There’s a host of important GAA fixtures across both codes throughout the afternoon.
A guaranteed place in next year’s Leinster Senior Hurling Championship is the reward for the winners of this afternoon’s 3:00pm Leinster Senior Hurling Championship clash between Offaly and Dublin at Parnell Park. The losers will be relegated to the Joe McDonagh Cup for 2019. Conal Keaney’s back from a shoulder injury for the hosts while Offaly have opted to keep their star attacker Shane Dooley in reserve.
At 4:00pm it’s a must-win game for both Waterford and Tipperary in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship. Injury-hit Waterford come into the game at the Gaelic Grounds having lost their opening match against Clare while Tipperary have one point from their first two games. Tipperary have recalled John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer in attack with ‘Bonner’ Maher dropping to the bench. Waterford boss Derek McGrath has welcomed back Austin Gleeson and Pauric Mahony as part of seven changes from last week.
In the football, Galway will aim to reach their third successive Connacht Senior Football Championship Final. The beaten Division One League finalists host Sligo at Pearse Stadium with the visitors hoping to spring a shock to book their place in the provincial decider for the first time since 2015. David Wynne, Sean Kelly, Eamonn Brannigan and Ian Burke come into the Galway starting team while Sligo are unchanged from their quarter-final victory at London.
Elsewhere, David Clifford makes his much anticipated Championship debut for Kerry in their Munster Senior Football semi-final against Clare in Killarney. The former minor star is one of seven first Championship starters in the Kingdom side while Clare have stuck with the 15 players that started their opening round win over Limerick. Kerry forward James Donoghue has said this week that the younger players in their panel have “settled well into the group”.
Throw-in in both of those games is at 3:30pm.
