The action on this busy weekend of Championship action cranks up a couple of gears on Saturday with the programme of games jumping from three on both Thursday and Friday to eight and there are huge games everywhere you look, whether that be in the Championships proper or the Relegation Playoffs.

Tickets for all games this weekend in the Club Championships are available here: Club Football Championship Tickets

There are two fixtures live on Clubber as our Streaming Partners show the Meade Farm IFC quarter final between Meath Hill and Kilbride at 15:00 and the Fairyhouse Steel SFC quarter final between Dunshaughlin and Ratoath at 17:00. These streams can be purchased here: Meath GAA Livestreams (Clubber)

There is little doubt which game caught the imagination the most when the quarter finals were drawn in the bowels of the stand in Páirc Tailteann a fortnight ago.  Dunshaughlin and Ratoath were on most peoples shortlist for the Fairyhouse Steel SFC at the outset of the competition and while Ratoath lost to neighbours Skryne on the opening weekend, they bounced back impressively to round the group stages off with a brace of wins while Dunshaughlin who broke Donaghmore/Ashbourne hearts for the second time in a year with a late comeback win in the opening round, then downed reigning champions Summerhill before dismantling Ballinabrackey to go three from three in the group stage.

These sides met at this stage twelve months ago under the lights in Ashbourne in front of what was a massive crowd on a Sunday evening and it was Ratoath who came up with a winning goal courtesy of Ben McGowan to seal a 1-09 to 1-08 victory.  The fare that evening wasn’t the most thrilling but the ending was as dramatic as they get as McGowans fisted goal rescued his side.

The expectation is that this evening’s game, rescheduled to Páirc Tailteann after originally being fixed for Ashbourne, will be a thriller and the players are certainly on both sides for this to be the case.  Ciaran McCarrick, Adam Kealy and Fursey Blake are among the leading lights in the Dunshaughlin rearguard and in Charlie O’Connor and Conor Gray they possess a youthful but very strong midfield pairing.  But it’s up front where there are aces in the pack wherever you look as Ruairí Kinsella, Conor Duke, Luke Mitchell and Mathew Costello are all match winners on their day, not forgetting Aaron Murphy who is slated to start on the bench but who has been in sparking form thus far.

But then one looks at Ratoath.  Conor McGill remains one of the best full backs around and he is joined in the full back line by his regular partners, Ben Wyer and Sean Brazil.  Meath U-20 captain Liam Kelly has made the breakthrough into the starting lineup today and he is penciled in to start at centre back with Brian Daly and the flying Eamonn Wallace either side of him.  Jack Flynn and the aforementioned McGowan form a powerful midfield and Pauric Byrne brings his own blend of pace and poise to the wing forward role.  Glen O’Reilly has been operating well so far and he along with Daithí McGowan complete the half forward line.

Cian Rogers is in superlative form in the full forward line and he is brimming with confidence after a hat-trick two weeks go and picking up the Clubber man of the match award in the process while Conor Rooney and Joey Wallace complete the inside line.  Who picks up who is a dilemma both management groups are likely to have had sleepless nights over.

The curtain raiser in Páirc Tailteann is a fascinating game in itself and this is one where the rumour mill has been in overdrive.  There wasn’t a coffee shop or a conversation in a butchers this week among GAA enthusiasts where the possibility of Conor Nash making a dramatic return to the Simonstown Gaels ranks hasn’t cropped up.  Stories of him taking part in an internal game last weekend have been in abundance and the Aussie Rules star will surely be a big factor if there is truth to the rumours.  He’s not named on their panel submitted during the week but who knows?

But the story of their Championship is a remarkable on even without that potential chapter being written.  The Simonstown League campaign was something resembling a nightmare as relegation to Division 2 occurred and their manager departed.  But their former Keegan Cup winning captain Joe Lyons has stirred something in the group over the past two months and they went through the group stage with three wins, defeating Na Fianna, Seneschalstown and St. Colmcille’s in the process.  Young inside forward Aaron Farrelly has caught the eye as has the chippy Eoghan Gough and everyone knows exactly what Padraig McKeever and Sean Tobin bring to the party.  Sean Conlon and Tadgh Hanrahan are a youthful but energetic midfield pairing while Nash (Eddie), Brían Conlon and Brian McGrath are a solid half back line.

