Tipp hurlers to face Cork; footballers await winners of Waterford or Cork

The draws for both the provincial football and hurling championships for 2017 were made last night (Thursday) with both Tipperary sides coming out of the hat with similarities to last year’s championship draw.

In hurling, the reigning All-Ireland champions Tipperary, will once again have a long road to travel if they are to complete a three-in-a-row in the province, having drawn Cork in a quarter-final. The winners of this tie will go on to meet Waterford.

On the other side of the hat, Shannonside neighbours, Limerick and Clare, both under new sets of management for next year, will meet in the other semi-final. Clare now under the stewardship of join managers Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor who replaced Davy Fitzgerald will come up against Abbey CBS principal John Kiely who is now at the helm in Limerick.

Last year in Munster Tipperary had to overcome Cork, Limerick and Waterford in order to retain their provincial crown before going on to defeat Galway and Kilkenny for the All-Ireland title. If they are to repeat that feat in 2017, and win back-to-back All-Irelands for the first time since 1949, they will have to win at least five games once again.

In Leinster hurling, Kilkenny go straight to a semi-final and await the winners of a Wexford v Qualifier clash. While on the other side of the draw Galway play Dublin in a quarter-final, while in the other quarter-final Offaly will play a team from the Qualifier Group. (The four teams in the Leinster Qualifier Group this year are Laois, Westmeath, Meath and Kerry).

In football also their are similarities to the 2017 draw for Tipperary as compared with the championship year just concluded.

Because they reached last year’s Munster final, Tipperary go straight to a Munster semi-final where they will await the winners of the clash between Waterford and Cork, whereas in the season just gone Tipperary defeated Waterford to earn a semi-final clash with Cork.

Tipperary were hoping to avoid both Kerry and Cork in a semi-final and perhaps get the so-called “easier” route to the final. Now, however, Tipperary manager John Kearns’ can plan ahead with almost certainty that his charges will once again face “The Rebels” in a Munster semi-final next summer. Having beaten Cork this year for the first time since 1944, there is no doubt that Cork will relish a chance to avenge that defeat in next year’s Munster semi-final.

In the other Munster football semi-final champions Kerry, now bidding for five-in-a-row of provincial titles, will await the winners of the Limerick v Clare game.

HURLING

Munster

Quarter-final

Cork v Tipperary

Semi-finals

Limerick v Clare

Waterford v Cork/Tipperary

Leinster

Qualifier Group

Laois, Westmeath, Meath, Kerry

Quarter-finals

Galway v Dublin (A)

Offaly v Qualifier 1 (B)

Wexford v Qualifier 2 (C)

Semi-finals

Kilkenny  v Wexford/Qualifier winner or runner-up

Galway/Dublin v Offaly/Qualifer winner or runner-up

GAELIC FOOTBALL

Munster

Quarter-finals

Cork v Waterford

Clare v Limerick

Semi-final

Kerry v Limerick/Clare

Tipperary v Cork/Waterford

Leinster

First Round

Louth v Wicklow

Laois v Longford

Carlow v Wexford

Quarter-finals(A)

Louth/Wicklow v Meath

Laois/Longford v Kildare

Winners to meet in semi-final(A)

Quarter-finals(B)

Carlow/Wexford v Dublin

Offaly v Westmeath

Winners to meet in semi-final (A)

Ulster

Premliminary Round

Monaghan v Fermanagh

Quarter-finals (A)

Derry v Tyrone

Donegal v Antrim

Winners to face in semi-final (A)

Quarter-finals (B)

Down v Armagh

Cavan v Fermanagh/Monaghan

Winners to play in semi-final (B)

Connacht

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