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All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals: All You Need to Know
SATURDAY
All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals
Dublin v Limerick, Croke Park, 4pm
Galway v Tipperary, TUS Gaelic Grounds, 6.15pm
ONLINE
Live blog on and the RTÉ News app.
TV
Live coverage of both quarter-finals on RTÉ2 with coverage starting at 3.30pm with highlights on The Saturday Game from 9.30pm.
RADIO
WEATHER
While warm sunshine is expected, a scattering of showers will occur too, some heavy and possibly thundery. Top temperatures of 19 to 25 degrees, warmest across the eastern half of the country, all in a light to moderate southwest wind.
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Six becomes four as the All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals take stage on Saturday.
Last year's champions Clare weathered a quarter-final showdown against Wexford and the presence of some big hitters – most notably Limerick – ensures that there's plenty of focus on the two encounters on Saturday.
An unfamiliar Treaty route
Dublin are aiming to end a 12-year wait for an All-Ireland semi-final spot with their last quarter-final victory actually coming two years earlier when they bettered this weekend's opponents Limerick thanks to a Ryan O'Dwyer first-half hat-trick. Back in 2011, the wait for a last-four spot had been somewhat longer – 63 years in fact – but how they would love to replicate the highs of the Anthony Daly era and return to the latter stages.
Nickie Quaid and an 18-year-old Declan Hannon, who finished with a handsome 0-11, tasted defeat that day against a Dublin side that were fancied to build on a league success earlier in the season, even though star attacker Conal Keaney was ruled out days beforehand after a bad motorbike collision, but any thoughts of a repeat result appear fanciful, to put it mildly.
If there is to be a shock, goals are required – although their Leinster campaign showed that Dublin at least know where the net is.
They hit three goals in four of their five games with Offaly the only side to keep them to less as the Dubs edged a 1-25 to 2-19 opener. It was three again in the preliminary quarter-final win over Kildare last week and Niall Ó Ceallacháin's side will probably need as many to stay competitive here.
Those 16 goals have been shared across eight players with Sean Currie leading the way with four while Ronan Hayes has plundered three.
It's an attack that will also hope to have Dónal Burke involved in some capacity. The Na Fianna man was part of the squad against the Lilywhites and although he didn't come on, he was warming up. Still no sign of Danny Sutcliffe though who picked up an injury during the Leinster campaign.
Limerick enter the game with their fallibility levels really being put through the ringer in their recent clashes with Cork.
Dents in the Green Machine apparently after the Rebels ended their five-in-a-row hopes last year, unbeatable after a 16-point destruction of the same opposition in Munster this year before the question marks returned after the provincial final penalty shoot-out loss to Pat Ryan's side.
Speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast on Thursday, Jackie Tyrrell suggested that their aura has dissipated somewhat, although he still thinks they're operating at a really high level.
"I don't think that mental baggage that might have been there before when it comes to 60 minutes and Limerick turn the screw, I don't think that's probably as strong as it was before," he said.
Unsurprisingly, manager John Kiely has taken it all in his stride, talking about the side dusting themselves down and going a different route with their last quarter-final coming in 2018. Cian Lynch was preaching similar at a media gig last week – just one more knock-out game on their plotted path to the top.
Not one player in the Limerick dressing room has a championship win against Dublin – Quaid joining the panel a year after their last success in the dramatic 2009 season – with Dublin winning that 2011 quarter-final as well as a 2015 qualifier. It's hard to see that statistic staying the same at Croke Park with the winner set to face Kilkenny.
Tipp aiming to build on season of goodwill
Galway have dominated this rivalry in recent times, winning four of the last five championship meetings, but there has undoubtedly been a stir in the Premier County this season and this is the match to show that in spades.
A recent All-Ireland Under-20 crown has only added enthusiasm to a 2025 run that has brought a league final and a Munster campaign that contained just one defeat, after Darragh McCarthy was sent off at the throw-in at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
It's no secret that in recent seasons Liam Cahill has felt let down by the support that has backed the team, but if a genuine shot at a semi-final against Cork doesn't bring them out now, then something is seriously wrong.
Tipp hit 3-32 in their facile win over Laois last week, but they could have had half a dozen goals realistically with over-complication, and the woodwork, denying them.
A dozen players got on the scoresheet, a nice confidence-booster to carry into this, with Willie Connors excelling at midfield. Jason Forde nabbed 2-04.
Crucially, they came through it injury free and Eoghan Connolly is set to return to the squad for Saturday's game having been held back last weekend.
Galway, meanwhile, have been quite the conundrum this season,
Take out their two games with Kilkenny and it's been pretty positive, but over the two games the Cats managed a combined winning tally of 20 points, and it would have been much more only for a spirited final quarter in the Leinster d ecider at Croke Park.
It's that spell of 1-06 without reply late on to open up the possibility of a stunning comeback that will give Micheál Donoghue some solace. When they're on it, they're still one of the best about – the problem is doing it consistently for 70 minutes.
They could be without full-back Fintan Burke for this clash with a knee injury – Darren Morrissey likely to replace him - while goalkeeper Eanna Murphy had to retire injured at half-time in the Leinster final.
Burke was on media duties this week and said that Leinster loss has been parked.
"The sooner we can get over the last game, the better. You spend a day or two looking back and trying to figure out what went wrong and what you can improve on," he said.
"Then, the games are coming so fast, you don't have time to ponder. You're back in training and looking forward to the next day."
This, of course, is a rivalry that hasn't been short on spice over the decades. With plenty on the line, there could be plenty of physicality on show.
