Championship Draws RTÉ2 7-30pm

[drici]

The Irish Times - Thursday, October 4, 2012

Focus shifts to next year with tonight's championship draw

IT SEEMS Donegal are only wrapping up their All Ireland homecoming, and Kilkenny are only in the midst of theirs, and yet with this evening's draw for the 2013 Championship comes the sudden if not inevitable shift in focus towards next year.

All four Provinces will be staging their respective draws at GAA headquarters (live on RTÉ 2, from 7.30pm), although the first headline is likely to come from Ulster, and who will first face-off against the defending All Ireland Football Champions Donegal.

What is certain is manager Jim McGuinness would rather not be drawn in the Preliminary Round for the third successive year, not that it did Donegal any harm: this year they become the first County to successfully defend their Ulster title despite playing in the Preliminary Round on both occasions, beating Antrim in 2011 and Cavan this year.

Ulster doesn't seed Counties, which means anyone can be drawn to play in the Preliminary Round.

In Leinster, Dublin will be one of four seeded counties as defending Provincial football Champions, along with Kildare, Wexford, and Meath – and will thus go straight into the Quarter Finals.

However, having surrendered their Leinster Hurling title to Galway, Kilkenny won't be the seeded team in the 2012 Leinster Hurling Championship, which will see Galway go straight into the Semi Finals.

But despite some enduring calls for a change in the Championship format, there won't be a whole lot different about what is drawn up in Croke Park this evening.

"It is essentially the same format as recent years," explained the GAA's director of communications, Lisa Clancy. "We'll have each of the Provincial secretaries in Croke Park, and there'll be six draws, the four Provincial Football Championships, and the Munster and Leinster Provincial Hurling Championships.

"Once the draw is done that sets in motion the process of agreeing the dates and venues, plus the television coverage, which all makes up the master fixture list, which should be completed by the end of the month."

One of the alterations to the process agreed last year is that before the provincial councils set their schedules, the TV rights holders will first state their preferred live matches, thereby reducing the likelihood of having some of the bigger games conflicting with each other.

But the GAA's Central Council still face the unenviable task of bringing together the master fixture list, which includes the football and hurling league fixtures, plus the various underage competitions.

In Munster, defending Football Champions Cork may or may not face old rivals Kerry before the provincial final: there was speculation the Munster Council would revert to the seeded draw, effectively keeping Cork and Kerry apart until the Provincial football final.

The seeded option appeared to have the backing of Munster council chairman Seán Walsh, although this failed to get the support from other counties.

Speculation, too, that Laois would opt out of the Liam MacCarthy Cup next year and play in the second tier Christy Ring Cup instead never materialised.

IAN O'RIORDAN

[Syferus]

I just wish we were in Ulster for a year so we could brutalise Armagh again.

[DuffleKing]

Jamie Clarke wishes that too so he can be guaranteed his all star nominee every year

[Onion Bag]

I just wish we were in Ulster for a year so we could brutalise Armagh again.

Hard to believe that the Rossies are still living off a win like this in the qualifiers

[Onlooker]

After being drawn against Kerry in the 1st Round for the last 3 years, it would be nice if Tipp could avoid Kerry (& Cork) in their first game this year.  Surely, we won't get Kerry again.

[AQMP]

I just wish we were in Ulster for a year so we could brutalise Armagh again.

We'll take your place in Connacht to take care of Galway!!

[J OGorman]

fingers crossed for a home tie. Away to Donegal again and I'll hit the whiskey (much like the Donegal team)...home te Tyrone would be nice, put some manners in them ;-)...for god and Ulster

[Rossfan]

I just wish we were in Ulster for a year so we could brutalise Armagh again.

Hard to believe that the Rossies are still living off a win like this in the qualifiers

Nobody is except Sillyferus (who is noted for nonsense on this and other forums  ).
Meanwhile the rest of us know where we're at and we await a new management team to see if we can start the long road of maximising our return from recent good under age teams , which won't be easy in present economic circumstances especially in a poor County like ours.
As for the draw it's us/Herrins/Mwr in Round 1 with 1 team getting a bye to the Semi. Meanwhile Sligo and Laythrum go globetrotting.

[armaghniac]

I just wish we were in Ulster for a year so we could brutalise Armagh again.

Yes indeed. Roscommon's last visit to an Armagh venue was indeed brutal.

[blanketattack]

Let's face it, the draws have been done already by the GAA behind closed doors, but the charade they do with the hot balls/cold balls still has to be done.

[LeoMc]

Let's face it, the draws have been done already by the GAA behind closed doors, but the charade they do with the hot balls/cold balls still has to be done.

Do you want to let us in on some of them?

[Aristo 60]

Would they not need a whole range of temperatures to make sure they pick out the correct pairings??

Freezing, Chilly, Cowl, Bit Cold, Nice, Warm, Roasting, Boiling and Burny Burny might represent Ulster teams well enough.

[cadence]

i like the fact that ulster isn't seeded. makes it a bit of a lottery, but it all adds to it. 

[Fuzzman]

When's the last time Tyrone got into the easy side of the draw
I'd settle for Tyrone/Fermanagh v Cavan/Antrim but I'll bet you we get Funegal in Ballybofey

Seems like the draw is getting earlier and earlier every year.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

I just wish we were in Ulster for a year so we could brutalise Armagh again.

We'll take your place in Connacht to take care of Galway!!

Personally I would love to see Connacht-Ulster Championship and a Munster-Leinster Championship, if the 2 Provinicial winners got a second shot if they lost their next match (or an automatic Semi-Final Place).

It could look something like this

New York V Cavan
Fermanagh V Donegal
         Winner A V B
Tyrone V Antrim
Roscommon V Armagh


                  
Down V Leitrim
Mayo V Derry
         Winner C V D
London V Sligo
Galway V Monaghan



Final Top group v Lower group.


A similar structure in Munster-Leinster might be

Kerry V Wexford
Tipperary V Dublin

Offaly V Laois
Wicklow V Carlow



Kildare V Cork
Westmeath V Louth

Clare V Waterford
Longford V Meath