Four games are on the schedule this weekend as the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championships gather pace.

The way has been cleared for the semi-finals (Mayo v Roscommon; Leitrim v London) in Connacht while one of the finalists will be known in Munster following the Kerry v Waterford semi-final in Killarney in Saturday.

There's quarter-final action in a Leinster double header in Croke Park on Saturday while Derry host Down in the Ulster quarter-final in Celtic Park on Sunday.

The full weekend programme is as follows:
Saturday
Leinster GAA Senior Football Championship Quarter-finals
Kildare v Offaly, Croke Park, 5pm
Dublin v Westmeath, Croke Park, 7pm
Munster GAA Senior Football Championship Semi-final
Kerry v Waterford, Killarney, 7pm

Sunday
Ulster GAA Senior Football Championship Quarter-final
Derry v Down, Celtic Park, 2pm

KILDARE v OFFALY, CROKE PARK, SATURDAY, 5pm
It's one of the closest rivalries in the entire football championship. The counties have met 39 times with the results standing as follows: Kildare 18; Offaly 16; Draws 5. They meet for the second successive year, with Kildare having won easily (0-19 to 0-6) last year. Kieran McGeeney leads Kildare into the championship for a sixth year with a provincial record which reads: Played 11; Won 6, Lost 5. The wins came against Offaly (2009, 2012), Wexford (2009), Laois (2009), Wicklow (2011), Meath (2011) while the losses were against Wicklow (2008), Dublin (2009 and 2011), Louth (2010) and Meath (2012). Emmet McDonnell leads Offaly into the championship for the first time. Next Saturday's winners will play Dublin or Westmeath in the Leinster semi-final on June 30. Offaly are seeking their first win in the Leinster championship since 2008, having lost their first game every year since then to Kildare (2012, 2009), Wexford (2011), Meath (2010), Westmeath (2008).

Both counties enjoyed good campaigns in this year's Allianz Football League with Kildare
reaching the Division 1 semi-finals where they lost to Tyrone. Their overall record was:
Played 8, Won 4, Lost 4.
Offaly were promoted from Division 4 and had the following overall record: Played 8, Won 5, Lost 3.

Last Title Wins
Leinster: Kildare 2000; Offaly 1997
All-Ireland: Kildare 1928: Offaly 1982
Last Five Championship Clashes
2012: Kildare 0-19 Offaly 0-6 (Leinster 1st round)
2009: Kildare 1-16 Offaly 1-10 (Leinster 1st round)
2006: Offaly 3-9 Kildare 0-15 (Leinster quarter-final)
2004: Offaly 2-17 Kildare 1-16 (All-Ireland qualifier - Round 1)
2002: Kildare 3-9 Offaly 1-14 (Leinster semi-final replay - after extra-time)
Kildare 3; Offaly 2

DUBLIN v WESTMEATH, CROKE PARK, SATURDAY, 7pm
This will be the 16th championship meeting between the counties with the score standing at 12-3 in Dublin's favour from the previous fifteen. They last met in the championship in 2009 when Dublin won the Leinster semi-final by 4-26 to 0-11 on a day when Bernard Brogan scored 2-8, Jason Sherlock 0-6, Alan Brogan 0-4 and 'Mossy' Quinn 1-1 for the Blues. Westmeath last beat Dublin in the championship in 2004, a year in which they went on to win the Leinster title for the first time.

Dublin are this year attempting to win the Leinster title for the 8 th time in nine seasons, having taken the crown in 2005-06-07-08-09-11-12. Jim Gavin is leading Dublin into the championship for the first time and will be hoping to join the exclusive group who won provincial and All-Ireland title as a player and manager. He was key member of the Dublin team that won the 1995 All-Ireland title.

The winners will play Kildare or Offaly in the Leinster semi-final on June 30. Pat Flanagan is taking Westmeath into the championship for a fourth season. His record reads: Played 4, Won 1, Lost 3. The win came against Wicklow in 2010 while they lost to Louth in 2010 and 2012 and to Wexford in 2011.

