A look at the weekend's events
Under-21 Hurling, All-Ireland Semi-finals
Today
Galway v Cork, Gaelic Grounds, 3.30pm: A sneak preview perhaps of next month's senior final, but a fascinating clash in its own right. Galway boast four seniors from last Sunday's classic win over Kilkenny, with David Collins and Niall Healy starters and Ger Mahon and Aengus Callinan among the substitutes.
Cork, however, looked very impressive in their Munster final win over Tipperary. There are two changes from that team, with Eoin Cadogan coming into midfield and Kevin Canty at right half forward in place of the injured Ronan Conway, and they may just have the extra momentum to get past Galway this time.
CORK: A Nash; P Fitzgerald, D McSweeney, E O'Sullivan; S O'Neill, K Hartnett, S Cronin; B Barry, E Cadogan; K Canty, M Naughton, S O'Sullivan; M O'Sullivan, M Cussen, D Dorris.
GALWAY: A Ryan; P Flynn, A Gaynor, K Briscoe; G Mahon, B Cullinane, A Garvey; B Lucas, D Collins; J Gantley, A Callinan, E Ryan; K Burke, N Healy, K Wade.
Kilkenny v Antrim, Navan, 4.30pm: Antrim manager Tom McLean admits fearing a backlash by this Kilkenny team, which features John Tennyson, Eoin Larkin and Richie Power, who all played with the senior team in last Sunday's defeat to Galway.
Ciarán Hoyne, Michael Rice, James Fitzpatrick and Willie O'Dwyer are also senior panellists and members of last year's All-Ireland-winning team - and Antrim's main exercise of the afternoon will be damage limitation.
KILKENNY: D Fogarty; D Cody, J Tennyson, S Maher; J Dalton, PJ Delaney, C Hoyne; M Rice, M Fennelly; J Fitzpatrick, A Murphy, E Larkin; E Reid, R Power, W O'Dwyer.
Minor Football, All-Ireland Semi-finals
Today
Offaly v Down, Navan, 6pm: Offaly were considered a decent team until the Leinster final, when Laois wiped the floor with them. They regrouped before going down to Portlaoise and catching the Munster champions, Cork, cold.
Down are a different case altogether. They lost the Ulster final in Croke Park to Armagh because of their inability to hit a barn door, 12 wides on the day. They dusted themselves off to account for the Connacht champions, Galway.
Richard Dalton leads a sturdy Offaly team from centre back, but Down boast quality in forwards Ciarán Brannigan and Martin Clarke.
OFFALY: D Bracken; J Guinan, D Larkin, D Horan; J Knight, R Dalton, G Grehan; R Connor, R Brady; N Darby, C Mahon, S Lonergan; M Mulhall, P Duffy, K Casey.
DOWN: M McAlister; G Magee, C Garvey, H Magee; G McCartan, E McConville, K Duffin; J Colgan, P Fitzpatrick; D Lavery, M Clarke, S Grant; C Brannigan, R Kelly, P McCumiskey.
Tomorrow
Kerry v Mayo, Croke Park, 1.45pm: Mayo's fine crop of footballers have already outclassed a competent Armagh side that seemed destined to add to their Ulster title.
However, Kerry matched this by overcoming a talented Laois side in their quarter-final, with manager Seán Geaney learning several lessons from the Munster final defeat to Cork. Killian Young was moved from corner to full back while Michael Moloney was given the freedom of centre back. The two six-foot-plus midfielders, Kieran Brennan and Alan O'Sullivan, will guarantee possession.
As ever, the threat comes from an array of talented Kerry forwards. Captain Michael O'Donoghue, Paddy Curran and free-taker Paul Curran all return from the team that lost last year's final to Tyrone. Forward Kieran O'Leary proved his worth recently by eclipsing Dr Crokes clubmate Colm Cooper with a hat-trick in a local match.
KERRY: G Kissane; C O'Mahony, K Young, S Enright; G Duffy, M Moloney, S Lynch; K Brennan, A O'Sullivan; J Falvey, M O'Donoghue, P Curran; T Garvey, P O'Connor, K O'Leary.
MAYO: S Nallen; P Healy, G Caverty, D Conway; C Barrett, T Cunniffe, D Hughes; P Collins, P Hanley; A Campbell, D O'Connor, P O'Connor; R O'Boyle, D Kilcullen, G O'Boyle.
Women's Football, All-Ireland SFC - Quarter-finals
Today
Dublin v Tyrone, Croke Park, 12.45pm: Dublin go into this game - which is live on RTÉ 2 - as favourites after claiming their fourth Leinster title in succession this year. Manager John O'Leary has made several changes to the team that lost the All-Ireland final to Galway last year. Louise Kidd, Avril Cluxton, Niamh Masterson and Joanne O'Sullivan have been introduced and have added much-needed freshness.
Tyrone's form this year has been mixed. Most observers expected Donegal to qualify out of Ulster, but John McAleer's team battled when it mattered. The wide-open spaces of Croke Park will not suit Tyrone, who will need Maura Kelly and Maeve McGurk to dominate midfield if they are to stand a chance.
Cork v Meath, Portlaoise, 2.30pm: Cork have rightly been installed as one of the favourites for the Brendan Martin Cup after winning their second successive Munster title and claiming the league title already this season.
Meath had to beat Laois twice to qualify out of Leinster and that was a considerable achievement. However, the feeling is that this Meath team is a work in progress.
Galway v Kerry, Gaelic Grounds, 2pm: Kerry, once nine-in-a-row All-Ireland winners in women's football, are going through a fallow period. The loss of Kacey O'Driscoll to international soccer duty is a massive blow and the manner of defeat to Cork in the Munster final showed how far behind the All-Ireland challengers Kerry are.
There were rumours of Galway's demise before they took on Roscommon, but a huge victory in that game and the Connacht final against Mayo showed the champions are back to their best, or even better.
Tomorrow
Monaghan v Mayo, St Loman's Mullingar, 2.30pm: This should be the game of the weekend with Ulster champions Monaghan drawing the short straw to play 2003 champions and this year's Connacht runners up Mayo. This game is make or break for both teams.
Ian O'Riordan & Gavin Cummiskey
