargent, L Murtagh; G Clifford (capt), C Sullivan; T Duggan, N Dooley, L Doran; E Dowling, A Rattigan, R Byrne.

Dublin: A Shiels; L Caffrey, O Carey, N Crowley; L Magee, M Byrne, S Goldrick; J Dunne, O Nolan; C O’Connor, C Rowe (capt), N Owens; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, K Sullivan.