BUSIEST WEEKEND SO FAR IN GAA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP Next weekend will be the busiest to date in the GAA All-Ireland senior football championships with no fewer than nine games down for decision. Saturday features eight first round qualifier ties which are followed on Sunday by the Munster final between Cork and Limerick which will be played in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. It has a 2.0pm start and will be shown live on TV3. The start of the qualifiers sees the removal of the safety net for 16 teams who are on their last chance as the eight losers will be eliminated from the championship while the eight winners go ahead to play the eight beaten provincial semi-finalists in Round 2 the following Saturday. CORK v LIMERICK Defending Munster champions, Cork are bidding for their 36th title and their fourth this decade while Limerick are seeking only their third ever title and their first since 1896. That's quite a contrast between the finalists, both of whom looked very impressive en route to the decider. Remarkably, Cork and Limerick haven't met in the Munster football final since 1901 and have only met twice in all in the decider. Cork beat Limerick in the 2008-2007- 2006 Munster championship leaving Limerick seeking their first win over the Rebels since 2003. Paths to the final Cork 2-18 Waterford 1-7 Cork 1-10 Kerry 0-13 (draw) Cork 1-17 Kerry 0-12 (replay) Cork scorers: D O'Connor 2-13 (0-8 frees, 1-0 pen), D Goulding 0-9 (0-2 frees), P Kerrigan 1-3, J Miskella 0-5, P O'Neill 1-2, J Masters 0-3, C O'Neill 0-3 (1 '45'), P O'Flynn 0-2, M Shields 0-1, G Canty 0-1, N O'Leary 0-1, P Kelly 0-1, P O'Flynn 0-1 Limerick 1-11 Tipperary 1-9 Limerick 1-13 Clare 1-9 Limerick scorers: I Ryan 1-8 (0-6 frees), G Collins 0-7 (0-4 frees), S Lavin 1-0, C Joyce-Power 0-2, S Lucey 0-2, P Ranahan 0-1, K O'Callaghan 0-1 ('45), J O'Donovan 0-1, S Buckley 0-1, E Hogan 0-1. Last Five Championship Clashes 2008: Cork 2-9 Limerick 0-12 (Munster semi-final) 2007: Cork 2-14 Limerick 0-7 (Munster quarter-final) 2006: Cork 0-9 Limerick 0-5 (Munster semi-final) 2003: Limerick 0-16 Cork 0-6 (Munster quarter-final) 2000: Cork 3-13 Limerick 2-8 (Munster quarter-final) Last Championship Clash Cork 2-9 Limerick 0-12 (2008 Munster semi-final, Gaelic Grounds) Heartbreak for Limerick who led by three points a minute from the end of normal time only to be pegged back level by a goal from Daniel Goulding before Graham Canty grabbed a stoppage time winning goal for Cork. Ian Ryan (0-5) and Michael Crowley (0-4) were Limerick's top scorers. Cork v Limerick: Previous Munster final clashes 1901 - Cork 1-9 Limerick 1-6 1897 - Cork 0-5 Limerick 0-3 Previous Munster title wins Cork (35): 1890-91-93-94-97-99-1901-06-07-11-16-28-43-45-49-52-56-57-66-67-71- 73-74-83-87-88-89-90-93-94-95-99-2002-06-08. Limerick (2): 1887-96 SATURDAY: GAA ALL-IRELAND FOOTBALL QUALIFIERS Donegal v Carlow, Ballybofey, 7.0pm 2009 Championship Antrim 1-10 Donegal 0-12; Louth 1-13 Carlow 1-11. Last championship clash: None A historic first ever championship clash between two counties who would have had very little League rivalry either. Monaghan v Armagh, Clones, 7.0pm (Live on RTE 2) 2009 Championship Derry 1-10 Monaghan 0-10; Tyrone 2-10 Armagh 1-10. Last championship clash: Armagh 1-13 Monaghan 0-10 (2006 Ulster quarter-final replay) They meet for the fifth time this decade in the championship with Armagh winning in 2001 (qualifiers), 2004 (Ulster quarter-final) and 2006 (Ulster quarter-final) while Monaghan won in 2003 (Ulster 1st round). The sides drew in the 2006 Ulster quarterfinal. Meath v Waterford, Navan, 7.0pm 2009 Championship Dublin 0-14 Meath 0-12; Cork 2-18 Waterford 1-7. Last championship clash: None A new championship pairing between two counties who, like Donegal and Carlow, would not have played each other very often in the League either. Wicklow v Fermanagh, Aughrim, 7.0pm 2009 Championship Wicklow 2-12 Longford 1-13; Westmeath 0-16 Wicklow 1-10 (after extra-time); Cavan 0-13 Fermanagh 1-9. Last championship clash: None Another novel championship clash as Mick O'Dwyer and his Wicklow troops host Fermanagh, runners-up in last year's Ulster final. Wexford