INTER COUNTY football resumes this weekend with secondary provincial competitions in Connacht and Leinster. The O'Byrne Cup gets under way with four first round matches. The seeded counties are Dublin, Meath, Laois and Kildare and they await the winners of respectively Carlow Offaly; Westmeath Longford; Kilkenny Wexford and Wicklow Louth.

Dublin's team will be a third string as last year's All Ireland winning panel will be on holidays in California. New manager Mickey Whelan will use the opportunity to take a look at fringe players. In Connacht, the FBD League starts with Leitrim travelling to Mayo and Sligo entertaining Roscommon.

The already twice postponed division four National Football League game between Wicklow and Limerick rescheduled for January 21st may not after all go ahead on that date.

Limerick are due to play Tipperary in the McGrath Cup on January 14th. If they lose, they are scheduled to play the following week against Kerry.