Both counties enjoyed excellent Allianz Football League campaigns this year with Dublin
winning the Division 1 title for the first time since 1993. They won seven, drew one and lost one of their nine games.

Westmeath were promoted from Division 2 before losing the final to Derry. Their record reads: Played 8, Won 5, Drew 1, Lost 2.
Last Title Wins
Leinster: Dublin 2012; Westmeath 2004
All-Ireland: Dublin 2011; Westmeath: Have never won it.

Last Five Championship Clashes
2009: Dublin 4-26 Westmeath 0-11 (Leinster semi-final)
2008: Dublin 0-13 Westmeath 1-8 (Leinster semi-final)
2006: Dublin 1-12 Westmeath 0-5 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
2004: Westmeath 0-14 Dublin 0-12 (Leinster quarter-final)
2000: Dublin 1-14 Westmeath 0-11 (Leinster semi-final)
Dublin 4, Westmeath 1.

KERRY v WATEFORD, KILLARNEY, SATURDAY, 7.0
Kerry have been very much the dominant partner in this rivalry, winning 25 of the 29 championship clashes between the counties. Waterford won three times while there has been one draw. Waterford's last championship win over Kerry was in 1957 when they edged home by a point 2-5 to 0-10 in the Munster semi-final, prior to losing the final to Cork.

The counties last clashed in the Munster championship in 2007 when Kerry, for whom Eoin Brosnan scored 2-2 and Colm Cooper 0-5, won by 2-15 to 0-4. Eamonn Fitzmaurice will be managing Kerry for the first time in the championship while Niall Carew is also in his first season with Waterford.

Kerry already have a win behind them in this year's championship, having beaten Tipperary by 2-19 to 0-8 in the quarter-final last Sunday. They finished 6th in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League (Played 7, Won 3, Lost 4) while Waterford finished 6th in Division 4 (Played 7, Won 3, Lost 4).
The winners will play Cork or Clare in the Munster final on July 7.

Last Five Championship Clashes
2007: Kerry 2-15 Waterford 0-4 (Munster semi-final)
2006: Kerry 0-16 Waterford 0-8 (Munster quarter-final)
1996: Kerry 3-16 Waterford 0-8 (Munster semi-final)
1988: Kerry 3-19 Waterford 1-7 (Munster semi-final)
1987: Kerry 3-15 Waterford 2-8 (Munster semi-final)

Kerry 5 Waterford 0
Last Title Wins
Munster: Kerry 2011; Waterford 1898
All-Ireland: Kerry 2009; Waterford (Have never won it).

DERRY v DOWN, CELTIC PARK, SUNDAY, 2pm
Surprisingly, the counties haven't met in the Ulster championship since 1994 when Down won an epic contest by two points in the quarter-final en route to provincial and All-Ireland honours. Their last championship clash was in 2005 when Derry won an All-Ireland qualifier tie by 3-8 to 2-9 in Newry.

James McCartan will lead Down into the Ulster championship for the fourth season with a record which reads: Played 6, Won 3, Lost 3. They beat Donegal (2010), Fermanagh (2012) and Monaghan (2012) and lost to Tyrone (2010), Armagh (2011) and Donegal (2012).
The counties had contrasting fortunes in this year's Allianz Football League with Down being relegated from Division 1 after losing five of seven games while Derry were promoted after winning the Division 2 title (Played 8, Won 6, Drew 1, Lost 1).
The winners will play Donegal in the Ulster semi-final on June 23.

Last Title Wins
Ulster: Down 1994; Derry 1998
All-Ireland: Down 1994; Derry 1993

Last Five Championship clashes
2005: Derry 3-8 Down 2-9 (All-Ireland qualifiers: Round 2)
1994: Down 1-14 Derry 1-12 (Ulster quarter-final)
1993: Derry 3-11 Down 0-9 (Ulster quarter-final)
1992: Derry 0-15 Down 0-12 (Ulster semi-final)
1991: Down 0-14 Derry 1-9 (Ulster semi-final replay)
Derry 3; Down 2 Tweet

Most Read Stories