Weekend GAA previews

Compiled by Gavin Cummiskey

Saturday fixtures

Dr McKenna Cup (SF): Section C:

Cavan v Queen's, Breffni Park, 2.0, M Higgins (Fermanagh).

McGrath Cup (SF): Preliminary round: Waterford v Tralee IT, Fraher Field, Dungarvan, 2.0, D O'Mahony (Tipperary).

Sunday

O'Byrne Cup (SF)

(Extra time if necessary):

Offaly v Dublin, Tullamore, 2.0, M Deegan (Laois)

The defending champions are fielding a fourth-string side because of the 43-man pre-season camp in La Manga so new manager Pat Gilroy has passed the mentoring duties to Neil Curley and Mick Bohan. There are players more than capable of performing at this level, especially Cian O'Sullivan, Declan Lally, Gareth Smith and John O'Brien.

Offaly manager Richie Connor begins his reign with an experiment as veteran midfielder Ciarán McManus is tried out at full back but, regardless, they should progress to meet Wicklow or Carlow.

DUBLIN: C Walsh; C O'Sullivan, W Lowry, D Daly; D Lally, G O'Connell, D McCann; D O'Mahony, E Reilly; E O'Gara, G Smith, D Pelly; A Relihan, J O'Brien, D O'Shaughnessy.

OFFALY: A Mulhall; C Evans, C McManus, S Brady; C Flannery, J Quinn, M Mitchell; N Smith, C Carroll; N Coughlan, R Guinan, G Rafferty; T Deehan, J Reynolds, J Coughlan.

Wicklow v Carlow, Blessington, 2.0, S Doyle (Wexford)

Mick O'Dwyer returns for a third year with Wicklow as Luke Dempsey takes over Carlow. It will be interesting to see if Wicklow's Thomas Walsh lines out against his native county.

Kildare v Wexford, Newbridge, 2.0, D Coldrick (Meath)

Kieran McGeeney and Jason Ryan enter that difficult second season. Wexford should be better equipped but the loss of Redmond Barry over the coming months will be noticeable. The winners meet Meath or Westmeath on January 11th.

Meath v Westmeath, Navan, 2.0, T Quigley (Wexford)

Eamonn O'Brien begins a new era in Meath football, without Darren Fay and Graham Geraghty, as they go into a season rated below their neighbours. There should be a settled look to Westmeath as Tomás Ó Flatharta enters his sixth year on the management. David O'Shaughnessy returns from injury but Damien Healy is away travelling. A fixture that should give the experimental rules a stern test.

Other O'Byrne Cup fixtures: Laois v DCU, Portarlington, 2.0, J Bannon (Longford) Kilkenny v DIT, Freshford, 2.0, E Kinsella (Laois) Longford v Athlone IT, Ballymahon, 2.0, J Curley (Meath) Louth v UCD, Drogheda, 2.0, D Fahy (Longford).

Munster Cup (SH): Preliminary round: Limerick v UL, Claughan, 2.0, G Hoey (Clare)

Justin McCarthy ploughs back into intercounty management with the unpredictable Limerick hurlers.

Waterford v UCC, Ardmore, 2.0, T Ryan (Tipperary)

Davy Fitzgerald's panel must be desperate to bury the memories of last September.

Other fixtures: Kerry v Waterford IT, Ballyheigue, 2.0, J O'Mahony (Limerick) Clare v Tralee IT, Meelick, 2.0, J Sexton (Cork).

Dr McKenna Cup (SF): Section A: Fermanagh v Derry, Brewster Park, Enniskillen, 2.0, B Crowe (Cavan)

Paddy Bradley is away travelling so Damien Cassidy must plan without his sharpshooter. Full back Kevin McCloy has yet to rejoin the panel.

Other fixtures: UUJ v Donegal, MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey, 2.0, M Sludden (Tyrone) Section B St Mary's v Down, Pairc Esler, Newry, D McQuillan (Monaghan)

Section C: Armagh v Antrim, Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 2.0, L Smyth (Down)

Despite having no Crossmaglen Rangers players, ahead of their All-Ireland club semi-final next month, Peter McDonnell has a decent group to field against Liam Bradley's Antrim. Stevie McDonnell is also absent while several players are committed to college teams.

McGrath Cup (SF): Preliminary round: Limerick v UL, Foynes, 2.0, R Hickey (Clare)

Cork v Cork IT, Páirc Uí Rinn, 2.0, A Mangan (Kerry)

Cork manager Conor Counihan has named just six of last season's panel although several players are tied to college teams.

CORK SQUAD: P O'Shea, K Murphy, R Power, N O'Donovan, K Harrington, B Crowley, D Murphy, E Burke, C O'Leary, E Sexton, A O'Sullivan, A O'Connor, S O'Sullivan, F Goold, C Keane, K O'Sullivan, C McCarthy, C McManus, R Brosnan, G McCarthy, D Relihan, S Hayes, P Kelly.

Connacht League (SF): (venues and referees unconfirmed) Group A Roscommon v Sligo IT, 2.0 NUIG v Mayo, 2.0 Group B Sligo v Galway, 2.0 GMIT v Leitrim, 2.0.