by Jackie Cahill 

Following last Saturday’s seismic TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-finals, the scene is set for two fascinating semi-finals at Croke Park tomorrow (SAT).   

For the first time since 2002, when Mayo and Monaghan contested the Senior Final, the showpiece Senior Final will not feature Cork or Dublin.  

From 2003-2021 inclusive, Cork lined out in a total of 13 Finals, winning eleven, as Dublin’s return from eleven final appearances in that same time frame was a tally of five wins, including four-in-a-row from 2017-2020.  

It’s been a quite incredible period of dominance from those two counties but neither will play at Croke Park on Saturday – and the race for Brendan Martin Cup glory is wide open.  

Kerry take on Mayo at 2pm, followed by the meeting of Donegal and holders Meath at 4pm.  

Both games are live on TG4 https://nasc.tg4.tv/Peil-na-mBan-Beo 

There is an air of unpredictability around the concluding stages of the 2022 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship – and that’s perhaps due in part to Meath’s trail-blazing 2021 campaign.  

Having risen from the Intermediate ranks in 2020, Meath created history by adding the Senior title in their first season back in the elite grade.  

Where Meath have led, will others now follow?  

Donegal v Meath, 4pm – Live on TG4 

Donegal boss Maxi Curran has made three changes in personnel as the county goes in search of a very first TG4 All-Ireland Senior Final appearance.  

Following last Saturday’s stunning victory over Dublin, Curran has called in Niamh Carr, Susanne White and Karen Guthrie for starts, with Emer Gallagher, who made her 100th county appearance against the Dubs, Tara Hegarty and Róisín Rodgers dropping to the bench.  

Meath are the reigning champions and they’ll face a Donegal side appearing in just a second Senior semi-final – and their first since 2018.  

Opportunity knocks for both counties, with a return date at Croke Park on July 31 just an hour away, but this one could go either way.  

Just two points separated the sides when they clashed at GAA HQ in the Lidl National League Division 1 Final.  

Since then, both sides lost their provincials Finals, Donegal to Armagh in Ulster, while Meath fell to Dublin in the Leinster decider.  

But they’ve advanced to the last four of the All-Ireland series, and on the back of gritty quarter-final displays.  

As Donegal were picking their way past Dublin, Emma Duggan’s wonder score at the death sent Meath through in Tullamore at Galway’s expense.  

The Royals are a battle-hardened outfit and won’t want to give up their hold on the trophy. 

Manager Eamonn Murray has plumped for an unchanged starting line-up.  

Donegal (v Meath): R McCafferty; N Carr, E McGinley, T Kennedy; S Twohig, Nicole McLaughlin, A Boyle Carr; K Herron, Niamh McLaughlin (capt.); Y Bonner, N Hegarty, S White; D Foley, K Guthrie, G McLaughlin.  

Meath (v Donegal): M McGuirk; S Ennis (capt.), M.K. Lynch, K Newe; A Leahy, E Troy, A Cleary; M O’Shaughnessy, O Lally; M Thynne, E Duggan, K Nesbitt; V Wall, S Grimes, N O’Sullivan. 

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