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Irish Mirror

Sport

Karl O'Kane

Weekend GAA club championship fixtures and what games you can watch on TV

Munster (Organization) NEMO (Organization) Football Malachy ORourke Ireland AllIreland Kilcoo Leinster Nemo Rangers Ulster

Nemo Rangers and Clonmel Commercials have history - and plenty of it - going into Saturday night's Munster quarter-final encounter at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

The Cork and Tipperary champions will do battle with their record standing at one win apiece - both in Munster finals.

Nemo will strongly feel that it should be 2-0 to them and they’ll be favourites here. The city side hammered Clonmel 0-15 to 0-6 in the 2019 Munster final at Fraher Field.

Four years earlier at Mallow, Commercials snatched the 2015 Munster crown from Nemo’s grasp in stoggage time with a Michael Quinlivan goal.

Clonmel went on to take Dublin’s Ballyboden St. Enda’s to extra-time in the All-Ireland semi-final before losing out to the eventual winners.

Luke Connolly was on fire in the 2019 encounter, hitting five points from play in a seven point haul, and the Cork forward is bang in form again.

So are Nemo, as the 1-16 to 2-9 win over St. Finbarr’s in the County final showed.

The victory was much more comprehensive than the scoreline suggests with Nemo leading by 1-13 to 0-6 at one stage. Conor Horgan hit 1-3.

Munster also has quarter-final football action on Sunday with Clare’s Eire Og hosting Waterford’s the Nire at Cusack Park, Ennis.

There’s quarter-final action in Connacht on Sunday as well, where Lee Keegan’s Westport face Sean Kelly’s Moycullen in one of the biggest games of the day.

Moycullen’s Peter Cooke scored a last gasp goal to break the hearts of John O’Mahony’s Salthill-Knocknacarra in the Galway County final and set up the Castlebar encounter with the Mayo champions.

Westport are coming off the back of a first ever county senior title, after eight previous decider defeats.

Five years ago they landed the All-Ireland intermediate title at Croke Park.

In Connacht football action, Leitrim’s St. Mary’s travel to Ruislip to face London’s St. Kiernan’s in quarter-final action.

St. Kiernan’s are back to back London champions and have three senior titles to their name.

In Ulster, all four quarter-final ties take place with two standing out.

The meeting of All-Ireland champions Kilcoo and Monaghan’s Ballybay Pearses, who were impressive winners over Crossmaglen Rangers last time out, is a potential cracker.

Clones will host the tie on Sunday, with Ballybay, who broke the stranglehold of Scotstown in the Monaghan Championship, hoping to add a third big scalp inside a month.

Dessie Ward is their driving force, while they also have the Wylie brothers and the evergreen Paul Finlay.

Meanwhile, Derry’s Glen face Tyrone’s Errigal Ciaran at Celtic Park.

Errigal have serious firepower in the shape of the Canavan brothers - Darragh and Ruairi - and Peter Harte.

They may have an edge here, but Glen have some massive players in the likes of Conor Glass, Ethan Doherty and Emmett Bradley.

Former Monaghan manager Malachy O'Rourke (©INPHO/Tommy Dickson)

Malachy O’Rourke, who lives in Ballygawley where Errigal are based, is one of the most capable operators at this level and will know the opposition inside out.

Elsewhere in Ulster, Antrim’s Cargin host Donegal’s Naomh Conaill at Corrigan Park.

Cargin have consistently struggled to make any impact at this level, while Glenties were beaten in the 2010 and 2019 finals by Crossmaglen and Kilcoo respectively.

The final quarter-final tie sees Fermanagh’s Enniskillen Gaels at home to Cavan’s Gowna at Brewster Park on Saturday night.

Gowna recently claimed a first Cavan title in 20 years, while Enniskillen bridged a 16 year gap.

HURLING

The hurling action is relatively low-key this weekend with four Leinster quarter-finals taking place.

On Saturday, Kildare’s Naas take on Offaly’s Shinroe at Newbridge. Naas exited the Leinster football championship at the hands of Kilmacud Crokes last weekend.

All-Ireland finalists from earlier this year, Ballyhale Shamrocks, face Westmeath’s Castletown-Geoghan at Nowlan Park.

Elsewhere, Carlow’s St. Mullin’s face Wexford winners Ferns St. Aidan’s, who haven’t played a competitive game since their county final win back on August 14.

And the final tie of the round sees Dublin’s Kilmacud Crokes face Laois side Clough-Ballacolla, who defeated them last year.

THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES

SATURDAY

Connacht Club SFC Quarter-final

St Kiernan's (London) v St Mary's Kiltoghert (Leitrim), Ruislip, 1.30pm

Munster Club SFC Quarter-final

Nemo Rangers (Cork) v Clonmel Commercials (Tipperary), Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 7.15pm - RTE2

Ulster Club SFC Quarter-final

Enniskillen Gaels (Fermanagh) v Gowna (Cavan), Brewster Park, 7pm

Leinster Club SHC Quarter-final

Naas (Kildare) v Shinrone (Offaly), Newbridge, 1.30pm

Sunday