Ties leave nothing to imagination

Gaelic Games: The 2005 championship is still waiting to throw up the first great shock of the summer and it's unlikely to come anytime soon after yesterday's draw for the hurling and football qualifiers.

Such is the parity of the two hurling qualifier groups that the names of the four quarter-finalists are already easily spelt - and they read Limerick, Galway, Clare and Waterford.

Those hoping for a group of death were left disappointed. Group One sees Limerick and Galway play off with Antrim and Laois, and only one of the hurling shocks of the century will halt the the big two.

Similarly, Group Two has Clare and Waterford playing off against Dublin and Offaly, and if the latest formbook is anything to go by then Clare and Waterford should make sure they too keep free the last two weekends in July. The top two in each group earn the right to meet the Leinster and Munster finalists in the new eight-team quarter-finals.

The first of the three rounds is set for this Saturday - and will feature Laois v Galway, Dublin v Clare and Offaly v Waterford.

Limerick's game against Antrim is certain to be postponed, as their footballers are in action on Sunday against Kerry.

Offaly's hammering at the hands of Kilkenny yesterday has greatly reduced their ambitions of making the quarter-finals.

"That completes a bad day for us," said manager John McIntyre. "We'd hoped to get two of the weaker teams on paper, but I suppose after our show here today we'd qualify as one of those weaker teams."

The first round of the football qualifiers is hardly more appetising, the pick of which is probably the all-Ulster affair of Down against Fermanagh.

Wicklow await the losers of Donegal and Armagh, who drew in yesterday's Ulster quarter-final - and thus get at least an extra week to prepare for a daunting fixture.

Teams drawn first yesterday are entitled to a home venue, with the exception of the designated counties - which means Carlow will have home advantage over Offaly. London must travel to Clones to meet Monaghan, and Sligo will have home advantage over Longford as they were both designated counties.

The GAA will today confirm all the venues for the qualifiers in both codes, with the intention of playing as many rounds as possible this Saturday.