Westmeath ladies set to meet Longford in derby opener
Pictured above: Former Galway star Máire Ní Bhraonáin who will present TG4's LGFA championship coverage in the coming weeks.
The Westmeath ladies football team will begin their TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship campaign against Longford this Saturday.
The Cavan venue of Mullahoran will host the Halloween clash between the midland neighbours (throw-in 1pm).
Louth are the other team in their three-team group, with Westmeath due to face the Wee County ladies on Sunday, November 15.
Westmeath were relegated from the Senior ranks last year and will be bidding to bounce back up at the first attempt.
Roscommon and Offaly are also competing in this year's Intermediate championship. Offaly will play Wexford in Clane on Saturday, but Roscommon must wait until Sunday, November 8 for their first game (against the Slaneysiders).
The 13 teams at Intermediate level are bidding for the right to lift the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup.
The Ladies Gaelic Football Association and sponsors TG4 recently announced that all 42 games in the 2020 TG4 All-Ireland Championships will be available to watch live – and FREE of charge.
TG4 will screen nine games in total – including the Junior, Intermediate and Senior finals – while the other 33 games will be streamed on various platforms.
This landmark announcement comes as 2020 marks the 20th season of TG4’s sponsorship of the All-Ireland Ladies Football Championships – and the 20th year of live TV coverage of the All-Ireland finals.
A total of 31 counties will compete for the silverware on offer during the 2020 TG4 All-Ireland ladies football championships.
The Junior (West County Hotel Cup) final is down for decision on Saturday, December 5, with the Intermediate and Senior (Brendan Martin Cup) deciders forming part of a Croke Park double-header on Sunday, December 20.
TG4’s live coverage of the 2020 championships gets underway with a Friday night fixture under lights at Kingspan Breffni Park, when Ulster rivals Tyrone and Armagh go head to head.
TG4 has also confirmed that former Galway star Máire Ní Bhraonáin will lead the Irish language broadcaster’s Peil na mBan Beo coverage for the forthcoming season.
Máire will be joined on live coverage by a glittering team of analysts: Cork legend Rena Buckley (an 11-time All-Ireland Senior medallist), Dublin’s Sorcha Furlong and Waterford’s Michelle Ryan, who enjoyed a glittering Déise career that spanned almost two decades.
This weekend's LGFA championship fixtures are listed below.
Friday, October 30
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship - Group 4 Round 1
Armagh v Tyrone – Kingspan Breffni Park, 7.30pm – live on TG4.
Saturday, October 31
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship
Group 2 Round 1
Tipperary v Galway – LIT Gaelic Grounds, 3pm – live on TG4.
Group 3 Round 1
Dublin v Donegal – Kingspan Breffni Park, 5pm – live on TG4.
TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship
Group 1 Round 1
Wexford v Offaly – Clane, 1pm.
Group 2 Round 1
Longford v Westmeath – Mullahoran, 1pm.
TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship
Group A Round 2
Fermanagh v Wicklow – Lannleire (Co. Louth), 1pm.
Sunday, November 1
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship
Group 1 Round 1
Cavan v Kerry – St Brendan’s Park, Birr, 1pm.
TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship
Group 3 Round 1
Meath v Down – Lannleire, 1pm.
Group 4 Round 1
Kildare v Clare – St Rynagh’s, Banagher, 1pm.
Group 4 Round 1
Sligo v Laois – Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon, 1pm.
TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship
Group B Round 2
Antrim v Limerick – Clane, 1pm.