Derry travel to Wexford in All Ireland Qualifiers

Derry will renew rivalries with Wexford after being handed the near 500-mile round trip to Innovate Park in Monday morning's All Ireland Qualifying First Round draw.
Derry manager Damian McErlainDerry manager Damian McErlain
Derry manager Damian McErlain

Damian McErlain will be relieved to have avoided an Ulster derby against the likes of Monaghan, Down or Fermanagh and while the logistics of the trip south will be daunting, Derry will travel as firm favourites having defeated Wexford as recently as the end of March .

That game in Bellaghy was effectively as 'dead rubber', arriving as it did with Derry already promoted and being played a week before the Division Four final against Leitrim. Both sides made plenty of changes for what turned into a score-fest with the Oak Leafers eventually running out 3-21 to 4-16 victors.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The June 8 meeting in unlikely to be quite as open but following a vastly improved Ulster Championship performance against Tyrone in Healy Park, Derry will be keen to prove that display wasn't a 'flash in the pan' by building some momentum through the Qualifiers.

Elsewhere in the draw, the Ulster derby meeting of Monaghan and Fermanagh is the stand-out tie. Fermanagh ran Donegal reasonably close in Sunday's final Ulster quarter-final but this is a draw neither county will be overly thrilled about.

Other ties see Down travel to Tipperary, the winners of Kildare and Longford - who drew yesterday - heading to Carlow and Westmeath entertaining Waterford.

Times ,venues and dates will be confirmed by the CCCC on Tuesday with the first team out to play at home, except when a Division Three or Four side is drawn against a Division One or Two team. In these cases, the Division Three and Four sides will enjoy home advantage.

Full All Ireland SFC Qualifying draw

Louth v Antrim;

Tipperary v Down

Leitrim v Wicklow

Wexford v Derry

Offaly v London

Monaghan v Fermanagh

Carlow v Kildare/Longford

Westmeath v Waterford

All matches are due to take place on June 8/9