PREVIEWS: Semi-final slots up for grabs in 2018 TG4 All-Ireland senior and intermediate championships

COVETED semi-final slots are up for grabs in the TG4 All-Ireland senior and intermediate championships over the Bank Holiday weekend.

On Saturday, at Healy Park in Omagh (4.0), Ulster rivals Armagh and Donegal clash in the first senior quarter-final.

Also on Saturday, Tyrone and Wexford clash for a place in the intermediate semi-finals, with their quarter-final clash down for decision in Drogheda, at the home of O’Raghallaighs GAC.

Attention switches to the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Monday, for a LIVE TG4 double-header.

At 3pm, it’s the meeting of Sligo and Wicklow in the intermediate quarter-final, followed by the clash of 11-time senior champions Cork and Westmeath, the Leinster runners-up.

Saturday 4^th August 2018

TG4 All Ireland Senior Quarter Final 1 – ET if necessary

Donegal v Armagh, 4.00pm, Healy Park, Omagh, Tyrone

Armagh and Donegal meet again in the 2018 championship – and this time for a place in the TG4 All-Ireland semi-finals.

Donegal were big winners when the counties clashed in the Ulster final but Armagh will be confident of closing what was a 28-point gap in June.

Donegal scored an incredible tally of 9-21 on that occasion but Armagh got in for four goals and could have had more.

Since then, Donegal have topped Group 1 of the All-Ireland qualifiers, beating Tipperary by three points and Kerry by just one.

Armagh, meanwhile, drew with Monaghan first time out and did enough in defeat against Cork last weekend to go through on scoring difference.

Armagh make two changes to the team that started against the Leesiders last weekend.

Caoimhe Morgan comes in for Rebecca O’Reilly in defence and Clodagh McCambridge drops to the bench to accommodate the inclusion of ace forward Aimee Mackin, who’s been struggling with injury.

There’s just the one change on the team named by Donegal manager Maxi Curran, with Emer Gallagher coming in to replace Anna Marie McGlynn.

Lethal forward Geraldine McLaughlin is in a rich vein of form, having collected 0-20 in the qualifiers.

Victory for Donegal would send them through to a first-ever All-Ireland senior semi-final, while Armagh’s last appearance in the last four was in 2015.

Armagh: C O’Hare; S Marley, C Morgan, S Reel; M Tennyson, T Grimes, M McGuinness; B Mackin, C O’Hanlon; M Moriarty, F McKenna, L McConville; A Mackin, A McCoy, K Mallon.

Donegal: L Gallagher; T Doherty, N McLaughlin, D Foley; T McCafferty, C Hegarty, E Gallagher; K Herron, A McDonnell; K Guthrie, N Hegarty, S.J. McDonald; G McLaughlin, Y Bonner, E Ward.

TG4 All Ireland Intermediate Quarter Final 2 – ET if necessary

Tyrone v Wexford, 2.00pm, O’Raghallaighs, Drogheda, Louth

Tyrone’s form en route to the quarter-finals can be firmly placed in the ‘ominous’ bracket.

The Red Hands enjoyed comfortable victories over Wicklow and Offaly in Group 2 to sail into the quarter-finals.

Last year’s runners-up now have their eyes firmly set on Croke Park again and standing in their way next are Wexford.

The Slaneysiders should not be under-estimated, however, as they were one of Tipperary’s big challengers in 2017, before the Premier County defeated Tyrone at Croke Park last September.

Wexford emerged second from Group 3, coined the ‘Group of Death’ as it was the only four-team pool in the intermediate qualifiers.

Wexford are reigning Lidl Division 3 champions also and Anthony Masterson’s side will prove a tough nut for Tyrone to crack.

Tyrone: S Lynch; N McGirr, J Barrett, C Hunter; S McCarroll, E Mulgrew, E Brennan; N Woods, E.J. Gervin; N Hughes, M Canavan, A Canavan; N O’Neill, G Begley, C McCaffrey.

Wexford: M.R. Kelly; G Hearne, M Byrne, S Harding Kenny; C Donnelly, N Mernagh, N Moore; R Murphy, B Breen; E O’Brien, F Rochford, K Kearney; C Foxe, A Murphy, C Murray.