All of these games will take place next weekend.

So, the group stages are over and now we're into the quarter-final stages. The quarter-finals of the hurling league must be the most pointless round of fixtures in the GAA's whole calendar. They unnecessarily take up a valuable weekend of action when they should really be going straight through to the semis after these group stages. The whole problem stems from the fact that four teams qualify from Division 1B as well as Division 1A, with this farcical set-up best highlighted by the fact that Dublin and Offaly will both partake in them. Both of these teams have been hapless in Division 1B. Dublin won two games, against Antrim and Laois, while Offaly defeated Dublin and Laois. These teams don't deserve another chance but this is the GAA and sometimes logic doesn't prevail. Anyway, here are the pairings for the last 8 clashes.

Allianz League quarter finals

Wexford v Galway (Wexford Park) Tipperary v Dublin (In Dublin) Kilkenny v Offaly (Venue toss) Clare v Limerick (Venue toss)

Relegation play-offs

Cork v Waterford (Cork) Antrim v Laois (Antrim)