SaturdayLeinster SHC final: Dublin v Galway, Croke Park, 6pm [Live, RTÉ2] The two finalists have built their campaign on notable victories over former champions Kilkenny, whose trouncing by Galway was the most impressive display of the round-robin but Dublin’s win was both rarer and more mentally challenging.They don’t have anything like the same hang-ups in respect of Galway and beat them in the Leinster final 13 years ago. Since the latter’s arrival in the eastern province, Dublin have won the balance of fixtures.Niall Ó Ceallacháin’s team have also improved, tightening up at the back from the four goals conceded against Offaly on day one to conceding just one in the four matches since and scoring fluently.Liam Rushe has improved the defence after his unexpected return to arms even if he missed the climactic Kilkenny round. Eoghan O’Donnell is named but a doubt hovers over his fitness. He too missed the Kilkenny match but Paddy Smyth led a formidable defensive display.In attack, Dónal Burke has been getting back to his best after more than a year battling injury and there is further good news with the naming of his Na Fianna clubmate Seán Currie on the bench after a long lay-off.If Dublin are getting better, finishing with two wins against last year’s provincial finalists, Galway have been in recession since the Kilkenny high point on opening weekend.Injuries have played a part and Micheál Donoghue must be happy to get back the young hurlers who have transformed the team so far: Rory Burke and Aaron Niland are listed, having played a big role in the championship to date – as well as Cathal Mannion, who sat out the Wexford win.The round-robin match in Salthill was notable for the effectiveness of Dublin’s route one attack in the hands of John Hetherton and Ronan Hayes, who were sprung from the bench. The former is listed as starting, as he did against Kilkenny, and showed great touches in swooping for early points.The problem is that in Galway, the home team shot a barrage of needless wides when they had the wind. If they can create those chances this weekend, it’s unlikely they will squander as many.The good surface suits both teams. Brian Hayes’s pace has been revelatory for Dublin whereas Galway look like a team that could be unleashed in Croke Park. Momentum and form suggest otherwise. Verdict: DublinJoe McDonagh Cup final: Carlow v Laois, Croke Park, 3.45pm [Live, RTÉ2] Two counties seasoned in the Tier 2 championship, having shared the first two titles before Carlow added a second, while Laois are in a third successive final. Form points to Carlow, managed by Pat Bennett, as they were comfortable winners of the group match and in Chris Noland and Marty Kavanagh, have serious firepower. Laois, captained by David Dooley and driven forward by the county’s all-time top scorer, Stephen Maher, have done well to reach another final despite being a division lower in the league. Verdict: CarlowTailteann CupThe Tailteann will have its quarter-finalists after this weekend. The big surprise to date has been Offaly’s impressive win over Down, which leaves Conor Laverty’s team with the unexpected indignity of having to beat Longford to make the last eight of a competition they won just two years ago. The young home team had a terrific win against Clare and will hope to prey on any further dimming of Down’s life force in the aftermath of their Ulster disappointment, having dethroned Donegal in the first round.Preliminary quarter-finalFermanagh v New York, Brewster Park, 3.0 [Live, GAA+]Round 3London v Sligo, McGovern Park, 1.0Leitrim v Wexford, Heartland Credit Union Páirc Seán MacDiarmada, 2.0Wicklow v Tipperary, Echelon Park, 5.0Longford v Down, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 6.0 [Live, GAA+]SundayMunster SHC final: Cork v Limerick, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 2pmLimerick's Adam English with Tommy O'Connell of Cork. Photograph: Tom O’Hanlon/Inpho There comes a point when loss of players has to have an effect. There has been much worrying about Ciarán Joyce’s season-ending injury and its impact on Cork with the consensus being that it will be an issue as the championship ascent thins the air.Damien Cahalane fought hard in last year’s final and plugged away when called in to the round-robin match back in April but the loss of Joyce is severe. Twelve months ago, he had a great match, man-marking Cian Lynch and without him, the defence suffers.Darragh Fitzgibbon was a key contributor to both of the most recent championship wins over Limerick. Having missed the Clare match, the captain is named in the standby panel but Ben O’Connor has so far resisted three-card trickery in his selections.Limerick are restored after losing Aaron Gillane before the round-robin match and Lynch during it. In the first quarter in April, they absolutely dominated their rivals and looked as powerful as in their pomp. They lost the initiative, however, to Shane Barrett’s goal and there was nothing in it from then on.Cork have held an iron grip on this fixture in matches of consequence, winning four of the last five championship meetings. Their defence may be impaired by Joyce’s absence, but they have conceded just three goals this championship, compared with seven last year.The attack is also clicking, the dynamism of the half forwards and the gathering form of the inside line looking well capable of repeating the swift and productive raids that have given them the upper hand in this fixture.Limerick are a different quantity this year, however, even if not firing on all cylinders for the full 70 minutes. Gillane is a potent weapon up front and a revived Darragh O’Donovan in tandem with Adam English a powerful centrefield platform.They need to win this in order to shrug off the unhelpful momentum this fixture has accumulated. With everyone on board and Cork missing their captain, this would be a tough one to lose. Verdict: Limerick