Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Critics took Eam at boss in Kingdom
NEW Donegal boss Declan Bonner has been handed the Championship draw from hell.
The 2012 All-ireland champions have been paired off with Cavan in the Ulster Championship preliminary round for next year.
That’s exactly where Donegal started five years ago when they beat Cavan and went on to win a famous All-ireland.
But with the introduction of the Super Eight format next summer, guaranteeing three games for All-ireland quarter-finalists, the extra game is a major burden.
It means Donegal will need to win nine games if they plan on repeating their 2012 heroics – and 10 if they lose to Cavan and are forced to go the qualifier route.
It’s a similar story for Connacht’s big two, Mayo and Galway, who have been drawn to play each other in a mouth-watering quarter-final.
It’s the sixth summer in a row that they’ll meet in the Championship but this one may be the most important of all.
Both camps will know that, like Donegal, a loss will leave them a whopping seven games away from even contesting an Allireland semi-final.
Galway have pulled off high profile wins over Mayo in each of the last two summers so it will be a grudge tie with all the trimmings.
Reigning Connacht champions Roscommon were the big winners out west as they’re placed on the other side of the draw.
They’ll return to the provincial final if they overcome New York, who have never won a Championship game, or Leitrim, a Division Four outfit.
That, in turn, will leave Kevin Mcstay’s Roscommon on the brink of qualification for the historic Super Eights structure.
In Munster, Kerry will fancy their chances of defeating Clare or Limerick at the last four stage. Cork, in the other semi-final, will face the winners of the tie between Tipperary and Waterford.
Meanwhile, a hurling Championship draw wasn’t required due to the move to round robin structures in each province.
But the order of the games was decided with Cork playing Clare and Limerick meeting Tipperary in Round 1 of the Munster Championship on May 20.
With four teams playing in each round, and five teams in the province, every county will skip one round so Waterford don’t begin until Round 2 when they meet Clare on May 27.
New Dublin boss Pat Gilroy will meet Kilkenny’s Brian Cody the previous weekend in Round 1 of the Leinster Championship. All-ireland holders Galway will take on Offaly.
LEINSTER SHC ROUND ROBIN MUNSTER SHC ROUND ROBIN
EAMONN FITZMAURICE will manage the Kerry footballers until 2020 but it was far from a unanimous decision from Kingdom delegates.
County chairman Tim Murphy admitted in a lengthy address at the October County Committee meeting that clubs and delegates contacted
known that Fitzmaurice (above) was to be given an extra two years in charge.
“I believe my role and the role of the executive are to provide the best leadership we can to progress football in the county,” said Murphy.
“I want to sincerely thank many club delegates and many club officers who contacted me personally after the Mayo defeat and right up to last weekend, who expressed their concerns, and offered suggestions on how we might move forward.
“A lot of the sentiment and suggestions that were passed on were shared by the executive and me. It enabled me to articulate those views in a meaningful way in my discussions with Eamonn Fitzmaurice.
“It soon became apparent to me and to him that in order to provide a stable platform to build upon that two year extension in my eyes and that of the executive is certainly the best outcome for Kerry”