Donegal ladies will face Meath and Waterford in Group B of the All-Ireland series after their victory over Armagh in the Ulster Ladies Final.
Defending champions Meath, aiming for a third successive TG4 All-Ireland Senior title, will look to regroup after losing the Leinster Final to Dublin, and the Royal County now find themselves alongside Ulster champions Donegal, and Waterford.
The groups for the All-Ireland Senior and Intermediate Championships were announced today at the launch the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Championships.
The TG4 Senior Championship is due to get underway on Saturday June 17.
Also at Senior level, Group A features Connacht champions Mayo, Ulster runners-up Armagh, and Laois, while Leinster champions Dublin, Lidl National League Division 1 champions Kerry, who lost to Cork in yesterday’s Munster Final, and Cavan will play in Group C.
Group D is made up of Munster champions Cork, Connacht runners-up Galway, and Tipperary.
In the Intermediate Championship, 2021 and 2022 All-ireland Finalists Wexford lost to Kildare in yesterday’s Leinster Final, and are pitted with Connacht champions Roscommon, and Monaghan, in Group C.
Kildare are in Group A with Leitrim and Louth, with Clare, Tyrone, Offaly and Wexford in a four-team Group B.
In Group D, newly-crowned Ulster Intermediate champions Antrim, who were the 2022 TG4 All-Ireland Junior winners, will battle it out with Longford and Westmeath.
In the Senior and Intermediate Championships, two teams will emerge from each group to contest the quarter-finals, with the top two teams in each of the Junior groups progressing to the semi-finals.
Peil na mBan Beo will be available to audiences globally on the TG4 Player at https://www.tg4.ie/en/player/watch-live/home/ and on the TG4 Mobile and Smart TV App.
In attendance at the launch of the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Championships at Croke Park are Ard Stiúrthóir TG4 Alan Esslemont and Uachtarán Cumann Peil Gael na mBan, Mícheál Naughton with Junior players, back from left, Beatrice Casey of London, Joanne Corr of Derry, centre from left, Claire Dunne of Sligo, Ruth Bermingham of Carlow, Natalie McKibbin of Down and Sarah Smith of Kilkenny and front from left, Róisín Ambrose of Limerick and Shannon McQuade of Fermanagh. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Former Galway star Máire Ní Bhraonáin will lead TG4’s Peil na mBan Beo coverage once again for the forthcoming Championship season.
The commentary team will be headed up by Brian Tyers.
They will be joined by expert panellists including former Cork TG4 All-Ireland Championship winners Rena Buckley and Rhóna Ní Bhuachalla, ex-Waterford ace Michelle Ryan, Dublin All-Ireland winners Sorcha Furlong and Sinéad Finnegan, Wicklow’s Niamh Russell and current Donegal player, Emer Gallagher.
The LGFA and TG4 are also delighted to confirm that all other games that are not being televised in the TG4 All-Ireland Championships will be available to view via the LGFA’s live-streaming service. Visit https://page.inplayer.com/lgfaseason2023/ for full details.
Mícheál Naughton, President of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, commented: “We’ve already been treated to some spectacular action throughout the Lidl National Leagues and the TG4 Provincial Championships – and now it’s almost time for the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Championships to get underway.
“As we prepare to enter the 50th year of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, August 13th at Croke Park will be an historic day, as we will crown our All-Ireland Senior champions for a 50th time.
“There have been some outstanding moments of history throughout the previous 49 Senior Championship campaigns and countless legends created. As we prepare for our 50th Senior Championship season, we can look ahead to what looks like a wide-open race, with a number of contenders starting the TG4 All-Ireland series with a genuine sense that they can finish it with the Brendan Martin Cup.
“We’re also looking forward to brilliant Football in the Intermediate and Junior Championships, with the teams in these competitions battling it out for the national silverware on offer and the chance to compete at a higher Championship grade.
“Along every step of the way, TG4 will be with us, as they have been since 2001. TG4’s commitment and dedication to Ladies Gaelic Football has helped to elevate our sport to new heights and it’s a partnership that continues to grow and evolve.
“We were delighted to sign a long-term extension of our partnership in 2022, which will take us up to the conclusion of the 2027 season.
“Today, we are delighted to have the respective team captains, Kitty Ryan-Savage from Tipperary and Offaly’s Agnes Gorman, with us from that very first Senior Final in 1974. Ladies Gaelic Football has enjoyed tremendous growth since then and we’re anticipating bumper attendances at the various venues along the road to Croke Park in August.
“Once again, and as we make our way through the Championships, we’re proud to ensure that we can cater for a worldwide audience, via TG4 and also on our live-streaming portal.
“Fans of Ladies Gaelic Football won’t miss a minute of the action, with our 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Junior, Intermediate and Senior Champions set to be crowned on August 13th. Many thanks to TG4 Director General Alan Esslemont, Head of Sport, Rónán Ó Coisdealbha and the entire TG4 team for their continued support of Ladies Gaelic Football.
“As always, we need the help of our clubs and counties to ensure that our inter-county players receive the support in the stands and from the terraces that they richly deserve throughout the Championship season.”