Cork pitted against Connacht champions Mayo
Reigning All-Ireland SFC champions Cork will face Connacht title holders Mayo in the quarter-finals of the Championship next weekend.
The televised draw for the four matches was made this evening by GAA President Christy Cooney and Munster Council Chairman Sean Walsh.
The first of the provincial winners drawn out were Kerry. They will face familiar opponents in Limerick, whom they beat by 1-26 to 3-9 in this year's Munster Championship.
The second pairing has set up a fascinating subplot between two of the country's most promising young managers.
Donegal, Ulster champions in Jim McGuinness' first season in charge, will clash with Kieran McGeeney's ever-improving Kildare side.
Leinster champions Dublin will have to wait to find out their opponents in the last-eight.
They will play the winners of the rescheduled Roscommon v Tyrone qualifier tie.
If the Red Hands progress, they will be meeting the Dubs at the quarter-final stage for the second successive season.
The last match-up confirmed was a mouth-watering duel between Mayo and a Cork outfit that ended Down's title hopes last night.
The counties have plenty of history together, but last met in the Championship in a 2002 quarter-final which Cork won by 0-16 to 1-10.
The Rebels also won last year's Allianz Football League Division 1 final, beating Mayo by 1-17 to 0-12 at Croke Park.
The dates, venues and throw-in times for the quarter-finals will be decided at a meeting of the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee tomorrow.
However, all games are likely to take place at Croke Park - three on the Bank Holiday weekend (July 30-August 1) and one the following week.
KERRY v LIMERICK
DONEGAL v KILDARE
DUBLIN v ROSCOMMON/TYRONE
MAYO v CORK
The All-Ireland semi-finals are predetermined and the pairings will be as follows:
Cork/Mayo v Kerry/Limerick on Sunday, August 21
Dublin/Roscommon/Tyrone v Donegal/Kildare on Sunday, August 28
