Surprise packages Derry next up for Laois

GAELIC GAMES:Defeated Leinster finalists Laois have been drawn to play championship surprise packages Derry in the All-Ireland football third round qualifier draw. The Ulster side added Mayo to their list of scalps on Saturday, they already beat Armagh in round one.

Galway against Meath is another enticing pairing, a repeat of the 2001 All-Ireland final, which Galway won comfortably 0-17 to 0-8. The match will be played at a neutral venue with all details on this and the other fixtures to be confirmed today by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC).

In what promises to be a typical lively Ulster affair, Donegal have been drawn against Monaghan, after their loss to Tyrone in yesterday's Ulster final. Donegal continued their rehabilitation process with a five-point win over Westmeath on Saturday.

The last tie sees the unique meeting of Munster runners-up Cork and Louth, who despite losing seven of their panel since the Leinster championship proved too strong for Kildare in Newbridge over the weekend.

This game and Galway v Meath could be a double header in Croke Park next Saturday, with the other two matches potentially coming back to GAA headquarters on Saturday, July 28th.

Otherwise, they will be played at provincial venues as stand alone fixtures.

Either way, these matches will take place over the coming fortnight, with the provincial champions waiting in the All-Ireland quarter-finals pencilled in for August 4th and August 11th.

In hurling, the pairings for the All-Ireland semi-final have been revealed.

All-Ireland champions Kilkenny will play the winners of Tipperary or Wexford, providing they beat Galway in the last eight.

The fixture is scheduled for August 5th in Croke Park This could possibly be a rematch of the lopsided Leinster final when Kilkenny overawed Wexford but on current form, Michael "Babs" Keating's Tipperary would be expected to play the winners of Kilkenny and Galway.

Tipperary defied the bookies and most punters to beat Cork in Thurles on Saturday evening, despite the absence of several frontline players, most notably the injured Eoin Kelly.

The other half of the draw for the Guinness All-Ireland hurling championship semi-finals pairs the winners of Cork and Waterford against Clare or Limerick in an All-Munster fixture. This will be played on August 12th.

Cork already lost to Waterford in the Munster championship semi-final but their surprise defeat to Tipperary has ensured a rematch. They have also already played, but in this case beaten, Clare in the provincial championship.

The only stipulation to this draw was that the Leinster and Munster champions cannot meet until the final on September 2nd.