Setanta to show live Irish Celtic ties

TV coverage: Setanta Sports will screen live the Celtic League matches in which all four Irish provinces take part this weekend…

 TV coverage: Setanta Sports will screen live the Celtic League matches in which all four Irish provinces take part this weekend. Connacht are first into action on Friday when they travel to take on the Dragons at Rodney Parade (7.10).

This match will be broadcast again in full on the Saturday ahead of what promises to be a rugby marathon. Setanta will first screen Ulster's game against the Glasgow Warriors at Ravenhill (3.30) and will then head for Stradey Park, where Leinster take on the in-form Llanelli Scarlets (5.30).

Finally Setanta will broadcast live the clash between table-toppers Munster and their closest pursuers, Edinburgh, from Murrayfield (7.30).

The station have also outlined their schedule for the Leinster Schools' Senior Cup. They will transmit 20 Leinster Schools' fixtures in 2006, beginning with the first-round clash between arch-rivals Blackrock College and Terenure College at Donnybrook on Sunday, January 29th. The matches will not be broadcast live but will be shown in their entirety later that night.

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Last season's audience figures confirmed the coverage as extremely popular for the sports channel. The quarter-final, semi-final and final games will also be shown exclusively on Setanta Sports.

CONFIRMED GAMES

Sun, Jan 29th: Leinster Schools' Senior Cup first round: Blackrock College v Terenure College (7.30).

Mon, Jan 30th: Leinster Schools' Senior Cup first round: Pres Bray v St Michael's College (7.30).

Tues, Jan 31st: Leinster Schools' Senior Cup first round: St Gerard's School v St Mary's College (7.30).

Wed, Feb 1st: Leinster Schools' Senior Cup first round: Castleknock College v Qualifier 4 (7.30).

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan is an Irish Times sports writer