Northern exposure: the Ulster counties' impressive semi-final appearance record

Since 2001, there have only been three seasons when Ulster has had no representative in the last four.

KINGDOM COME: Derry manager Ciarán Meenagh will send his side out against Kerry this weekend. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

As the most represented province in the All-Ireland group stages with five counties, it was hardly surprising Ulster were also best represented in the quarter-finals and this weekend’s semi-finals.

Since the start of the backdoor in 2001, there have only been three seasons – 2006, ’07 and ’16 – when the northern province has had no skin in the game come the last four.