v Offaly, Wexford Park, 2.30pm 2009 Championship Kildare 2-12 Wexford 0-11; Kildare 1-16 Offaly 1-10 Last championship clash: Wexford 2-14 Offaly 0-15 (2004 All-Ireland qualifiers) They meet for the first time in the qualifiers since 2004 when Matty Forde scored 2-10 as Wexford ran out five point winners in Wexford Park. Louth v Tipperary, Drogheda, 7.0pm 2009 Championship Louth 1-13 Carlow 1-11; Laois 1-15 Louth 1-11; Limerick 1-11 Tipperary 1-9. Last Championship clash: Louth 0-13 Tipperary 1-8 (All-Ireland R1 qualifier 2001) They met in the first round qualifiers in 2001, the year the new system was introduced with Louth winning by two points. The counties clashed in the Allianz Football League (Division 3) last March with Tipperary winning by 0-18 to 1-11. Down v London, Newry, 7.0pm 2009 Championship Fermanagh 0-13 Down 0-10; Galway 1-18 London 1-7. Last Championship Clash: None A new championship pairing between Down who were in Division 3 of the NFL last spring while London were in Division 4. Leitrim v Longford, Carrick-on-Shannon, 7.0pm 2009 Championship Roscommon 2-13 Leitrim 2-9; Wicklow 2-12 Longford 1-13. Last Championship Clash: None Another novel championship pairing. Leitrim have yet to win a game in the qualifiers since they were launched in 2001. GAA SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2009 Connacht May 10: Quarter-final: Mayo 2-19 New York 0-10, Gaelic Park. May 24: Quarter-final: Galway 1-18 London 1-7, Ruislip. May 31: Quarter-final: Roscommon 2-13 Leitrim 2-9, Carrick-on-Shannon. June 20 Semi-final: Mayo 3-18 Roscommon 0-7, Castlebar. June 28: Semi-final: Galway 1-13 Sligo 0-12, Markievicz Park. July 19: Final: Galway v Mayo, Pearse Stadium. Leinster May 17: First round: Louth 1-13 Carlow 1-11, Parnell Park. May 24: First round: Wicklow 2-12 Longford 1-13; Kildare 1-16 Offaly 1-10 (Both in Portlaoise). June 7: Quarter-final: Dublin 0-14 Meath 0-12, Croke Park. June 13: Quarter-final: Kildare 2-12 Wexford 0-11, Dr.Cullen Park. June 14: Quarter-finals: Westmeath 0-16 Wicklow 1-10 (after extra-time), Tullamore; Laois 1-15 Louth 1-11, Parnell Park. June 27: Semi-final: Kildare 2-18 Laois 0-9, Tullamore. June 28: Semi-final: Dublin 4-26 Westmeath 0-11, Croke Park. July 20: Final: Dublin v Kildare, Croke Park. Munster May 24: Quarter-finals: Limerick 1-11 Tipperary 1-9, Thurles; Cork 2-18 Waterford 1- 7, Dungarvan. June 7: Semi-finals: Limerick 1-13 Clare 1-9, Ennis; Kerry 0-13 Cork 1-10, Killarney. June 13: Semi-final (replay): Cork 1-17 Kerry 0-12 Kerry, Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Next Sunday: Final: Cork v Limerick, Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Ulster May 17: Preliminary round: Fermanagh 0-13 Down 0-10, Enniskillen. May 24: Quarter-final: Derry 1-10 Monaghan 0-10, Celtic Park. May 31: Quarter-final: Tyrone 2-10 Armagh 1-10, Clones. June 6: Quarter-final: Cavan 0-13 Fermanagh 1-9, Kingspan Breffni Park. June 14: Quarter-final: Antrim 1-10 Donegal 0-12, Ballybofey. June 21: Semi-final: Tyrone 0-15 Derry 0-7, Casement Park. June 27: Semi-final: Antrim 0-13 Cavan 1-7, Clones July 19: Final: Antrim v Tyrone, Clones. All-Ireland qualifiers July 4: First round: Comprised of the 16 teams who didn't qualify for provincial semifinals. Draw: Donegal v Carlow; Monaghan v Armagh; Meath v Waterford; Wicklow v Fermanagh; Wexford v Offaly; Louth v Tipperary; London v Down; Leitrim v Longford. July 11: Second Round: Eight first round winners play eight beaten provincial semifinalists. The beaten provincial semi-finalists are as follows: Clare, Kerry, Roscommon, Sligo; Laois, Westmeath, Cavan Derry. July 18: Third Round: Eight second round winners play off in four games. July 25/26: Round Four: Third round winners play beaten provincial finalists. All-Ireland Championships August 1/2/3: Quarter-finals: Provincial winners v 4th round qualifier winners. August 23: Semi-final: Munster champions or quarter-final winner v Ulster champions or quarter-final winner, Croke Park. August 30: Semi-final: Connacht champions or quarter-final winner v Leinster champions or quarter-final winner, Croke Park. September 20: Final, Croke Park. Tweet

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