All-Ireland SFC quarter-final draw made

Laois will have to do it the hard way if they are to reach the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals, having been drawn against defending champions Dublin in the last-eight.

Laois' reward for knocking Meath out of the Championship this afternoon is a meeting with the all-conquering Dubs who recently retained their Leinster title.

The sides met at the quarter-final stage of last year's Leinster Championship when the O'Moore men fell to a 1-16 to 0-11 defeat at Croke Park.

The draw for the All-Ireland quarter-final matches, which will be played over the August Bank Holiday weekend, was made tonight on RTÉ Radio 1.

The winners of today's fourth round qualifiers - Laois, Down, Kildare and Kerry - were paired with this summer's provincial champions, Cork from Munster, Mayo from Connacht, Dublin from Leinster and Donegal from Ulster.

Having made it three qualifier victories on the trot by beating Sligo, Kieran McGeeney's Kildare side will face the might of Cork next time out.

The Cork-Kildare tie is a meeting of the current Allianz League Division 1 and 2 champions, and is sure to test the highly-fancied Rebels as they have been without a competitive match since they beat

Clare on July 8.

Kerry maintained their 100% record in the qualifiers tonight with a facile 2-22 to 1-6 win over provincial rivals Clare. Ulster champions Donegal are next up for the Kingdom in an intriguing clash of styles.

Both teams have been in free-scoring form of late with Donegal, famed for their defensive qualities, putting 2-13 on Derry and 2-18 on Down on the way to retaining their provincial crown.

Colm Cooper (1-4) and James O'Donoghue (1-3) led the scoring as Kerry swatted away the challenge of Clare this evening, and Cooper and company will relish the prospect of ending Donegal's campaign.

Kerry ran out 2-16 to 1-8 winners when the counties met in the Allianz League back in March.

Quarter-final opponents Down and Mayo have also played each other already this season. The Mourne men came away from Castlebar with a 1-13 to 0-11 success during the Division 1 campaign.

However, Down failed to reach the league final and Mayo managed to do so. The westerners have also added the Nestor Cup to their trophy cabinet since then and are hungry for action having only playing twice so far this summer.

The pairings for the semi-finals - scheduled for August 26 and September 2 - ave also been set up.

The winners of the Cork-Kildare match will face either Donegal or Kerry in the first semi-final, while whomever comes through the Dublin-Laois duel will take on the winners of the Down-Mayo match.

GAA ALL-IRELAND SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP:

QUARTER-FINALS -

Cork v Kildare

Donegal v Kerry

Dublin v Laois

Down v Mayo

- Matches to be played over August 4/5/6

SEMI-FINALS:

Cork or Kildare v Donegal or Kerry

Dublin or Laois v Down or Mayo

- Matches to be played on August 26 and September 2