The All-Ireland senior football championship kicked into gear this weekend and it’s about to take off next weekend.
Bring it on.
The one week turn-around is going to be extremely difficult for those second and third placed qualifiers and that indeed shows the value of topping your group.
Table-toppers Dublin, Kerry, Armagh and Derry will all enjoy next weekend off.
None-the-less, on a final day full of shocks, some of the big teams slipped to second and third which placed them into the snake-pit of Monday morning’s All-Ireland preliminary quarter final draw.
The three Connacht kingpings Galway, Mayo and Roscommon all slipped on that dramatic final day and this spiced the draw up big time.
It was made on Morning Ireland and it has set up some mouth-watering clashes for next weekend. Galway vs Mayo is the obvious headliner. It just had to be them. Both teams had been in flying form up to their losses this weekend but now, before the end of June, one of them will be out.
Donegal vs Tyrone also pits two local rivals together, while Cork vs Roscommon and Kildare vs Monaghan will also be very evenly matched.
Meanwhile, the Tailteann Cup semi-final draws were made and it pits Andy McEntee’s Antrim against his home county Meath. Down take on Laois in the other clash.
All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter final draw
(First team named is at home)
Donegal v Tyrone
Cork v Roscommon
Galway v Mayo
Kildare v Monaghan
Tailteann Cup semi-final draw
Down v Laois
Meath v Antrim
