NEXT year’s Ulster Senior Football Championship will start off with a clash of the titans in the shape of last year’s champions Donegal and 2022 champions Derry.
The pair met in last year’s Ulster SFC at the quarter-final stage, which pitched Jim McGuinness against another giant of Ulster GAA, Mickey Harte.
Donegal won the affair, however, the margin of the victory was a surprise to the supporters.
Derry are still without a manager after Mickey Harte left his position and took up the role of joint manager of Offaly.
Donegal will be aiming to retain their hold on the Anglo-Celt Cup for another year and will have one eye on the All-Ireland showpiece after falling at the semi-final stage last year against Galway.
The two will meet in Ballybofey in next year’s Ulster Championship curtain-raiser.
The winner of this tie will meet Monaghan, who are now under the guidance of Gabriel Bannigan after Vinnie Corey left.
In the other quarter-finals, All-Ireland-winners Armagh will face Antrim, Malachy O’Rourke will play his first championship game against Cavan and Fermanagh will play Tailteann Cup champions Down.
The winner of Armagh/Antrim and Tyrone/Cavan will play each other in the semi-final and the winner of the first round and Monaghan will take on the Fermanagh/Down winner will meet in the other semi.
In Connacht, Mayo has been drawn against Sligo in the preliminary round, with the winner taking on Leitrim in the semi-final, with the winners of Galway/New York and London/Roscommon facing off in the other semi.
Leinster’s preliminary round sees Wexford take on Justin McNulty’s Laois, Carlow against Meath and Oisin McConville’s Wicklow play Longford.
Each winner will play Louth, Offaly and Dublin respectively, with Kildare/Westmeath finishing the quarter-final picture.
In Munster, Waterford will host Tipperary in the quarter-final of the championship, and in a replay of last year’s All-Ireland hurling semi-final Limerick will play Cork in the other quarter-final.
Last year’s finalists, Clare and Kerry, will host the respective winners of the quarter-finals.
