Minor champions will not have won provincial title

FOR the first time, the All-Ireland MFC title will be won by a county which failed to win the provincial decider.

Offaly and Down are first into the fray today when they clash in Navan. Offaly shocked Munster champions Cork in their quarter-final, while Down upset Connacht champions Galway.

This will be Down’s fifth championship outing, a statistic coach Mark Turley considers advantageous.