2001 football, hurling draws

By Mark Jones

DUBLIN – There is no chance of Kilkenny and Offaly meeting in the 2001 All-Ireland hurling final. The two Leinster counties clashed twice in last summer’s championship, but they will now go head-to-head in the Leinster semifinal following last weekend’s hurling and football draws. In football, Kerry and Cork have been kept apart in Munster, while Dublin have once again avoided Meath and Kildare in Leinster.

With New York facing Roscommon in Connacht football preliminary round, Sligo have been rewarded with the most favorable draw in the West, going straight into the semifinal. Kildare are likely to meet Meath in the Leinster semifinal, while Ulster’s defending champions, Armagh, will take on Tyrone for the second successive season.

Limerick and Cork drew the short straws in Munster hurling with a scheduled meeting at the quarterfinal stage. The winners go on to play Waterford in the semifinal, where Tipperary and Clare will once again clash.

2001 All-Ireland

Football draw

Leinster — Preliminary round: Longford vs. Louth (A), Laois vs. Wexford (B), Carlow vs. Wicklow (C); First round: Dublin vs. winners A; Offaly vs. winners B; Kildare vs. winners C; Meath vs. Westmeath.

Ulster — Preliminary round: Donegal vs. Fermanagh (A). First round: Derry vs. Antrim, Armagh vs. Tyrone, Down vs. Cavan, Monaghan vs. winners A.

Munster — first round: Tipperary vs. Kerry (A); Cork vs. Waterford (B). Semifinals: Limerick vs. winners A; Clare vs. winners B.

Connacht — Preliminary round: London vs. Mayo (A); Roscommon vs. New York (B). First round: Galway vs. Leitrim (C). Semifinals: Sligo vs. winners A; Winners B vs. C.

Hurling draw

Leinster — Round robin: Kildare, Laois, Meath, Westmeath. Quarterfinal: Dublin vs. round robin winners (B). Semifinals: Offaly vs. Kilkenny, Wexford vs. winners B.

Munster — First round: Cork vs. Limerick (A). Semifinals: Tipperary vs. Clare, Waterford vs. winners A.

Ulster — Semifinals: Antrim vs. Down, Derry vs. London.