GAA team news as all four panels named for All-Ireland semi-finals and Tailteann Cup decider
Croke Park is the centre of the GAA universe this weekend for the Tailteann Cup final and All-Ireland semis.
The biggest weekend of the Gaelic football season is upon us as we enter the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
Louth take on Mayo at Croke Park on Saturday in the first semi-final, and Gavin Devlin has named as close to an unchanged starting XV as he could from the side that beat Monaghan two weeks ago.
Niall McDonnell remains in goal, with Emmet Carolan, Donal McKenny and Daire Nally forming the full-back line.
Conall McKeever, Dara McDonnell and Craig Lennon fill out the half-back line, with Conor Early to be partnered by Paul Matthews in the midfield - Matthews coming in for the suspended Sean Callaghan.
The front six retain their place from the quarter-final (James Maguire, Ciaran Downey, Conor Grimes, Sam Mulroy, Kieran McArdle, Ryan Burns) with Devlin resisting the urge to utilise super-sub Ciaran Byrne from the start. With Callaghan suspended, Conor Branigan comes into the matchday 26.
In the green corner, Andy Moran has made just one change to his Mayo team that downed Cork in the quarter-finals, with Conor Loftus coming into the starting XV for Paul Towey.
Youngster Jack Livingstone keeps his place between the sticks, and there are no changes to the defence that shut out the Rebels in the last-eight, with captain Jack Coyne and stalwart Enda Hession likely to be tasked with tagging Louth's danger men.
The full-forward line has experience with Ryan O'Donoghue, and youthful exuberance in Kobe McDonald and Darragh Beirne.
The bench is packed with experience: Aidan O'Shea, Tommy Conroy and Diarmuid O'Connor know all about the big occasions at Croke Park.
Louth
Mayo
Sunday sees the return of the biggest rivalry in all of football: Kerry v Dublin.
Kerry will be favourites, but Dublin's record over the Kingdom in Championship football is something to behold. The 2022 semi-final triumph aside, Kerry have beaten the Dubs just once since 2009 in Championship football, with the Boys in Blue having their 'last dance' with a glorious All-Ireland win in 2023.
Both Ger Brennan and Jack O'Connor have gone with unchanged sides for this one, both managers seemingly pleased with their semi-final performances.
For Dublin, the old guard have come to the fore once again this year. Ciaran Kilkenny, Niall Scully, Cormac Costello, Brian Howard, Davy Byrne and Con O'Callaghan all start. Con's inclusion and form remains key for the Dubs - he has that X factor to rival David Clifford.
O'Connor's Kerry were given a big fright against Tyrone in the last-eight, but managed to sneak over the line in a situation were many other teams would have crumbled.
The Clifford brothers will obviously need their undivided attention, but the Dubs mustn't sleep on Dylan Geaney, who has been in phenomenal form all year.
Dublin
Kerry
And before a single ball is kicked in either semi-final, the small matter of the Tailteann Cup final must be dealt with.
Oisín McConville is no stranger to finals and he will need to use all that experience to rev up his underdog Gardenmen, who find themselves one win away from next year's All-Ireland series.
Standing in their way is Conor Laverty's Down. Tailteann champions in 2024, the Mournemen haven't quite made the leap they would've wanted, but victory today will set them back on the right track.
Wicklow
Down
*Down team not yet named.
