Such is the now super-condensed schedule of championship matches that RTÉ have opted to use all three available channels this Sunday – consigning All-Ireland football champions Dublin to RTÉ News Now in the process.
Their 3.30pm meeting with Roscommon in Croke Park is the only “dead rubber” across the final four games of the football Super 8s. In Sunday’s other live game in Group 2 (RTÉ One, also at 3.30pm), Donegal and Tyrone will face off at Ballybofey to decide who joins Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-finals.
Originally this Sunday’s Dublin-Roscommon game was down for RTÉ2, but the All-Ireland hurling semi-final replay between Galway and Clare now gets that slot, with a 2pm throw-in, and, given the further possibility of extra-time, that will avoid running over into the football.
RTÉ always had the rights to both of Sunday’s Group 2 Super 8 games, but the hurling replay effectively trumped Dublin-Roscommon. RTÉ News Now is available on all TV platforms in the Republic, including Sky, Virgin and Saorview, and online and on the RTÉ News Now app; in the North, however, it’s only available on Saorview, online and on the app.
Sky Sports have exclusive rights to Saturday’s remaining Group 1 games – Galway against Monaghan at Pearse Stadium (Sky Sports Action) and Kerry against Kildare at Fitzgerald (Sky Sports Arena) – which are also being played and broadcast simultaneously at 6pm.
Semi-final pairings
Ultimately those four games will decide the two All-Ireland semi-final pairings. Roscommon and Kildare are both out, Galway doing Kerry a favour by beating Kildare last Sunday week.
Kerry’s late draw against Monaghan on the same day still gives them plenty to play for against Kildare, but they’ll also need to swing a five-point scoring difference currently in Monaghan’s favour, unless Monaghan can either draw with or beat Galway, and with that bring them into a first semi-final since 1988.
Galway will still want to beat Monaghan in Pearse Stadium to stay atop that group and avoid the winners of Group Two (as in All-Ireland champions Dublin, unless something goes wrong against Roscommon). Dublin’s semi-final has been scheduled for the following Saturday, August 11th (Dublin v Galway/Monaghan/Kerry), meaning Dublin will have just a six-day turnaround.
If Dublin and Galway both win, Galway will be against either Tyrone or Donegal, the runners-up in Group 2. A draw would be enough for Tyrone, who have a far superior scoring difference to Donegal (+15 versus +2); however, Donegal have gone 21 games unbeaten in league and championship at Ballybofey since the 2010 Ulster quarter-final, when Down beat them after extra-time. Tyrone haven’t won a championship match at the venue since 1973.
All-ticket affair
That game is headed for a 16,500 sell-out, MacCumhaill Park’s capacity reduced from 18,000 to 16,500 after being made an all-ticket affair.
“There’s tremendous interest in the game,” Donegal chairman Mick McGrath told the BBC. “Both teams have come through a rebuilding period and both have improved from last year. The two counties received a similar number of tickets distributed through the clubs, but it is hard to gauge where all the online sales have gone. I’d imagine it will be around a 50-50 split in terms of crowd attendance.”
Whoever emerges there will play their All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park on Sunday August 12th (Galway/Monaghan v Donegal/Tyrone) at 3.30. In the event of teams finishing on equal points, groups shall be decided by the following means and in the order specified: (i) Where two teams only are involved, the outcome of the meeting of the two teams in the group; (ii) score difference; (iii) highest total score for; (iv) highest total goals for; (v) a play-off.
Tyrone full back Ronan McNamee remains the main injury doubt for manager Mickey Harte, having injured his ankle in the narrow loss to Dublin last Saturday week, while Donegal will be without Paddy McBrearty and Eoin Bán Gallagher.
Win a house for Meath
The Meath county board has announced plans to raise €1.5 million for the redevelopment at Páirc Tailteann by way of a draw for three new family homes. The Royal House Draw, which is being run in association with Glenveagh Properties, will see three draws take place over the next 15 months, with a new three-bed semi-detached home valued at €275,000 to be won in each case. The board has planning permission for the full redevelopment of Páirc Tailteann to a 21,000 all-seater stadium; phase one of the redevelopment will be the provision of a new 7,000-seater stand, the restoration of the floodlights and a small realignment of the pitch.
Dublin-Roscommon crowd to hit 20,000
According to the GAA, some 15,000 tickets for the Dublin-Roscommon game have already been sold, long-term tickets likely to push that attendance somewhere above 20,000.
GAA FIXTURES
Saturday
All-Ireland SFC quarter-final phase 3: Galway v Monaghan, Pearse Stadium, 6pm (Sky); Kerry v Kildare, Fitzgerald Stadium, 6pm (Sky)
All-Ireland U21HC semi-final: Cork v Wexford, Nowlan Park, 4pm (TG4)
Sunday
All-Ireland SHC semi-final replay: Galway v Clare, Semple Stadium, 2pm (RTÉ2/Sky)
All-Ireland SFC quarter-final phase 3: Donegal v Tyrone, Ballybofey, 3.30pm (RTÉ One); Dublin v Roscommon, Croke Park, 3.30pm (RTÉ News Now)
All-Ireland U20FC final: Kildare v Mayo, Croke Park, 1.15pm (TG4)
