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All-Ireland quarter-finals - all you need to know

If you were planning a nice, quiet trip to Dublin, this weekend is not for you.

While the buzz and colour of All-Ireland quarter-final weekend would normally be sufficient to give the city an early-summer buzz, there is also the small matter of a few Taylor Swift gigs, with some 150,000 fans set to descend on the Aviva Stadium over the three-show run.

The last time the pop megastar graced Ireland, in 2018, she played Croke Park. Her spectacular 'Eras' show will light up Lansdowne Road instead this weekend, with the GAA's headquarters soundtracked by the familiar agony and ecstasy of knockout football.

After an exciting batch of preliminary quarter-finals last week, which produced everything from penalties to big shocks, championship fever is as high as it's been all year with just eight contenders left for the Sam Maguire.

But in the off-chance that Taylor Swift has knocked the football off your timelines this week, here is everything you need to know about the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Who is playing and when are the games?

All four quarter-finals are at Croke Park:

  • Saturday - Armagh v Roscommon, 16:00 BST

  • Saturday - Dublin v Galway, 18:15

  • Sunday - Donegal v Louth, 13:15

  • Sunday - Kerry v Derry, 15:15

Has the semi-final draw been made?

No. If a draw is required, it will take place on Sunday night.

A draw may or not be required depending on the All-Ireland quarter-final results and whether or not prospective semi-finalists have met one another earlier in the championship or not.

So, if Armagh reach the semi-finals, they cannot face: Donegal, Derry or Galway

If Derry reach the semi-finals, they cannot face: Armagh, Donegal or Galway

If Donegal reach the semi-finals, they cannot face: Armagh or Derry

If Dublin reach the semi-finals, they cannot face: Louth or Roscommon

If Galway reach the semi-finals, they cannot face: Armagh or Derry

If Kerry reach the semi-finals, they cannot face: Louth

If Louth reach the semi-finals, they cannot face: Dublin or Kerry

If Roscommon reach the semi-finals, they cannot face: Dublin

Got all that? Good.

Armagh vs Roscommon - Orchard out to end 19-year wait

Conor Turbitt, Stefan Campbell and Rian O'Neill pictured after Armagh defeats
Armagh suffered gut-wrenching penalty shootout defeats in the 2022 and 2023 quarter-finals [Getty Images]

Losing the Ulster final on penalties for the second year running would break a lot of teams.

But not Armagh, who have bounced back commendably from a heartbreaking loss to Donegal in Clones six weeks ago.

Instead of wallowing, the Orchard men dusted themselves off, topped a tough-looking group that included Derry and Galway and are eyeing up a first All-Ireland semi-final since 2005.

But Kieran McGeeney's side will be wary of Roscommon, who went to Healy Park and stunned Tyrone last week.

And while Armagh may be hungry after a 19-year absence from the last four, the Rossies last contested a semi-final in 1991, and avoiding Kerry and Dublin in the draw will have only further buoyed Davy Burke's men.

Armagh have provided their fair share of quarter-final weekend drama over the past couple of years. They lost penalty shootouts to Galway in 2022 and Monaghan last year.

Surely they can't let this one slip past them?

Both sides make one change. Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney recalls Paddy Burns to the full-back line with Ciaran Higgins dropping out. Connaire Mackin is back in the squad after serving a one-game ban.

Roscommon's only change from the win over Tyrone sees Ronan Daly replace Dylan Ruane.

Armagh: Blaine Hughes; Paddy Burns, Aaron McKay, Peter McGrane; Barry McCambridge, Tiernan Kelly, Aidan Forker; Niall Grimley, Ben Crealey; Oisin Conaty, Rian O’Neill, Joe McElroy; Rory Grugan, Andrew Murnin, Conor Turbitt.

Subs: Ethan Rafferty, Connaire Mackin, Jason Duffy, Greg McCabe, Aidan Nugent, Oisin O'Neill, Stefan Campbell, Shane McPartlan, Ross McQuillan, Jarly Og Burns, Darragh McMullan.

Roscommon: Conor Carroll; Niall Higgins, Brian Stack, Robbie Dolan; David Murray, Ronan Daly, Eoin McCormack; Enda Smith, Ruaidhri Fallon; Ultan Harney, Diarmuid Murtagh, Shane Cunnane; Daire Cregg, Conor Cox, Donie Smith.

Subs: Colm Lavin, Niall Daly, Conor Hussey, Dylan Ruane, Keith Doyle, Andrew Glennon, Conor Hand, Adam McDermott, Tadhg O'Rourke, Cathal Heneghan, Ciaran Lennon.

Dublin vs Galway - Can Tribesmen claim rare win over Dubs?

A first championship meeting since 2018, many will have holders Dublin as favourites, although they were pushed all the way by Mayo in their final round-robin game, with Cormac Costello's last-gasp point earning the All-Ireland champions a draw.

Galway's record against the Dubs is less than impressive, though. They have lost their past seven championship encounters and have only won two from 10, the most recent of which came 90 years ago.

The Tribesmen's win over Monaghan last weekend also appeared to come at a price with star forward Shane Walsh limping off. However, the All-Star has been named to start on Saturday.

The Dubs have a habit of delivering in the latter stages of the championship though. You have to go all the way back to 2009 for the last time they lost a quarter-final.

Last year, they romped to a 2-17 to 0-11 win over Mayo. Galway should provide stiffer resistance, but it is hard to see Dublin's campaign ending on Saturday evening.

