With the weather showing all the signs of winter, there’s a lot to be said for enjoying championship GAA from the comforts of the fireside and this weekend, there’s a deluge of big matchups forecast.
Getting the show on the road on Saturday, Donegal will play Armagh in the Ulster football semi-final in Breffni Park.
Sky Sports will show the game live at 1.15pm as Declan Bonner’s men attempt to stay on track in the retention of their title.
All-Ireland winning teammates Davy Fitzgerald and Brian Lohan will be pitted against each other as Clare and Wexford meet.
A narrow win over Laois last weekend would not inspire much confidence in the Banner whose reliance on Ballyea’s Tony Kelly has become more evident with every game, scoring 17 points against Limerick and 13 against Laois.
However, Wexford won’t be floating in on a high either, after a disappointing performance against Galway in the Leinster semi-final which prompted Fitzgerald to apologise to the Wexford people for the team’s display.
An in-form Clare side could dispatch the yellow-bellies but beware of a Wexford team in search of redemption.
Throw-in at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise is at 2pm with coverage on GAAGO.
Next up is a Munster-derby as Cork and Tipperary hope to stay in All-Ireland contention.
Tipp’s flattening defeat to Limerick in the Munster semi-final was not filled with negatives though, as Liam Sheedy will be pleased after they managed to put two goals past Nickie Quaid, even if the legitimacy of the second was questionable.
Cork pulled themselves back together following their Munster loss to Waterford, beating Dublin comfortably in their last outing.
Strong showings from Robbie O’Flynn and Seamus Harnedy may have been enough to see them past the Dubs but coming up against a strong Tipperary team the odds look stacked against them.
Sky Sports will air the game live from the Gaelic Ground with throw-in at 4pm.
The decider of the Leinster hurling championship is also set for Saturday as Kilkenny and Galway meet in Croke Park in a repeat of the 2018 provincial final.
The narrowest of victories over Dublin got Kilkenny this far while Galway have been much more emphatic in the quest for their fourth Leinster title.
The Tribesmen will be the favourites to achieve that feat, with coverage of the match at 6.16pm being shown on RTÉ.
Sunday
Attention switches to football on Sunday with the big one coming early in the day.
Ever the spectacle, the Connacht football final will also see Galway in action, coming up against Mayo at 1.30pm in Pearse Stadium, with live coverage on RTÉ.
Making amends for last year’s defeat to Roscommon, Mayo have taken well to the delayed season and if this pair's last meeting in the League is anything to go by the green and red will be singing their way home.
At the same time, the weekend’s second Ulster football semi-final will take place in the Athletic Grounds in Armagh as Cavan and Down compete for the last spot in the final, with the match being shown on BBC Sport NI.
The weekend will end on a high as Limerick and Waterford compete for the Munster hurling title.
Semple Stadium is the venue for the 4pm throw-in and the Treaty county’s superb form this form makes another Limerick masterclass likely.
Waterford may have stunned Cork to get this far but that win may have shown their hand and Limerick’s depth of talented starters and super subs may be proven insurmountable for the Déise.
