Dates and venues confirmed for football qualifiers

The GAA have confirmed the dates, times and venues for the first round of the 2007 All-Ireland SFC qualifiers, with Clones chosen to host the mouth-watering Ulster derby between Armagh and Derry.

The draw for the first round was made yesterday evening at Leitrim's refurbished Páirc Sean MacDiarmada, with the assistance of GAA President Nickey Brennan.

Leitrim, who lost out to Galway in yesterday's Connacht semi-final, will be back at their new-look Carrick-on-Shannon home on Saturday week - July 7 - to welcome NFL Division One champions Donegal.

Six of the eight first round qualifiers are down for decision on July 7, while the Armagh v Derry and Fermanagh v Laois/Wexford ties will take place less than 24 hours later.

Clones may indeed host the Fermanagh v Laois/Wexford match on Sunday week as well as the Armagh v Derry encounter, as Fermanagh's home ground in Enniskillen may not be ready in time.

A likely double-header at Clones would see Fermanagh first up against the losers of next weekend's Leinster semi-final, with the Armagh-Derry game throwing in afterwards at 4pm.

Each of the Saturday qualifiers have evening time throw-ins, bar the Hyde Park meeting of Roscommon and Kildare (3pm).

The night games will see Louth travelling to the Gaelic Grounds to meet Limerick, last year's All-Ireland runners-up Mayo are due to entertain Cavan in Castlebar, Cusack Park in Mullingar is the venue for all-Leinster duel between Westmeath and Longford, while Meath face a difficult trip to Newry to take on Down.

Fixtures:

Saturday, July 7:

Limerick v Louth, Gaelic Grounds, 7pm

Mayo v Cavan, Castlebar, 7pm

Down v Meath, Newry, 7pm

Westmeath v Longford, Cusack Park, 7pm

Leitrim v Donegal, Carrick-on-Shannon, 7pm

Roscommon v Kildare, Hyde Park, 3pm

Sunday, July 8:

Fermanagh v Laois or Wexford, Enniskillen/Clones, 2pm

Armagh v Derry, Clones, 4pm