Tough draws for Ulster counties, comfortable ones likely for Dublin and Kerry

With six of the nine Ulster counties making up almost 40% of the draw, one more team than last year, northern derbies were inevitable.

Tue, 30 Apr, 2024 - 16:50

John Fogarty

Ulster counties experienced another difficult Sam Maguire Cup draw on Tuesday as provincial finalists Armagh and Donegal will either face Derry or Tyrone in the All-Ireland group stages.

While last year’s All-Ireland finalists Dublin and Kerry will earn comfortable draws in Groups 2 and 4 should they as expected win their respective provincial finals, the winners of the Ulster decider on Sunday week will face Tyrone at home two weeks later in Group 3. The following weekend, they must make a trip to Cork who will have had a two-week break from their first game against the Munster runners-up on May 18/19.

Whoever loses in Clones will face Division 1 winners Derry in Celtic Park in Group 1 on June 1 or 2 followed by a final round clash with the Connacht champions, Galway or Mayo, at a neutral venue on June 15/16.

Group 1 can certainly be classified as the most difficult one, even though the three 2025 Division 1 teams will be expected to qualify for the knock-out stages ahead of Westmeath who were promoted from Division 3 in March.

However, the Connacht SFC runners-up appear to have a more advantageous draw in Group 2. While it is likely to include Dublin, Roscommon and Cavan, making their first appearance in the new Sam Maguire format, complete that quartet.

With six of the nine Ulster counties making up almost 40% of the draw, one more team than last year, northern derbies were inevitable. For winning last year's Ulster final, Derry were pitted against Donegal and Monaghan, while 2023 runners-up Armagh were drawn to face Tyrone.

Beat Clare in Ennis on Sunday and Kerry will be at home to Monaghan in the first round of the Sam Maguire Cup on May 18 or 19. That route also includes a second round trip to face Meath on June 1 or 2 before a final round game against the Leinster runners-up at a neutral venue on June 15 or 16.

In the event Clare do lose to Kerry in Cusack Park, they will face Cork on home soil two weeks later in Group 3. Cork’s final round fixture in that group is a date with Tyrone at a neutral venue on June 15 or 16.

Dublin, should they beat Louth in the Leinster final on Sunday week, will be placed in a group along with Roscommon for the second year in succession. They were also allotted the same pool in both seasons of the defunct Super 8 format n 2018 and ’19.

Aside from the games involving Clare, Cork and Kerry, the other two games due to take place on the May 18/19 weekend will be the winners of Galway and Mayo v Derry and the Connacht final runners-up v Cavan.

The Leinster and Ulster finalists open their campaigns the following weekend where the pick of the games will be Tyrone travelling to face Armagh or Donegal in Ballybofey or Armagh city.

Only repeat provincial final pairings were avoided in the draw – the Connacht winners and runners-up were initially drawn together in Group 1 before they were separated. Therefore, Donegal will face Tyrone for a second time in four weeks should they defeat Armagh in St Tiernach's Park on Sunday week.

Lose to Galway and Mayo could square up to Roscommon for a second time in this championship, while additional Cork-Kerry and Dublin-Meath meetings are also possible.

In the Tailteann Cup, Kildare will be expected to top Group 1 where they will face Leitrim, Longford and Waterford. After recently beating Westmeath and pushing Kildare close, Oisín McConville’s Wicklow will be fancied to qualify in Group 3 where they are joined by Fermanagh, Division 4 winners Laois and Carlow.

Tipperary are fourth seeds in Group 2 otherwise comprising Sligo, Antrim and Wexford. Third seeds Limerick were drawn in Group 4 where they will meet Down, Offaly and London.