Dubs and Meath Renew Familiar Rivalry

LEINSTER, ULSTER BRING CURTAIN DOWN ON PROVINCIAL CAMPAIGNS

With Kerry and Mayo having retained the GAA football Munster and Connacht senior championship respectively, the focus switches to Leinster and Ulster, who stage their finals next Sunday. There’s also All-Ireland qualifier action on Saturday. The full programme is as follows:

Saturday

• All-Ireland qualifiers Round 3B
• Roscommon v Armagh, Dr. Hyde Park, 5.0
• Clare v Kildare, Cusack Park, Ennis, 7.0

Sunday

• Leinster SF final: Dublin v Meath, Croke Park, 2.0
• Ulster SF final: Donegal v Monaghan, Clones, 4.0

DUBLIN v MEATH

They meet in the Leinster final for a third successive year, with Dublin having won the last two. Dublin have won six, drawn one and lost one of their last eight championship clashes with Meath since 2002. The Royals’ only success came in the 2010 Leinster semi-final. Dublin are bidding for a fourth successive Leinster title and a ninth in ten years. Their only defeat in Leinster since the start of the 2005 championship came against Meath in 2010, the year the Royals last won the title when they beat Louth in the final. Both Dublin and Meath have recorded very big scores in their two championship games to date. Dublin’s total in their wins over Laois and Wexford was 4-46 while Meath’s total against Carlow and Kildare was 9-29.

Paths to the final

Dublin 2-21 Laois 0-16

Dublin 2-25 Wexford 1-12

Dublin scorers:

• Cormac Costello.....................1-8
• Paul Flynn..............................1-5
• Dean Rock.............................0-7 (0-7 frees)
• Diarmuid Connolly.................1-3 (0-1 free)
• Michael Darragh Macauley...1-1
• Stephen Cluxton.....................0-3 (0-3‘45s’)
• Eoghan O’Gara.....................0-3
• Paul Mannion....................0-3
• Kevin McManamon...............0-2
• Tomas Brady......................0-2
• Alan Brogan........................0-2
• Bernard Brogan....................0-1
• Peadar Andrews....................0-1
• James McCarthy...................0-1
• Bryan Cullen........................0-1
• Cian O’Sullivan...................0-1
• Philly McMahon.................0-1
• Nicky Devereux.................0-1

Paths to the final

Meath 7-13 Carlow 0-6

Meath 2-16 Kildare 0-17

Meath scorers:

• Andrew Tormey................2-7 (1-0 penalty, 0-2 frees)
• Mickey Newman...............3-2 (1-0 penalty)
• Stephen Bray....................1-4
• Dalton McDonagh............2-0
• Brian McMahon...............1-1
• Paddy O’Rourke..............0-2 (0-1 free, 0-1 ‘45’)
• Damien Carroll................0-3
• Shane O’Rourke..............0-3 (0-1 free)
• Seamus Kenny ................0-2
• Graham Reilly.................0-1
• Donncha Tobin................0-1
• Mark O’Sullivan.............0-1
• David Bray......................0-1
• Joe Wallace.....................0-1

Last Five Championship Clashes

2013: Dublin 2-15 Meath 0-14 (Leinster final)

2012: Dublin 2-13 Meath 1-13 (Leinster final)

2010: Meath 5-9 Dublin 0-13 (Leinster semi-final)

2009: Dublin 0-14 Meath 0-12 (Leinster quarter-final)

2007: Dublin 0-16 Meath 0-12 (Leinster quarter-final) Replay

Last Five Leinster Final Clashes

2013: Dublin 2-15 Meath 0-14

2012: Dublin 2-13 Meath 1-13

2001: Meath 2-11 Dublin 0-14

1999: Meath 1-14 Dublin 0-12

1996: Meath 0-10 Dublin 0-8

Leinster title wins

Dublin 52 (1891-92-94-96-97-98-99-1901-02-04-06-07-08-20-21-22-23-24-32-33-34-41-42-55-58-59-62-63-65-74-75-76-77-78-79-83-84-85-89-92-93-94-95-2002-2005-2006-2007-2008-2009-2011-2012-2013).

Meath 21 (1895-1939-40-47-49-51-52-54-64-66-67-70-86-87-88-90-91-96-99-2001-2010)

DONEGAL V MONAGHAN

They meet in the Ulster final for a second successive year. Monaghan beat Donegal by six points in last year’s final. Monaghan are seeking their 16th Ulster title while Donegal, who recorded their first double in 2011-2012, are pursuing their 8th title. The sides have already met twice in the Division 2 of the Allianz League this year, with Donegal winning the group game by 2-11 to 0-10 in Letterkenny but Monaghan gained revenge in the final in Croke Park, winning by 1-16 t0 1-10. Monaghan have won their last five championship clashes between the counties, leaving Donegal seeking their first win since 1983.

