The 2009 Football And Hurling Championship Draws

The draw for the 2009 Football and Hurling championships was made last Wednesday night and as always it threw up some mouthwatering ties in both codes.

In football, two matches in particular catch the eye - the meeting of reigning All-Ireland champions Tyrone and reigning Ulster champions Armagh in the quarter-final of the Ulster football championship together with the intriguing clash of old foes Dublin and Meath at the same stage in the Leinster football championship.

The Ulster championship draw also saw current National League champions Derry pitted against Monaghan while Fermanagh must face Down in a preliminary round in order to advance to the last eight.

Elsewhere, the draw in Munster ensured that Kerry and Munster champions Cork can only meet at the semi-final stage.

Cork have been drawn to face Waterford with the winner to face the Kingdom in the last four.

In the other half of the draw John Evans' Tipperary will face Limerick, with Clare awaiting the winner of that game in the first Munster semi-final.

In hurling, the stand-out match is the meeting of reigning National League and Munster champions Tipperary will line up against Cork in the quarter-final of the Munster hurling championship.

Galway's first opponents in the 2009 Leinster hurling championship will be Niall Rigney's Laois while Antrim have been drawn to face Dublin.