BOTH Ulster finalists and Derry are facing a tough round-robin series following this afternoon’s All-Ireland SFC draw.
Whoever is beaten in Clones next Sunday will open their group stage campaign against Westmeath but will then travel to Derry before facing the Connacht champions – Galway or Mayo – in a neutral venue in their final game.
The winners of next weekend’s decider between Armagh and Donegal will go into a group containing Tyrone, Cork and the losers of the Munster final between Kerry and Clare.
Jim McGuinness’s side are guaranteed to face either Derry or Tyrone again having already beaten both of them in the provincial series.
They’ll either be hosting Tyrone in Ballybofey first or travelling to Celtic Park for the third time already this year.
National League champions Derry have been landed in a really difficult group.
Their first game will be away to the new Connacht champions before hosting the beaten Ulster finalists.
As much as Westmeath almost caused shocks in last year’s group stage, losing by a point to Armagh and coming within a whisker of knocking Tyrone out in the final game, Derry manager Mickey Harte will perhaps be glad that the fourth seed in his side’s group wasn’t Cork.
They’re instead in with his native county, Tyrone, who will also face the Ulster champions and the beaten Munster finalists.
Cavan won’t be all too disappointed with a draw that gives them a potential plum home tie against Dublin as well as a clash with Roscommon that they’ll eye up with relish.
Vinny Corey will be happy enough too. Monaghan’s opening game will be away to the Munster champions on the weekend of May 18/19. They’ll also face the beaten Leinster finalists and a Meath side coming up as Tailteann Cup winners.
In the Tailteann Cup, Antrim drew the shortest straw of the Ulster contingent. Andy McEntee’s side will face a Sligo team that came within a whisker of stunning Galway in the Connacht semi-final and a Wexford side on an upward trajectory, as well as struggling Tipperary.
Down will face Offaly, Limerick and London in group four, with Fermanagh in alongside Laois, Carlow and Oisin McConville’s Wicklow in group three.
In both competitions, the top team in each group goes into the quarter-final, with the second and third placed finishers playing off in preliminary quarter-finals.
All-Ireland SFC round-robin draw
Group One: Galway/Mayo winners, Donegal/Armagh losers, Derry, Westmeath
Group Two: Dublin/Louth winners, Galway/Mayo losers, Roscommon, Cavan
Group Three: Donegal/Armagh winners, Clare/Kerry losers, Tyrone, Cork
Group Four: Kerry/Clare winners, Dublin/Louth losers, Monaghan, Meath
Tailteann Cup draw
Group One: Kildare, Leitrim, Longford, Waterford
Group Two: Sligo, Antrim, Wexford, Tipperary
Group Three: Fermanagh, Laois, Wicklow, Carlow
Group Four: Down, Offaly, Limerick, London
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Fixtures
May 18-19 (first team named at home)
Group A: Galway/Mayo winners v Derry
Group B: Galway/Mayo losers v Cavan
Group C: Clare/Kerry losers v Cork
Group D: Kerry/Clare winners v Monaghan
May 25-26 (first team named at home)
Group A: Donegal/Armagh losers v Westmeath
Group B: Dublin/Louth winners v Roscommon
Group C: Donegal/Armagh winners v Tyrone
Group D: Dublin/Louth losers v Meath
June 1-2 (first team named at home)
Group A: Derry v Donegal/Armagh losers; Westmeath v Galway/Mayo winners
Group B: Roscommon v Galway/Mayo losers; Cavan v Dublin/Louth winners
Group C: Tyrone v Kerry/Clare losers; Cork v Donegal/Armagh winners
Group D: Monaghan v Dublin/Louth losers; Meath v Kerry/Clare winners
June 15-16 (neutral venues)
Group A: Galway/Mayo winners v Donegal/Armagh losers; Derry v Westmeath
Group B: Dublin/Louth winners v Galway/Mayo losers; Roscommon v Cavan
Group C: Donegal/Armagh winners v Clare/Kerry losers; Tyrone v Cork
Group D: Kerry/Clare winners v Dublin/Louth losers; Monaghan v Meath