IT’S THE MOST wonderful time of the year.

The ‘heatwave’ we were promised may have been delayed by 24 hours but the blue skies gracing most of the country today are a sure sign that this summer’s big championship games are just around the corner.

Roscommon narrowly scraped through against New York last weekend in the Connacht SFC while the Leinster SHC round robin is already two weeks old.

But for the majority of the nation’s GAA fans, championship fever hasn’t yet taken hold.

RTÉ’s ‘Sunday Game Live’ will screen 31 games across the summer, beginning in 13 days’ time when Dublin and Wexford go toe to toe in the Leinster SHC quarter-finals.

All 31 games will be live on RTÉ One, including all six provincial finals, four All-Ireland senior quarter-finals, all four All-Ireland semi-finals and both All-Ireland finals.

Michael Lyster will continue to anchor the live programme while Des Cahill will once again present ‘The Sunday Game’ highlights and analysis show, starting next Sunday night on RTÉ2 to review Laois v Wicklow, Louth v Carlow and Offaly v Longford in the Leinster SFC and Fermanagh v Antrim in the Ulster SFC.

We’re already looking forward to seeing a new montage for this glorious theme tune.

Here are the games that RTÉ One will be showing:

Saturday, 21 May
7.15pm Dublin v Wexford (Leinster SHC quarter-final)

Sunday, 22 May
2pm Derry v Tyrone (USFC quarter-final)
4pm Cork v Tipperary (MSHC quarter-final)

Sunday, 29 May
3.30pm Cavan v Armagh (USFC quarter-final)

Sunday, 5 June
2pm Monaghan v Down (USFC quarter-final)
4pm Waterford v Clare (MSHC semi-final)

Sunday, 12 June
2pm Donegal v Fermanagh/Antrim (USFC quarter-final)
4pm Roscommon/Leitrim v Sligo (CSFC semi-final)

Saturday, 18 June
3.30pm Qualifier

Sunday, 19 June
2pm Derry/Tyrone v Cavan/Armagh (USFC semi-final)
4pm Limerick v Cork/Tipperary (MSHC semi-final)

Sunday, 26 June
2pm Longford/Offaly/Westmeath v Wexford/Kildare
4pm Laois/Wicklow/Dublin v Meath/Louth Carlow (LSFC semi-final)

Saturday, 2 July
3.30pm, Qualifier

Sunday, 3 July
2pm Munster SFC final
4pm Leinster SHC final

Saturday, 9 July
3.30pm, Qualifier

Sunday, 10 July 
2pm Connacht SFC final
4pm Munster SHC final

Sunday, 17 July
2pm Ulster SFC final
4pm Leinster SFC final

Sunday, 24 July
2pm All-Ireland SHC quarter-final
4pm All-Ireland SHC quarter-final

Sunday, 31 July
2pm All-Ireland SFC quarter-final
4pm All-Ireland SFC quarter-final

Sunday, 7 August
3.30pm All-Ireland SHC semi-final

Sunday, 14 August
3.30pm All Ireland SHC semi-final

Sunday, 21 August
3.30pm All-Ireland SFC semi-final

Sunday, 28 August
3.30pm All-Ireland SFC semi-final

Sunday, 4 September
3.30pm All-Ireland SHC final

Sunday, 18 September 
3.30pm All-Ireland SFC final

Sky Sports are expected to confirm their schedule for this year’s championship later this month. Their first game will be Dublin v Laois/Wicklow in a Leinster SFC quarter-final clash at Nowlan Park on Saturday, 4 June.

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