Meath and Kerry may have staked their provincial claims yesterday but the buzz team in the wild west, Sligo, have another big day ahead of them. After beating last year's Leinster champions Kildare nine days ago, Peter Ford's team will now take on Dublin in the fourth round of the qualifiers. Venues and dates will be decided today.

Yesterday's other defeated provincial finalists Cork drew Galway, bringing together the defeated All-Ireland finalists of the past two years.

Last April's winners of both NFL National Football League titles, Mayo (first division) and Westmeath (second division) will meet and in Ulster's continuing derogation from the qualifier process, Derry and Cavan face each other for the fourth time in three years.

The matches will be spread over two days with Croke Park hosting a double bill on Sunday and the two other matches being played on Saturday at venues outside of Dublin.

Initial speculation is that Dublin-Sligo and Mayo-Westmeath are the most likely double bill.

Any suggestion that this would be unfair on Sligo can be balanced with the county's great result against Kildare at the venue and the consequent likely desire on the part of supporters to travel to headquarters once more.

Mayo and Westmeath played their NFL football league finals there and will bring big crowds.

Cork and Galway could play in Limerick or Thurles (which hasn't had a championship match this year) whereas Derry and Cavan are likely to be fixed for Clones or maybe Casement Park.

The draw for the hurling quarter-finals was also made with a bit of history.

For the first time since the current championship format was implemented four years ago, the defeated Munster and Leinster finalists will play each other. Wexford and Limerick will also be re-enacting the All-Ireland final of 1996, won narrowly by the Leinster county.

Galway will face Derry who yesterday made their own history by retaining the Ulster hurling championship for the first time after a narrow victory over Down.

As a result the semi-final draw won't be known for a fortnight. This is because provincial finalists can't meet again in the All-Ireland semi-final.

If Wexford win, they will face Tipperary in a repeat of the 1997 championship and if it's Limerick, Eamonn Cregan's side will play Kilkenny for the first time since the All-Ireland final of 27 years ago.

Yesterday's Croke Park menu attracted 66,825 to see old rivals Dublin and Meath slug out the Leinster final.

In the end it was reminiscent of past finals as Meath nicked an early goal from a dropping ball. Just as Colm O'Rourke's score 11 years ago defined the difference between the teams then, Graham Geraghty's goal was what ultimately separated them on this year's scoreboard.

Jason Sherlock's second-minute wide with a goal on recalled Cormac Sullivan's save from the same player in 1999. Richie Kealy added a second goal in the 56th minute and by the end of it all, that combined with Dublin's panic-stricken wides ensured that they wouldn't be springing a shock on their implacable neighbours.

Manager Sean Boylan was celebrating all sorts of milestones. This had been his 19th match against Dublin in 19 years. It was also the start of a second half-century as the semi-final victory over Kildare was the Dunboyne druid's 50th championship win.

"Those goals gave us a huge lift today," he said. "They seemed to settle us at crucial times. We were nervous, a little bit tense beforehand.

"Let's face it, many of these players have had a lot of success and questions were being asked, not by other people, but by themselves. Did they still have that appetite to compete with the intensity that would be required against Dublin in a Leinster final: I am delighted for them."