ULSTER champions Tyrone will start their Championship season in Celtic Park for the second successive season after they were paired with Derry in Thursday night's draw for the Ulster SFC.
The Red Hands won last year's match on a 3-14 to 0-12 scoreline, and Damian Barton's side will now have the opportunity to make amends for that lacklustre performance.
The other eye-catching contest will see neighbours Down and Armagh clash in a rare home fixture for the Mourne county as both Kieran McGeeney and Eamonn Burns go in search of their first Ulster Championship victories.
New Cavan manager Mattie McGleenan will start out against the winners of Monaghan and Fermanagh, who were paired together in the preliminary round. The Erne county avoided Antrim in the draw for the first time in four years, and the Saffrons now face a huge challenge as they will have to travel to last year's Ulster finalists Donegal in their opening fixture.
The winners of that match will play the winners of Derry and Tyrone in the semi-finals with Down or Armagh awaiting Cavan, Monaghan or Fermanagh.
Meanwhile All-Ireland hurling champions Tipperary will face a Munster quarter-final against Cork for the second successive year following Thursday's Championship draw.
The winners of that match with go onto to meet Waterford in the semi-final with Clare and Limerick paired together on the other side of the draw. That will be a battle of two new management teams as Limerick’s John Kiely will attempt to out-manoeuvre Clare’s new joint managers, Donal Moloney and Gerry O'Connor.
In Leinster, new Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald is on course for a clash with All-Ireland finalists Kilkenny. The Model county will face off against one of the Qualifier teams and if they can navigate that, they will come up against the Cats in the semi-final.
Galway and Dublin were paired together in an intriguing looking quarter-final clash and the winner of that will go onto meet either Offaly or the other team that comes through the Qualifier group in the last four.
Meath are one of the four sides battling for those two Qualifier spots as they take part in the Leinster Championship for the first time since 2004. They’ll face off against Laois, Westmeath and Kerry in a round-robin format.
CHAMPIONSHIP DRAW
GAELIC FOOTBALL
Leinster SFC first round: Louth v Wicklow, Laois v Longford, Carlow v Wexford; Quarter-finals (A): Louth/Wicklow v Meath; Laois/Longford v Kildare; Quarter-finals(B): Carlow/Wexford v Dublin, Offaly v Westmeath
Ulster SFC premliminary round: Monaghan v Fermanagh; Quarter-finals (A): Derry v Tyrone, Donegal v Antrim; Quarter-finals (B): Down v Armagh; Cavan v Fermanagh/Monaghan
Connacht SFC preliminary round: Sligo v New York; Quarter-final (A): Mayo v Sligo/New York; Quarter-final (B): Leitrim v London; Semi-final (A): Galway v Sligo/New York or Mayo; Semi-final (B): Leitrim/London v Roscommon
Munster SFC quarter-finals: Cork v Waterford, Clare v Limerick; Semi-finals: Kerry v Limerick/Clare, Tipperary v Cork/Waterford
HURLING
Munster SHC quarter-final: Cork v Tipperary; Semi-finals: Cork/Tipperary v Waterford, Limerick v Clare
Leinster SHC qualifier group: Laois, Westmeath, Meath, Kerry; Quarter-finals: Galway v Dublin, Wexford v Top two team from qualifier group, Offaly v Top two team from qualifier group; Semi-finals: Galway/Dublin v Offaly/top two team from qualifier group, Kilkenny v Wexford/top two team from qualifier group