Paths to the final

Donegal 1-11 Derry 0-11

Donegal 3-16 Antrim 0-12

Donegal scorers:

• Leo McLoone.............3-3
• Michael Murphy.........0-7 (0-3 frees, 0-1 sideline, 0-1 ‘45’)
• Darach O’Connor......1-3
• Dermot Molloy...........1-1
• Odran MacNiallais...0-4
• Christy Toye.............0-3
• Colm McFadden........0-2
• Karl Lacey.................0-1
• Anthony Thompson...0-1
• Paddy McBrearty......0-1
• Martin McElhinney...0-1
• Monaghan 1-12 Tyrone 0-14
• Monaghan 0-14 Armagh 0-14
• Monaghan 1-18 Armagh 1-13 (Replay)

Monaghan scorers:

• Conor McManus...............1-15 (0-10 frees, 0-1 sideline)
• Rory Beggan...................0-9 (0-8 free, 0-1 ‘45’)
• Kieran Hughes..................0-4
• Dermot Malone................1-1
• Paul Finlay.....................0-3
• Stephen Gollogly.............0-3
• Dick Clerkin...................0-2
• Chris McGuinness.........0-2
• Darren Hughes...............0-2
• Fintan Kelly......................0-2
• Jack McCarron................0-1

Last Five Championship Clashes

2013: Monaghan 0-13 Donegal 0-7 (Ulster final)

2008: Monaghan 0-16 Donegal 0-15 (Round 2 qualifiers)

2007: Monaghan 2-12 Donegal 1-7 (Round 3 qualifiers)

1995: Monaghan 1-14 Donegal 0-8 (Ulster quarter-final)

1985: Monaghan 1-14 Donegal 0-7 (Ulster quarter-final)

Ulster title wins

Monaghan 15 (1888-1906-1914-1916-1917-1921-1922-1927-1929-1930-1938-1979-1985-1988-2013)

Donegal 7 (1972-1974-1983-1990-1992-2011-2013)

ROSCOMMON v ARMAGH

This will be their sixth championship clash. They last met in 2012 when Roscommon won an All-Ireland Round 1 qualifier clash by 1-11 to 1-9 in Dr. Hyde Park. The winners will play the losers of either the Leinster or Ulster finals in the next qualifier round.

2014 Championship

Armagh 1-12 Cavan 0-9 (Ulster quarter-final)

Armagh 0-14 Monaghan 0-14 (Ulster semi-final)

Monaghan 1-18 Armagh 1-13 (Ulster semi-final) Replay

Armagh 0-13 Tyrone 0-10 (All-Ireland Round 2 Qualifier)

Roscommon 1-18 Leitrim 0-13 (Connacht quarter-final)

Mayo 0-13 Roscommon 1-9 (Connacht semi-final)

Roscommon 0-16 Cavan 0-5 (All-Ireland qualifier)

Previous Championship Clashes

2012: Roscommon 1-11 Armagh 1-9 (All-Ireland Round 1 qualifier)

1980: Roscommon 2-20 Armagh 3-11 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1977: Armagh 0-15 Roscommon 0-14 (All-Ireland semi-final) Replay

1977: Armagh 3-9 Roscommon 2-12 (All-Ireland semi-final) Draw

1953: Armagh 0-8 Roscommon 0-7 (All-Ireland semi-final)

CLARE v KILDARE

This is the first championship between the counties. Kildare have an excellent record in the qualifiers over the last six years, reaching the All-Ireland quarter-final in 2008-09-10-11-12, prior to losing to Tyrone in the third round last year. After losing to Meath in the Leinster semi-final last month, they got this year’s campaign back on track last Sunday when beating Down by 1-18 to 0-11 in Newry. It leaves their qualifier record since the start of 2008 as follows: Played 18, Won 16, Drew 1, Lost 1. Clare, who lost to Kerry in the Munster semi-final, also re-launched their ambitions with a 4-26 to 2-13 win over Carlow in Dr Cullen Park. Their 4-26 score is the highest in the football championship so far this year. Their win over Carlow was their first in the qualifiers since 2006 when they beat Antrim in the opening round.

2014 Championship

Clare 2-8 Waterford 2-8 (Munster quarter-final)

Clare 3-11 Waterford 0-12 (Munster quarter-final) Replay

Kerry 1-17 Clare 1-13 (Munster semi-final)

Clare 4-26 Carlow 2-13 (All-Ireland qualifier Round 2)

Kildare 1-22 Louth 1-7 (Leinster quarter-final)

Meath 2-16 Kildare 0-17 (Leinster semi-final)

Kildare 1-18 Down 0-11 (All-Ireland qualifier Round 2)

GAA FOOTBALL ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014

CONNACHT

Quarter-finals: May 4: Mayo 4-18 New York 0-8, Gaelic Park; May 18: Roscommon 1-18 Leitrim 0-13, Dr. Hyde Park; May 25: Galway 3-17 London 0-7, Ruislip.

