While the clash of Galway and Sligo in the Bank of Ireland Connacht football final on Sunday promises to be an intriguing match, the launch of the season’s All-Ireland qualifiers will also provide huge entertainment at seven venues on Saturday and Sunday.

In all, there are eight qualifier games down for decision, with Fermanagh v Wexford and Armagh v Derry being played as a double header in Clones on Sunday.

The change in the qualifier system this year (teams in Division Four were excluded) means that Round One will be more competitive than usual and a glance at the fixtures list suggests that supporters can look forward to some very exciting action.

Leinster and Ulster each have six representatives in the first round of the qualifiers, Connacht have three while Limerick will be Munster’s sole standard bearers.

The eight winners will be paired off against each other in Sunday evening’s draw for the Round 2 series on the following weekend. The four winners from Round 2 will play the beaten provincial finalists in the next round.

LIMERICK v LOUTH, Gaelic Grounds, Saturday, 7.00

Last Championship clash: Limerick 1-4 Louth 0-3 (1887 All-Ireland final – played in April 1888)
Last year’s qualifiers: Westmeath 0-13 Limerick 1-9; Tyrone 2-16 Louth 2-16 (After extra-time); Tyrone 1-12 Louth 1-7 (Replay)
2007 Provincials: Cork 2-14 Limerick 0-7; Louth 1-9 Wicklow 0-12; Louth 1-11 Wicklow 0-14 (after extra-time); Louth 2-18 Wicklow 0-11 (2nd replay); Wexford 0-16 Louth 2-8.

MAYO v CAVAN, Castlebar, Saturday, 7.00

Last Championship clash: Mayo 0-11 Cavan 0-8 (2005 Round 4 qualifier)
Last year’s qualifiers: Mayo weren’t involved having won Connacht title; Kildare 1-18 Cavan 1-13.
2007 Provincials: Galway 2-10 Mayo 0-9; Down 3-8 Cavan 2-11; Down 0-15 Cavan 0-11 (replay).

DOWN v MEATH, Newry, Saturday, 7.00

Last Championship clash: Down 1-16 Meath 1-14 (1991 All-Ireland final)
Last year’s qualifiers: Sligo 1-7 Down 0-4; Meath 1-17 Carlow 0-12; Meath 1-19 Roscommon 0-9; Laois 2-13 Meath 0-13;
2007 Provincials: Down 3-8 Cavan 2-11; Down 0-15 Cavan 0-11 (replay); Monaghan 2-15 Down 1-15; Meath 2-11 Kildare 1-8; Dublin 1-11 Meath 0-14; Dublin 0-16 Meath 0-12 (replay)

LEITRIM v DONEGAL, Carrick-on-Shannon, Saturday, 7.00

Last Championship clash: Never met previously
Last year’s qualifiers: Sligo 1-7 Leitrim 0-9; Donegal 0-11 Fermanagh 0-8; Cork 1-11 Donegal 1-10 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
2007 Provincials: Leitrim 1-12 London 2-5; Galway 0-17 Leitrim 1-10; Donegal 1-9 Armagh 1-8; Tyrone 2-15 Donegal 1-7.

ROSCOMMON v KILDARE, Dr.Hyde Park, Saturday, 3.00

Last Championship clash: Roscommon 1-18 Kildare 0-19 (After extra-time) (R4 qualifiers 2003)
Last year’s qualifiers: Meath 1-19 Roscommon 0-9; Kildare 1-18 Cavan 1-13; Derry 1-17 Kildare 0-11.
2007 Provincials: Sligo 0-13 Roscommon 2-5; Meath 2-11 Kildare 1-8.

WESTMEATH v LONGFORD, Mullingar, Saturday, 5.00

Last Championship clash: Longford 2-13 Westmeath 1-13 (2007 Leinster first round)
Last year’s qualifiers: Westmeath 0-20 London 0-8; Westmeath 0-13 Limerick 1-9; Westmeath 1-12 Sligo 0-14 (After extra-time); Westmeath 1-8 Galway 0-10; Dublin 1-12 Westmeath 0-5 (All-Ireland quarter-final); Longford 1-16 Waterford 1-9; Longford 1-23 Tipperary 1-10; Longford 1-16 Derry 2-12; Kerry 4-11 Longford 1-11.
2007 Provincials: Longford 2-13 Westmeath 1-13; Laois 0-14 Longford 0-9.

FERMANAGH v WEXFORD, Clones, Sunday, 2.00

Last Championship clash: Fermanagh 2-12 Wexford 0-11 (2006 Round 3 qualifiers)
Last year’s qualifiers: Fermanagh 0-15 Clare 0-10; Fermanagh 2-12 Wexford 0-11; Donegal 0-11 Fermanagh 0-8; Wexford 0-8 Monaghan 0-6.
2007 Provincials: Tyrone 0-13 Fermanagh 1-9; Wexford 0-16 Louth 2-8; Laois 1-13 Wexford 0-13.

