Next year's eagerly awaited Ulster championship first-round clash between Tyrone and Armagh - the counties who have won the last three provincial titles - has been scheduled for May 19th in Clones.

Following much the same pattern as this summer, the football will begin on May 12th and continue until the final on the first Sunday in July.

There are changes in the hurling championship with the Ulster final taking place nearly a month earlier than usual. This is to facilitate the introduction of a qualifier series for defeated teams, as in football last season.

Connacht, the only province still to announce its championship details, will do so later today.

Meanwhile, the Wexford county board have released a statement concerning remarks made about All-Ireland winner Jack Berry whose name came up at a board meeting in July of last year in connection with the job of county senior hurling manager.

"The Wexford county board refer to what was stated at a board meeting on July 10th 2000 and the media coverage of certain statements made at the meeting which were concerning Mr Jack Berry in connection with the appointment of the Wexford senior hurling team manager for the 2000 season.

"Wexford county board wishes to apologise and regrets any embarrassment caused to Mr Berry by such reports and wishes to emphasise that he is, and always has been, held in the highest regard and will continue to be so, not only for his exploits on the playing field but also for the work he put in for many years in the preparation of various teams within county Wexford."

Still in Wexford, county hurling champions Faythe Harriers face an anxious wait before knowing if inter-county attacker Barry Goff will be available for next Sunday's Leinster club semi-final clash against Castletown of Laois in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny.

The versatile attacker received a heavy blow to the back of the hand, which forced his replacement during the quarter-final victory over Knockbridge last weekend.

Goff had the hand X-rayed on Monday, and while no bone has been diagnosed as broken, there is extreme swelling. He will be undergoing intensive treatment all week but will be unable to train.

"The hand is swollen and very sore," says Goff. "It's difficult to take a grip on the hurley. Really it's a case of wait and see."