Semi-finals: June 8: Mayo 0-13 Roscommon 1-9, Dr. Hyde Park; June 21: Galway 0-16 Sligo 0-11, Markievicz Park.

Final: July 13: Mayo 3-14 Galway 0-16, Castlebar.

LEINSTER

1st round: May 17: Louth 1-14 Westmeath 1-9, Cusack Park; May 18: Longford 0-19 Offaly 0-15, Glennon Brothers, Pearse Park; Laois 0-21 Wicklow 1-11, Aughrim.

Quarter-finals: June 7: Wexford 1-15 Longford 1-13, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park; June 8: Kildare 1-22 Louth 1-7, Croke Park; Dublin 2-21 Laois 0-16, Croke Park; June 15: Meath 7-13 Carlow 0-6, Dr. Cullen Park.

Semi-finals: June 29: Dublin2-25 Wexford 1-12, Croke Park; Meath 2-16 Kildare 0-17, Croke Park.

Final: July 20: Dublin v Meath, Croke Park.

MUNSTER

Quarter-finals: May 31: Tipperary 2-14 Limerick 1-11 Gaelic Grounds; June 7: Clare 2-8 Waterford 2-8, Ennis; June 14: Clare 3-11 Waterford 0-12, Fraher Field (replay).

Semi-finals: June 21: Cork 0-16 Tipperary 1-11, Pairc Ui Chaoimh; June 22: Kerry 1-17 Clare 1-13, Ennis.

Final: July 6: Kerry 0-24 Cork 0-12 Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

ULSTER

1st round: May 18: Tyrone 2-11 Down 3-8, Omagh; May 24: Tyrone 3-11 Down 0-12 (replay), Newry

Quarter-finals: May 25: Donegal 1-11 Derry 0-11, Celtic Park; June 1: Antrim 2-18 Fermanagh 3-13, Brewster Park; June 8: Armagh 1-12 Cavan 0-9, Athletic Grounds; June 15: Monaghan 1-12 Tyrone 0-14, Clones.

Semi-finals: June 22: Donegal 3-16 Antrim 0-12, Clones; June 28: Monaghan 0-14 Armagh 0-14, Clones; July 6: Monaghan 1-18 Armagh 1-13, Clones.

July 20: Final: Donegal v Monaghan, Clones.

ALL-IRELAND QUALIFIERS

Round 1: June 21: 1A: Limerick 1-16 London 1-13, Gaelic Grounds; Longford 2-16 Derry 2-14, Celtic Park; Laois1-19 Fermanagh 2-15, Portlaoise; Wicklow 3-12 Offaly 0-17, Aughrim; June 28: IB: Cavan 1-15 Westmeath 1-14, Kingspan Breffni Park; Tyrone 2-21 Louth 0-10; Omagh; Carlow 0-17 Waterford 1-13, Dr. Cullen Park; June 29: Down 4-18 Leitrim 0-9, Newry.

Round 2: July 5: 2A: Tipperary 2-17 Longford 0-6, Thurles; Sligo 0-12 Wicklow 0-10, Aughrim; Limerick 3-11Antrim 0-15, Gaelic Grounds; July 6: Laois 0-18 Wexford 0-17, Wexford Park.

July 12: 2B: Roscommon 0-16 Cavan 0-5, Kingspan Breffni Park; 3A: Sligo 0-12 Limerick 0-10, Markievicz Park; Tipperary 3-17 Laois 4-9, Portlaoise.

July 13: 2B: Kildare 1-18 Down 0-11, Newry; Clare 4-26 Carlow 2-13, Dr. Cullen Park; Armagh 0-13 Tyrone 0-10, Omagh.

July 19: 3B: Roscommon v Armagh, Dr. Hyde Park; Clare v Kildare, Ennis.

Round 4: July 26: 4A: Galway v Tipperary, Tullamore; Cork v Sligo, Tullamore; Aug 2/3/4: 4B (two games).

ALL-IRELAND QUARTER-FINALS

August 2/3/4: Kerry v 4A qualifiers; Mayo v 4A qualifiers; August 9: Leinster winners v Qualifiers; Ulster winners v Qualifiers.

ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINALS

August 24: Connacht (or qualifier) v Munster (or qualifier), Croke Park.

August 31: Leinster (or qualifier) v Munster (or qualifier), Croke Park.

ALL-IRELAND FINAL

September 21: Croke Park.