Their next door neighbours Wolfe Tones are models of consistency and have once more come through to the knockout stages.  Ciarán Ó Gallachóir is a solid, dependable goalkeeper and he of course has Shane Glynn in front of him at full back.  Few ever get the better of Glynn and he has Conor Sheppard and Sean Considine either side of him.  The O’Neill brothers (Dan and Adam) missed their Round 2 loss to St. Peter’s Dunboyne and both were colossal losses on the day but are firmly back in the mix now and their drive along with Niall O’Reilly in the half back line are integral to everything the ‘Tones do. Up front, Caolan Ward is a fine free taker and Sarán Ó Fionnagáin will likely have a ding dong battle with Conlon on the forty.  Stephen Sheppard is named at top of the left but he will his day roaming everywhere else.

It’s hard to predict much with confidence in either of these games bar at least one is likely to require more than the regulation hour to split the sides.

In the Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship, Walterstown now plays host to the meeting of Meath Hill and Kilbride after the game was switched from Páirc Tailteann and this game is live on Clubber at 15:00.

Kilbride have been hit hard with injuries as tight marking corner back Paddy Peters and the exciting forward Conor McWeeney have both suffered ACL injuries since the Championship began.  The reigning Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accomodation JFC winners won both of their opening games in impressive fashion before losing to O’Mahonys a fortnight ago.

They will rely heavily on Josh Harford for scores today but the likes of Timmy Farrell, Andrew McWeeney and Luke Faherty are all capable of chipping in with a couple apiece.

Cormac Sheehy and Gary Breslin are the scorers-in-chief for the side from the Cavan and Monaghan borders and they come into this game with the tag of favourites on their back but they will still be harbouring memories of their heartbreaking one point defeat to Duleek-Bellewstown at this stage last year.

A win today would be redemption of sorts and would spark dreams of Championship glory around The Barracks.

The relegation battle in the Meade Farm IFC sees neighbours St. Michael’s and Nobber meet at lunchtime in Moynalty and for Nobber to win they’ll need to ensure Gearóid O’Malley doesn’t repeat his performance of two weeks ago when he made hay against Walterstown.

In Summerhill at 15:00, Blackhall Gaels and Longwood meet and one of the biggest factors here could be how the bodies of the dual players, and there are many between both sides, are holding up.  The ‘Gaels somewhat surprisingly withdrew both Liam and Luke Jennings during the second half of their Round 3 defeat to Meath Hill and both will need to be at their best if their side isn’t to require a second offering of the relegation playoffs to survive.

Then at 16:00 in Fr. Tully Park, Seneschalstown, Duleek-Bellewstown (defeated finalists in each of the last two years) and Drumbaragh Emmets meet in the last of the days relegation playoffs.  Drumbaragh Emmets came bottom of a very tough group but were excellent in winning at this stage last year.  Their opponents today haven’t hit the heights this year that they are capable of and will be anxious to pull out a performance to avoid the dreaded semi-final in two weeks time.

There are a brace of Coolrite Junior B Football Championship semi-finals at 15:00 and both Clonard and Boardsmill will need to produce their best performance of their season to date if they are to defeat Moynalty and Kilmainhamwood respectively.

Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship Quarter Final

Simonstown Gaels v Wolfe Tones – 15:00 (Páirc Tailteann)

Dunshaughlin v Ratoath – 17:00 (Páirc Tailteann)

Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship Quarter Final

Meath Hill v Kilbride – 15:00 (Walterstown)

Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship Relegation Playoff Quarter Final

St. Michael’s v Nobber – 13:00 (Moynalty)

Blackhall Gaels v Longwood – 15:00 (Summerhill)

Duleek-Bellewstown v Drumbaragh Emmets – 16:00 (Seneschalstown)

Coolrite Junior B Football Championship Quarter Final

Kilmainhamwood v Boardsmill – 15:00 (Grangegodden)

Moynalty v Clonard

Friday’s Results

Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship Relegation Playoff Quarter Final

Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship Quarter Final

Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accomodation Junior Football Championship Quarter Final