Qualifier draw: Armagh and Laois meet in battle for redemption

The first qualifier draw of the 2016 football championship was made on Tuesday

The first qualifier draw of the 2016 championship has thrown up some interesting fixtures – with Kieran McGeeney's Armagh team's trip to Laois the juiciest tie of the pot.

Armagh were beaten by Cavan in a tame encounter the weekend before last - while Laois were knocked out of the Leinster championship last Saturday evening by Dublin.

The two will meet at O’Moore Park in Portloaise on Saturday June 18th at 3.30pm, a game that will be televised on RTÉ.

Two of the other three round 1A qualifiers also take place on Saturday week, with Derry hosting the losers of this weekend's Leinster quarter-final between Louth and Meath at Owenbeg (5.0) and Carlow taking on neighbours Wicklow at Dr Cullen Park at 7.0pm.

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The final Round 1A game sees Leitrim host Waterford in Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday 19th at 2.0pm.

On the other side of the draw (1B) Down take on Longford – the Ulster side looking to recover quickly from Sunday’s heavy defeat to Monaghan.

Antrim and Limerick play one another while London face the loser of Offaly and Westmeath in the Leinster championship – and Wexford play the loser of Donegal and Fermanagh's provincial clash. Those games take place on the weekend of June 25/26th.

ALL IRELAND FOOTBALL QUALIFIERS ROUND 1A DRAW

SATURDAY JUNE 18TH

Laois v Armagh, O’Moore Park, Portloaise, 3.30pm (RTÉ)

Derry v Loser of Louth/Meath, Owenbeg, 5.0pm

Carlow v Wicklow, Netwatch Cullen Park, 7.0pm

SUNDAY JUNE 19TH

Leitrim v Waterford, Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon, 2pm

ROUND 1B DRAW

Down v Longford

Antrim v Limerick

Loser of Offaly/Westmeath v London

Wexford v Loser of Fermanagh/Donegal

Matches will take place on weekend June 25/26th.

Eamon Donoghue

Eamon Donoghue

Eamon Donoghue is a former Irish Times journalist