Dublin are unchanged, with a star-studded bench including Paul Mannion, Jack McCaffrey and James McCarthy.

As mentioned above, Walsh is fit enough to start as Padraic Joyce is able to call upon his big guns, including Damien Comer, who returned from injury against Monaghan last week.

Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Eoin Murchan, Michael Fitzsimons, Sean McMahon; Brian Howard, John Small, Sean Bugler; Brian Fenton, Tom Lahiff; Niall Scully, Cormac Costello, Ciaran Kilkenny; Paddy Small, Con O'Callaghan, Colm Basquel.

Subs: David O'Hanlon, Theo Clancy, Paul Mannion, Jack McCaffrey, James McCarthy, Greg McEneaney, Ross McGarry, Killian McGinnis, Daire Newcombe, Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne, Cian O'Connor, Lorcan O'Dell, Killian O'Gara.

Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Sean Mulkerrin; Paul Conroy, Sean Kelly; Matthew Tierney, John Maher, Cillian McDaid; Rob Finnerty, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh.

Subs: Conor Flaherty, John Daly, Eoghan Kelly, Daniel O'Flaherty, Kieran Molloy, Cian Hernon, Cein Darcy, Johnny Heaney, Liam O Conghaile, Tomo Culhane, Niall Daly.

Donegal vs Louth - Ulster champions big favourites

Is this going to be Jimmy's year? A slip-up against Cork aside, everything we've seen suggests it could be.

The Ulster champions gave themselves an extra week of training after topping group three and will be strong favourites to reach the semi-finals at Louth's expense.

Donegal last played in the semis in 2014 (the penultimate match of Jim McGuinness' first spell in charge), but they will certainly fancy their chances against Louth, who last reached the semi-finals in 1957.

The Wee County, managed by Ger Brennan, upset Cork in the preliminary quarter-finals to reach this stage for the first time (the quarter-finals did not exist when Louth won their three All-Ireland titles in 1910, 1912 and 1957).

Donegal make one change. Daire O Baoill starts at wing forward with Odhran Doherty on the bench. Doherty was originally named on the bench against Clare but started that game.

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Mark Curran, Brendan McCole, Eoghan Ban Gallagher; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Peadar Mogan; Ciaran Moore, Michael Langan; Shane O'Donnell, Ciaran Thompson, Daire O Baoill; Patrick McBrearty, Oisin Gallen, Niall O'Donnell.

Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Caolan McColgan, Stephen McMenamin, Odhran Doherty, Conor O'Donnell, Jeaic MacCeallabhui, Jason McGee, Hugh McFadden, Jamie Brennan, Aaron Doherty, Charles McGuinness.

Kerry vs Derry - Oak Leafers eye revenge

Kerry's Gavin White celebrates his goal against Derry in 2023
Gavin White's goal helped Kerry see off Derry in last year's semi-final [Getty Images]

A real tasty quarter-final. Last year, Kerry sauntered past Tyrone and into the semi-finals, but even with Derry's post-league hangover, the Oak Leafers should give the Kingdom a real game here.

Derry and Kerry met in last year's semi-finals, of course, with Jack O'Connor's side doing enough to earn a 1-17 to 1-15 win over the then Ulster champions.

Derry left Tralee with two points in Division One earlier this year but, five months on, this is a much sharper Kerry outfit.

While they escaped Castlebar with a penalty shootout win last week, there is no doubt that the perception of Derry as genuine All-Ireland contenders has been hit by those defeats by Donegal, Galway and Armagh.

Beat Kerry this weekend and that would change. Mickey Harte has masterminded big championship wins over Kerry in the past - can he do it again?

In terms of team news, there is little to report. Kerry are unchanged from their win over Louth a fortnight ago, while Derry's only change from Castlebar sees Eunan Mulholland named to start, with his Glen club-mate Emmett Bradley dropping out.

Kerry: Shane Ryan; Tadhg Morley, Jason Foley, Tom O'Sullivan; Paul Murphy, Gavin White, Brian O Beaglaoich; Diarmuid O’Connor, Joe O’Connor; Tony Brosnan, Paudie Clifford, Dara Moynihan; David Clifford, Sean O’Shea, Paul Geaney.

Subs: Shane Murphy, Dylan Casey, Cillian Burke, Mike Breen, Sean O'Brien, Adrian Spillane, Barry Dan O'Sullivan, Killian Spillane, Stephen O’Brien, Dylan Geaney, Graham O’Sullivan, Darragh Roche, Armin Heinrich.

Derry: Odhran Lynch; Conor McCluskey, Chrissy McKaigue, Diarmuid Baker; Conor Doherty, Gareth McKinless, Eoin McEvoy; Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers; Ethan Doherty, Ciaran McFaul, Paul Cassidy; Eunan Mulholland, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray.

Subs: Ryan Scullion, Emmett Bradley, Declan Cassidy, Mark Doherty, Shea Downey, Ruairi Forbes, Donncha Gilmore, Niall Loughlin, Danny McDermott, Cormac Murphy, Niall Toner.

Are the games televised?

Saturday's two games - Armagh v Roscommon and Dublin v Galway - are being shown on GAAGO.

Sunday's games - Donegal v Louth and Kerry v Derry - will be shown on RTE.

How can I follow on the BBC?

The BBC Sport website will provide live text commentaries, reports and reaction on Saturday and Sunday.