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Previews MATCH Top scorers from the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship: SCENE SET FOR TG4 ALL-IRELAND INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS A NTRIM, Clare, Kildare and Wexford will battle it out on Sunday for coveted slots in the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Final. The scene is set for two cracking semi-finals, with Antrim taking on Clare in Longford at 2pm, before Kildare take on Wexford at 4pm at Parnell Park in Dublin. Antrim have been one of stories of the year, building on last year's TG4 All- Ireland Junior Championship win. They've won the Lidl National League Division 4 title and Ulster Intermediate crown already this year, and are today appearing in a TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate semi-final for the very first time. To reach the Final, the Saffrons will have to get past Clare, who are no strangers to the knockout stages of the Intermediate Championship. In last year's semi-final, Clare were edged out by eventual winners Laois after extra-time in a thriller and the Banner County will aim to vault the last four hurdle this time and contest a first Intermediate Final since 2016. Antrim and Clare were very impressive in their respective quarter-final wins against Monaghan and Westmeath – and this promises to be an intriguing semi-final. The Kildare-Wexford tie also promises to be a special game, with both sides showing good form in their respective quarter-final wins against Tyrone and Leitrim. Kildare are back-to-back Leinster Intermediate champions in 2022 and 2023 and they defeated Wexford in both provincial Finals. Kildare have enjoyed an excellent season to date, also claiming the Lidl National League Division 3 title, but Wexford will present stern opposition and the Model County have contested the last two All-Ireland Intermediate Finals. A Clare win over Antrim would see them through to a fourth Intermediate decider, with a win in 2009 and losses in 2008 and 2016 on their record. Kildare, meanwhile, were back-to-back finalists in 2015 and 2016, atoning for a 2015 Final loss by claiming the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup a year later. Wexford have played in four previous Finals, but unfortunately lost them all in 1999, 2007, 2021 and 2022. Fidelma Marrinan GOALS 4 POINTS 28 TOTAL 40 Clare Aoife Connolly 5 13 28 Westmeath Orlaith Prenter 4 14 26 Antrim Chloe Fox 2 17 23 Wexford Marie Kealy 1 17 20 Wicklow Laura Fleming 2 14 20 Roscommon Róisín Cockram 1 15 18 Offaly Michelle Guckian 0 18 18 Leitrim Roisin Byrne 0 16 16 Kildare Chloe Moloney 2 9 15 Clare 16 | SUMMER 2023 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie