Ulster’s breakaway draw pairs Derry with Tyrone

IT wasn’t so much a question of Ulster saying no as a matter of agreeing to going on their own with a separate draw on BBC yesterday for their 2006 provincial championship.

The draw paired All-Ireland champions Tyrone with Derry and provincial holders Armagh with Monaghan. Interestingly, however, the other three provinces have agreed a co-ordinated approach in the hope of restoring prestige to the concept of a ‘national’ draw and maximising its publicity value.

With the Munster and Leinster Councils meeting last night, it seems probable that the draws will be made in Killarney on the weekend of November 11/12 - the occasion of the first national ‘Club Forum.’ Connacht are also in favour of this move.

The councils are hopeful that RTE will televise the draws live. Yesterday’s draw went out ‘live’ at the tail-end of BBC Northern Ireland’s lunchtime news bulletin, but the view among some observers was that the Council lost more than they gained because of the brevity of the slot and the fact that there was no contribution from either Brian Dooher or Kieran McGeeney who made the draw in the company of Ulster Chairman Micheal Greenan.

Ulster draw: preliminary round - Down v Cavan; quarter-finals: A: Armagh v Monaghan; B: Fermanagh v Antrim; C: Tyrone v Derry; D: Donegal v winners of preliminary round.

Semi-finals: A v B; C v D.