ARMAGH v DERRY, Clones, Sunday, 4.00

Last Championship clash: Armagh 1-11 Derry 0-10 (2005 Ulster semi-final)
Last year’s qualifiers: Armagh weren’t involved having won Ulster title; Derry 1-17 Kildare 0-11; Longford 1-16 Derry 2-12.
2007 Provincials: Donegal 1-9 Armagh 1-8; Derry 1-13 Antrim 0-10; Monaghan 0-14 Derry 1-9.

BANK OF IRELAND SFC 2007 – RESULTS & FIXTURES

LEINSTER
May 13: First round: Longford 2-13 Westmeath 1-13, Pearse Park.
May 20: First round: Louth 1-11 Wicklow 0-14; Meath 2-11 Kildare 1-8 (Both in Croke Park.
May 27: Replay: Louth 1-9 Wicklow 0-12, Parnell Park.
June 2: Quarter-final: Laois 0-14 v Longford 0-9, Tullamore.
June 3: First round 2nd replay: Louth 2-18 Wicklow 0-11, Croke Park; Quarter-final: Dublin 1-11 Meath 0-14, Croke Park.
June 10: Quarter-final: Offaly 2-19 Carlow 3-7, Portlaoise.
June 17: Quarter-finals: Wexford 0-16 Louth 2-8, Croke Park: Replay: Dublin 0-16 Meath 0-12, Croke Park.
June 24: Semi-final: Dublin 1-12 Offaly 0-10, Croke Park.
July 1: Semi-final: Laois 1-13 Wexford 0-13, Croke Park.
July 15: Final: Dublin v Laois, Croke Park.

ULSTER
May 13: Preliminary Round: Cavan 2-11 Down 3-8, Kingspan Breffni Park.
May 20 (Replay): Down 0-15 Cavan 0-11, Newry.
May 20: Quarter-final: Tyrone 0-13 Fermanagh 1-9, Clones.
May 27: Quarter-final: Donegal 1-9 Armagh 1-8, Ballybofey
June 3: Quarter-final: Antrim v Derry, Casement Park (postponed due to waterlogging)
June 10: Quarter-finals: Monaghan 2-15 Down 1-15, Newry; Derry 1-13 Antrim 0-10, Casement Park.
June 17: Semi-final: Tyrone 2-15 Donegal 1-7, Clones.
June 24: Semi-final: Monaghan 0-14 Derry 1-9, Casement Park.
July 15: Final: Tyrone v Monaghan, Clones.

CONNACHT
May 13: Quarter-final: Sligo 2-18 New York 1-3, Gaelic Park, New York.
May 20: Quarter-final: Galway 2-10 Mayo 0-9, Pearse Stadium.
May 27: Leitrim 1-12 London 2-5 Ruislip.
June 17: Semi-final: Sligo 0-13 Roscommon 2-5, Dr.Hyde Park.
June 24: Semi-final: Galway 0-17 Leitrim 1-10, Carrick-on-Shannon.
Next Sunday: Final: Sligo v Galway, Dr.Hyde Park.

MUNSTER
May 20: Quarter-finals: Waterford 1-6 Clare 0-7, Dungarvan; Cork 2-14 Limerick 0-7, Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
June 3: Semi-finals: Kerry 2-15 Waterford 0-4, Dungarvan; Cork 2-18 Tipperary 0-10, Gaelic Grounds.
July 1: Final: Kerry 1-15 Cork 1-13, Killarney.

BANK OF IRELAND SFC QUALIFIERS

Saturday, July 7 - Round 1: Limerick v Louth, Gaelic Grounds: Leitrim v Donegal, Carrick-on-Shannon; Mayo v Cavan, Castlebar; Down v Meath, Newry; Roscommon v Kildare, Dr, Hyde Park; Westmeath v Longford, Mullingar.

Sunday, July 8: Fermanagh v Wexford, Clones; Armagh v Derry, Clones.

July 14 – Round 2 (Eight Round 1 winners play off against each other)

July 21 – Round 3 (Connacht and Munster runners-up v two Round 2 winners)

July 28 – Round 3 (Leinster and Ulster runners-up v two Round 2 winners)

ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

Aug 4: All-Ireland quarter-finals (2)

Aug 11: All-Ireland quarter-finals (2)

Aug 19: All-Ireland semi-final, Croke Park.

Aug 26: All-Ireland semi-final, Croke Park.

Sept 16: All-Ireland final, Croke Park.