Croke Park here we come.
The Allianz National League finals are taking place this weekend, with Divisions Four, Three, Two and One all being screened on TV as Croke Park awaits.
There has been a lot of talk and debate around whether or not the there even should be finals given the condensed fixture list, and the short turn around between games, but whether you agree or not, they are happening.
Teams trying to avoid the final has been touted as another issue throughout the league, but no one can deny that the finalists for each of these divisions have been the two best teams in the competition so far.
So, with blockbuster games ready to entertain us this weekend, here is everything you need to know about the Allianz National League finals:
When and where are they taken place?
All four finals will be played in the National Stadium of Croke Park, and will be billed as double headers with Division Four and Division Three’s top two teams playing on the Saturday, and then Division Two and One finalists meet on the Sunday.
Here is the TV schedule:
Saturday
5pm: Laois v Leitrim – Division 4.
7.15pm Down v Westmeath – Division 3.
Sunday
1.45pm: Armagh v Donegal – Division 2.
4pm: Dublin v Derry – Division 1.
The Division Four final
Leitrim will play in Croke Park this Saturday for only the sixth time in their entire history – an astonishing fact that highlights the disparity between the smaller counties and the juggernauts like Dublin and Kerry.
Andy Moran took the job three years ago, and after a bitterly disappointing end last season when they lost to New York on penalties in the Connacht championship, things looked bad for the county.
However, the Mayo legend has turned things around and now they are set for life in Division Three, and will be ready to give everything they have to win some silverware this weekend.
Laois will have something to say about that of course as they demolished nearly every team that stood in their way, and the return of Justin McNulty to the managerial hot-seat has breathed new life into the squad.
McNulty managed the team before over a decade ago, but hasn’t lost his magic touch, as he will be looking to make it a clean sweep on Saturday.
The Division Three final
Last year’s Tailteann Cup finalists Down will play the Tailteann Cup’s first ever winners Westmeath, and it promises to be an intriguing game as the two teams have demonstrated already that they deserve to be higher than D3.
Conor Laverty’s Down had a resurgence last year, beating Donegal in the Ulster championship, and going on to reach the final of the second tier All-Ireland series, but the Kilcoo man has much higher expectations than that, and so far the Mourne men are reaching those expectations.
Westmeath have a host of superstars like John Heslin, and Ronan O’Toole, who are value for money on any given day, so this promises to be a brilliant match up.
The Division Two final
An all-Ulster affair will see Donegal take on Armagh in the Division Two final, and it could be the match of the weekend as both teams won’t want to show any weakness ahead of a potential match-up later in the provincial championship.
Kieran McGeeney has used Division Two to unearth new talents like Oisin Conaty and elevate young stars like Conor Turbitt, and are now brimming with confidence as they appear to be playing a more expansive style of football.
The mere announcement of Jim McGuinness’ return to Donegal has taken them out of the deep rut that they found themselves in last season, and injected excitement back into the county.
Nobody expected anything less than promotion back to the top table, and he has already delivered on that front, so it will be a brilliant opportunity to see his team in acton on the big stage the weekend.
The only damper on this game is that Donegal captain Patrick McBrearty has been ruled out with injury.
The Division One final
If Jim McGuinness returning to management was a surprise, then Mickey Harte’s appointment as Derry manager rocked the GAA world to its core, and any doubters have so far been proved wrong as the Tyrone native leads his new team into the final.
Dublin have been the most impressive team in the league so far, and their dismantlement of Tyrone last weekend highlights just how powerful they currently are. The two sides met in last year’s Division Two final, where Dessie Farrell’s men reigned supreme, and that was the case when the teams face off earlier in the league.
However, in that match Harte opted to play a weaker side, no doubt with the knowledge that Derry will be playing the All-Ireland champions again on a bigger stage, so now that it has arrived, we will see the Oakleafers out in full force, and that is always a sight to see.
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