23 Inter-county Senior games on Saturday, 2 on Sunday!

[Saffron exile]

From BreakingNews.ie:

Next Saturday will see an incredible 23 senior inter-county football and hurling matches take place around the country, including the All-Ireland SHC qualifier double header of Cork against Galway and Waterford playing Offaly in Thurles.

The recently redeveloped Semple Stadium will play host to the two fourth phase qualifiers, which were teed up at last evening's draw in Limerick.

The Waterford/ Offaly game will get things rolling at 5pm and the Cork/Galway clash has a 7pm throw-in. Both games will be broadcast live on RTE.

Increasing the expected drama and tension, there will be extra-time if necessary in all 23 of Saturday's senior fixtures.

Saturday afternoon and evening will see all eight of the All-Ireland football first round qualifier matches take place.

The pick of those games, the all-Ulster meeting of Monaghan and Derry at Clones will be shown live by TV3 (throw-in 3pm).

Elsewhere, recently dethroned Connacht champions Sligo will take on London in the first round of the Tommy Murphy Cup.

The second tier football competition also has three other games down for decision including the clash of Waterford and last year's winners Wicklow.

Meanwhile, the hurlers of Antrim and Laois will slug it out on Saturday afternoon in their Liam McCarthy Cup relegation play-off tie.

The losers of that game will face another play-off against the 2008 Christy Cup champions to decide who will feature in next year's Liam McCarthy Cup competition.

Also on the hurling front on Saturday, the quarter-finals in the Christy Ring Cup and Nicky Rackard Cup will be played out.

Last year's finalists, Westmeath and Kildare, will square off in the last-eight of the Ring Cup, while there are four Ulster teams, including South Down, left in contention in the Rackard Cup.

The newly-formed Fingal side will be hoping to maintain their run in the competition when they entertain Leitrim at Parnell Park.

Interestingly, none of the remaining teams have won the Rackard Cup to date. Louth came closest when they lost to London in the inaugural 2005 final.

Sunday's GAA action - just the Leinster and Ulster football finals - is relatively sedate when compared with Saturday's blitz of games.

GAA - WEEKEND'S FIXTURES:

SATURDAY, JULY 19:

FOOTBALL:

GAA FOOTBALL ALL-IRELAND SECOND CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS - ROUND 1 - Limerick v Meath, Gaelic Grounds, 7pm Longford v Laois, Pearse Park, 7pm Kildare v Cavan, Newbridge, 7pm Offaly v Down, Tullamore, 7pm Louth v Tyrone, Drogheda, 7pm Tipperary v Westmeath, Ardfinnan, 3pm Donegal v Roscommon, Ballybofey, 5pm Monaghan v Derry, Clones, 3pm (live TV3)

TOMMY MURPHY CUP -
ROUND 1 -
London v Sligo, Ruislip, throw-in tbc
Antrim v Carlow, Casement Park, 3.30pm
Clare v Leitrim, Ennis, 7pm
Wicklow v Waterford, Aughrim, 7pm

HURLING:

GAA HURLING ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS - ROUND 4 - Waterford v Offaly, Thurles, 5pm (live RTE) Cork v Galway, Thurles, 7pm (live RTE)

GAA HURLING ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP RELEGATION PLAY-OFF - Antrim v Laois, Pairc Tailteann, 2.30pm

CHRISTY RING CUP QUARTER-FINALS -
Wicklow v Mayo, Aughrim, 5pm
Down v Derry, Newry, 3pm
Kerry v Carlow, Tralee, 3pm
Kildare v Westmeath, Newbridge, 5pm

NICKY RACKARD CUP QUARTER-FINALS -
Fingal v Leitrim, Parnell Park, 3pm
South Down v Louth, Newry, 1pm
Monaghan v Cavan, Clones, 1pm
Sligo v Tyrone, Markievicz Park, 3pm

SUNDAY, JULY 20:

FOOTBALL:

ULSTER GAA FOOTBALL SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL - Fermanagh v Armagh, Clones, 2pm (live TV3)

LEINSTER GAA FOOTBALL SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL - Dublin v Wexford, Croke Park, 4pm (live RTE)

[AZOffaly]

Beautiful. Offaly play a hurling qualifier in Thurles at 5 pm, and a football qualifier in Tullamore at 7 pm. I suppose it's a good complaint to have, but looks like a hard choice has to be made. Thurles to Tullamore in less than half an hour is stretching it a bit.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Big call, suppose will come down to whether your a bigger football or hurling fan. One option is to watch the hurling live on rte at 5 and then head to football at the end of the hurling game. Tyrone supporters can head to Sligo for the hurling at 3 and then make it it to Drogheda for football at  7.

