Here's all you need to know about the GAA's 2021 All-Ireland Championship draws
Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Tomorrow morning, Morning Ireland - Football after 7.30am news bulletin; hurling after 8.30am news bulletin.
Clare, Kerry, Limerick, and Waterford are in the quarter-final draw. The winners will progress to the semi-finals and could face each other or Cork or Tipperary.
Cork and Kerry have not gone four years without playing each other in Championship in Killarney since 2006. Should they cross paths this summer, the game will be in Fitzgerald Stadium.
Open draw - any two of the five participating counties can be drawn in the quarter-final. The winners go through to the semi-finals, the losers start the qualifiers in Round 1. The first two teams drawn tomorrow face each other in one semi-final; the third facing the first-round winners in the other last-four game.
From 2001 to '17 and last season, the Munster SHC has been knock-out with one quarter-final game. Tipperary have been drawn in the quarter-final nine times, Cork eight, Clare seven, Limerick six, and Waterford five. Between 2009 and ‘17, Cork and Tipperary met five times at the opening stage.
Tomorrow evening, Six One News sports bulletin.
With London and New York not involved due to Covid travel logistical difficulties, the draw involving the five indigenous Connacht counties will be an open one. Last year, the usual structure but without the Exiles was retained. However, this time around any team can be drawn against one another.
With five, no manager has won more Connacht titles with the one county than James Horan. His record in the province reads: Played 15 Won 14 Drawn 0 Lost 1. Including the 2019 qualifier in Limerick, he has led Mayo to victory against Galway in each of the six games they have faced one another in Championship.
Tuesday morning, Morning Ireland - football after 7.30am news bulletin; hurling after 8.30am news bulletin.
Dublin, Laois, Kildare, and Meath have quarter-final byes as a reward for reaching last year’s semi-finals. Six of the seven remaining counties are drawn in preliminary round games with one of them going straight through to face one of the four 2020 semi-finalists in a last-eight game. The semi-final draws won’t take place until after the quarter-finals are decided.
Dublin, who are aiming for their 11th consecutive Delaney Cup, have not lost a provincial senior final since 2001 when Meath won by three points.
2020 Leinster SHC finalists Kilkenny and Galway have semi-final byes and are separated at that stage. The quarter-final line-up comprises Antrim, Dublin, Laois, and Wexford. The quarter-final losers go into a preliminary round qualifier, which also doubles up as a relegation play-off.
The last two Leinster champions have failed to reach the All-Ireland final. The last time that happened was in 2005. Kilkenny (2005, ‘20) and Wexford (2004, ‘19) were the winners on those occasions.
Tuesday evening, Six One News sports bulletin.
As they have featured in two of the last preliminary rounds, Cavan, Derry, Monaghan, and Tyrone (Bowl 2) are exempt from being drawn there this year. Therefore, two of Antrim, Armagh, Donegal, Down, and Fermanagh (Bowl 1) will have to win three games in a row to reach the provincial final. The first two teams drawn from Bowl 1 face off in the preliminary round after which the bowls are mixed together. The third team drawn will meet the preliminary round winners.
Tyrone in 1995 were the last Ulster winners in a knock-out Sam Maguire Cup to reach the All-Ireland final. Since then, six teams have tried and failed.
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