PREDICTIONS: Cracking Senior Championship quarter-finals to draw huge crowds

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​AGHAMORE V CASTLEBAR MITCHELS

Saturday at 4.30pm

AGHAMORE are on their best championship run in years and their eastern kingdom is buzzing with anticipation for this one.

Castlebar Mitchels will come up the road with a team brimful of talent, but they were beaten last time out in Garrymore and will have to be at their very best to get the better of Paul Hickey's men.

Wins over Mayo Gaels and Ballintubber and a draw against Crossmolina leaves Aghamore in a really good place.

Fergal Boland is once again showing his class, and with Oisin Greally working like a lion, Brendan Harrison driving his team on, Sean Óg Tigue's workrate catching the eye and Adam Byrne one of the best goalkeepers in the competition, Aghamore have a team capable of beating anyone.

Mitchels looked good against Balla and Ballina Stephenites, but were well beaten in Garrymore.

Their forward line has yet to click into a consistently effective rhythm and if that remains the case they'll be out of the competition on Saturday evening.

John MacMonagle is their excellent captain and centre-half-back, Sean Morahan, Paddy Durcan, Donnacha McHugh and Bob Tuohy are the other Mitchels men with All-Ireland medals in their back pockets, but tellingly, none of them are forwards.

James Durcan has been the best of their starting forwards and Neil Douglas have made an impact off the bench, but the formula will need to be different against an Aghamore side on the crest of a wave.

VERDICT: AGHAMORE

GARRYMORE V CROSSMOLINA DEEL ROVERS​

Saturday at 7.30pm

GET there early, because Garrymore will be the centre of the football world on Saturday night. Hollywood script-writers would have been hard-pressed to come up with this one.

Kobe McDonald, the hottest property in football right now, bringing his Crossmolina team to one of the sport's iconic club grounds.

Throw in the fact that Garrymore are, arguably, the team of the championship so far, and Crossmolina are many people's favourites to win the competition outright, and the bubbling anticipation becomes understandable.

Garrymore have beaten Mayo's traditional big-two Ballina Stephenites and Castlebar Mitchels, and Balla to top their group.

They've been impressive all over the field and have a savage work-ethic. Of course, they have star quality in the shape of Enda Hession and Eoin McGreal, but Darren Quinn, Liam Óg Horkan, Colin Commins, Gary Golden and so many more are top class clubmen.

They will ask huge questions of Crossmolina who have a team stacked with style, skill and dynamism.

McDonald is their best-known player, followed closely by Jordan Flynn and Conor Loftus, while James Maheady is one of the best forwards in the county, Oisin Deane isn't far behind him and Dylan Flynn would get on any team in the competition.

Brian Benson is well aware of the challenge facing his team and knows how difficult it is to win in Garrymore on any given day, never mind a white-hot championship evening.

If Cross' come out of this one, they could win it all, but they'll be tested to the limit here.

Garrymore have two legendary figures on the sideline, Fintan Forde and Tony Corcoran. They have their men primed and ready.

They'll embrace this challenge with a great sense of pride and if they get the best out of their charges they can book a place in the semi-final.

VERDICT: GARRYMORE

​BREAFFY V WESTPORT

Sunday at 1pm​

THESE sides have had as many big days out together recently as some of the most romantic couples.

Since 2019 they've only avoided one another in 2023, and it was no surprise when they were drawn against one another again this season.

Those six meetings have ended with four Breaffy victories and two Westport successes, but there's never much between them.

The largest winning margin in all those clashes was three points - when Breaffy won 1-14 to 1-11 in 2019, and in 2025 when Westport recorded a 2-16 to 1-16 victory after a monumental comeback.

This year, Breaffy have been highly impressive. Sean Deane, Danny O'Toole and John Donnellan have their men kicking two-pointers for fun and playing smart, effective football.

Jack Livingstone is the top two-point kicker in the competition while Aidan O'Shea, Matthew Ruane, Robbie Fadden and Conor Coghill have been getting rave reviews.

Westport seem to be in a bit of bother. A run-away win over Charlestown was followed by a less than impressive display against Claremorris and a poor day out when beaten by Kilmeena in Castlebar.

The huge potential in their ranks hasn't been obvious in recent weeks and there has been a distinct lack of energy in their play.

However, that can all change in an instant and Westport have the players to win the Moclair Cup itself, never mind a quarter-final. Can they get back on the horse, that's the question and the answer will define Sunday's encounter.

Breaffy have been one of the most consistent, solid teams in the group stages. They have the potential to do something really special this year, but face a huge test in this one.

VERDICT: BREAFFY

​CLAREMORRIS V BELMULLET

Sunday at 3.30pm

TWO of the most exciting teams in the county meet in this one, which promises to be a score-fest.

Claremorris have finally stepped into the light and put substance on their potential. They've promised to make an impression for years, and now they're arrived in the quarter-final thanks to wins over Kilmeena, Westport and Charlestown.

To have done so without, Darragh Beirne, one of the most exciting forwards in the game, is noteworthy, but Niall Hurley stepped into the breach and kicked scores for fun in the group stages.

Paul Gilmore, Cathal Joyce, James McCormack, Dara Hurley and their colleagues have impressed with a savage workrate which has carried them into the last eight.

Belmullet will come to town determined to play swaggering, front-foot, hard-working football. They have fine players all over the pitch.

Shane Nallen is a top-quality goalkeeper, Evan Ivers, Eoin O'Donoghue, James Kelly, Fionn O'Donoghue and Anthony Barrett would get on any club team in the country while midfielder Seamus Howard is poised to make his name on the inter-county scene.

Of course, most eyes on Sunday will be on the best player in the sport right now, Ryan O'Donoghue. He's the heartbeat of Belmullet and will kick the scores to win this game if enough ball gets to him.

Claremorris need to win the midfield battle and keep it away from him, Belmullet need to win enough ball in the middle third and get it to him. Therein lies and the winning and losing of the game.

VERDICT: BELMULLET