Cork must get past Clare

The championship starts here! Well, not really, but last night the football and hurling draws for 2006 were made live on RTÉ from the Brehon Hotel in Killarney. Except for Ulster, of course, who decided to go it alone on the BBC a few weeks back.

The most interesting tie, unsurprisingly, came out of the Munster hurling pot: Cork must overcome Clare to get their tilt at the three-in-a-row off to a winning start in a repeat of this year's epic All-Ireland semi-final battle.

The winner goes straight in to the Munster final, where one from Waterford, Tipperary and Limerick will join them.

On his return to the Tipperary hot seat, Michael "Babs" Keating was pleased with a first-round tie against Joe McKenna's Limerick.

"From a Tipperary point of view it's not a bad draw as we will have them at home," Keating said. "Mainly, I'm just glad we don't meet Clare in the first round, as we have had enough of that game for an opener in the recent past. I'd hate to meet Cork first as well. So, pleased."

The Leinster football draw was also seeded, but Laois and Dublin are still on course for a semi-final showdown in a repeat of the 2003 and 2005 finals. The other half looks wide open, and new Meath manager Eamon Barry gave a cautious response to avoiding the big two.

"I'd be happy enough with the draw, as it gives us a fair chance of getting into the next round, but we won't be looking any further than our opening game against Louth."

Presuming they can navigate a route into the quarter-finals, Paul Bealin's Wexford will be waiting. Take your pick from Kildare, Westmeath or Offaly for a potential semi-final opponent.

Despite no seeding in Munster, Cork and Kerry managed to avoid each other until the final, as did Galway and Mayo in Connacht. Roscommon must also reach the final if new manager John Maughan is to come up against his native Mayo.

Meanwhile, Stephen O'Neill and John Gardiner were voted the football and hurling players of the year respectively at last night's Gaelic Players Association awards ceremony at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.

O'Neill was largely recognised for his early championship form, although he maintained a high enough standard to see off fellow county men Brian Dooher and Seán Cavanagh. Colm Cooper, Tomás Ó Sé, Steven McDonnell and Derry's Paddy Bradley were also nominated.

Gardiner edged out Cork team-mate Jerry O'Connor, along with Galway's Damien Hayes and Ger Farragher, Kilkenny's Tommy Walsh and Eoin Kelly of Tipperary.