Next weekend looks like being very summery which will doubtless put a strain on those looking to enjoy the outdoors against those looking to immerse themselves in a weekend of major GAA action.
As things are lining up there will be eight games televised live across Saturday and Sunday with the opening round of games in the TG4 All Ireland Championship leading into all four games in the Quarter Final stage, or Super 8’s, of the Men’s Football Championship and the two Quarter Finals in the Hurling Championship.
It will mean RTÉ Doubling down on coverage across both RTÉ 1 and RTÉ 2 on Sunday afternoon for the 4 PM game.
Last Sunday they had coverage of the Meath Vs Clare Qualifier but had to pass on the Lois Dublin upset in the Hurling Championship because of commitments to show the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final and the final round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open live.
You could not argue with that. the World Cup Final drew an average audience of 224,400 and a peak of 265,400 representing 31 per cent of the whole TV Audience watching at that time.
Similar figures on sunday would be considered very strong.
The full line up is that TG4 will get things underway with reigning All Ireland Champions Dublin against Waterford in the Ladies Football Championship on Saturday afternoon, followed by Connacht Champions Galway against Kerry.
On Saturday night Cork travel to Croke Park to face Dublin in the Men’s Championship, on RTÉ 2 which will follow on from Sky Sports coverage of Roscommon against Tyrone from Hyde Park with a 5 pm throw in.
On Sunday RTÉ 2 will focus on the Hurling with Cork against Kilkenny at 2 pm and Laois against Tipperary completing the semi-final line up with a 4 pm throw in.
Sky Sports will show Donegal at home to Meath at 2 pm and then RTÉ 1 joins the action with coverage of the clash between Kerry and Mayo from Fitzgerald Stadium at 4 PM.
Add into the mix that the Camogie Association and Liberty Insurance will be live streaming one of the games from the Championship over the weekend and that makes a total of nine live games to be consumed as well as an aggregate live audience that will exceed 200,000.
It will all be rounded out by Des Cahill and crew with the Sunday Game for those who may have had to do at least one garden centre or beach session. There is no shortage of choice for fans.
