GAA Weekend Preview SATURDAY All-Ireland SFC Rd 1 Dublin v Roscommon, Croke Park, 5.0 – GAAGO Last year Davy Burke’s men ended up sharing the points in Croker – the only SFC match Dublin didn’t win in 2023. The Rossies’ form has fallen away badly since.
Hard to conceive a repeat, even without James McCarthy in Dessie Farrell’s 26. Dublin: S Cluxton; E Murchan, M Fitzsimons, C Murphy; S MacMahon, J Small, S Bugler; B Fenton, T Lahiff; N Scully, C Costello, C Kilkenny; P Mannion, C O’Callaghan, C Basquel. Roscommon: C Carroll; D Murray, B Stack, N Higgins; N Daly, R Dolan, E McCormack; E Smith, T O’Rourke; D Ruane, D Smith, C Lennon; C Cox, D Cregg, D Murtagh.
Verdict: Dublin Louth v Meath, Grattan Park, Inniskeen, 5.30 Louth have lost their ten championship head-to-heads since beating the Royals in 1975. Meath also came storming back to take the league points in February.
But? Every run must end some time, and Louth’s SFC form graph suggests it might happen on Monaghan’s stony grey soil. Poetic justice for 2010, Patrick Kavanagh might say. Louth: N McDonnell; D McKenny, D Corcoran, P Lynch; C McKeever, A Williams, C Lennon; T Durnin, B Duffy; N Sharkey, C Keenan, C Grimes; R Burns, S Mulroy, C Downey.
Meath: B Hogan; D Keogan, A O’Neill, R Ryan; H O’Higgins, D Campion, S Coffey; R Jones, C McBride; C Caulfield, C O’Sullivan, C Hickey; J Conlon, M Costello, E Frayne. Verdict: Louth Armagh v Westmeath, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, 6.0 Westies don�.