[KIDDO 4]

Yes, according to theAA journey is 124.7 miles and will take 3 hours and 4 minutes.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Anyone by any chance know what the traffic will be like between Ardfinnan and the turn off for Thurles around 4.30 on Sat (route encompasses Caher and Cashel) Presume most of the west Waterford support will be going through Caher and then there's de Webels as well, will they head early to sample the atmosphere or leave it as late as possible???

[Uladh]

Big call, suppose will come down to whether your a bigger football or hurling fan...

Or maybe which one brings the more chance of a victory?

[Onlooker]

Anyone by any chance know what the traffic will be like between Ardfinnan and the turn off for Thurles around 4.30 on Sat (route encompasses Caher and Cashel) Presume most of the west Waterford support will be going through Caher and then there's de Webels as well, will they head early to sample the atmosphere or leave it as late as possible???

There should not be any great problems in Cahir or Cashel.   When you come into Cahir from Ardfinnan you can get on to the main Dublin Road at the Roundabout on the Tipperary or Limerick road.   As Cashel is also bypassed there will be no delay there and although the road will be busy as far as Horse & Jockey the traffic will be moving fairly well.

[The Real Laoislad]

Beautiful. Offaly play a hurling qualifier in Thurles at 5 pm, and a football qualifier in Tullamore at 7 pm. I suppose it's a good complaint to have, but looks like a hard choice has to be made. Thurles to Tullamore in less than half an hour is stretching it a bit.

Ain't that some balls...Typical from the Gaa though,and then they wonder about falling attendances at matches 
If i was you i'd go to the Hurling,Probably more chance of winning football than Hurling (or maybe not) but i reckon the Hurling will be a better game

[Aaron Boone]

Some of the qualifers should have been on last weekend. I've never seen such a mid-summer lull as this year. There seems to be a move to 'protect' Sunday provincial final fixtures as sacrosant and untouchable. Why do Offaly fans have to make a choice on the Saturday, or Laois?

Longford lost their 1st round Leinster tie on May 11th and are only out again this weekend.

[SLIGONIAN]

Beautiful. Offaly play a hurling qualifier in Thurles at 5 pm, and a football qualifier in Tullamore at 7 pm. I suppose it's a good complaint to have, but looks like a hard choice has to be made. Thurles to Tullamore in less than half an hour is stretching it a bit.

Fair play to your hurlers last week, intense display but Ive a feeling that being on tv and footballers playing at home, may sway fans as they can see both teams that way. AZ just on another point there was only a handful there on sat night. Yee obviously were as shocked as limerick at the level of performance.

[Farrandeelin]

Next Saturday will see an incredible 23 senior inter-county football and hurling matches take place around the country, including the All-Ireland SHC qualifier double header of Cork against Galway and Waterford playing Offaly in Thurles.

No wonder attendances are dropping in all fairness. If most of these were held on Sunday people might decide to go instead of working on Saturdays.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Next Saturday will see an incredible 23 senior inter-county football and hurling matches take place around the country, including the All-Ireland SHC qualifier double header of Cork against Galway and Waterford playing Offaly in Thurles.


No wonder attendances are dropping in all fairness. If most of these were held on Sunday people might decide to go instead of working on Saturdays.

I've never understood why qualifiers aren't better spread out between Saturdays and Sundays, particularly when Sundays are proven to attract much better attendances. Also wasn't there a proposal last year that Friday nights would be utlised for some matches this season?

Some of the qualifers should have been on last weekend. I've never seen such a mid-summer lull as this year. There seems to be a move to 'protect' Sunday provincial final fixtures as sacrosant and untouchable.

I think the lack of fixtures over the past couple of weeks has been more to do with giving counties a chance to run off club competitions. Or at least that was the attention. In my own county players haven't even been allowed to play a single league match in the 3 weeks between the Ulster semi-final and final and I think Fermanagh is the same over a four week period.

Has there been any confirmation of what will happen if a qualifier ends up a draw after extra time on Saturday? Will the next round be postponed or are they going to go for a midweek replay?

[Croí na hÉireann]

Anyone by any chance know what the traffic will be like between Ardfinnan and the turn off for Thurles around 4.30 on Sat (route encompasses Caher and Cashel) Presume most of the west Waterford support will be going through Caher and then there's de Webels as well, will they head early to sample the atmosphere or leave it as late as possible???

There should not be any great problems in Cahir or Cashel.   When you come into Cahir from Ardfinnan you can get on to the main Dublin Road at the Roundabout on the Tipperary or Limerick road.   As Cashel is also bypassed there will be no delay there and although the road will be busy as far as Horse & Jockey the traffic will be moving fairly well.

Thanks Onlooker, half an hour quicker back to Dublin that way than through Kilkenny according to Google maps so was just wondering would that be negated by traffic. Time is of the essence...

[scalder]

Surely this weekend should be hyped to the heavens, like Sky with their "Super Sunday" - I really do dispair for the GAA marketing department because if they can't sell this weekend they should give up!

[Hardy]

That would be a good start - get a marketing department.