What are chances it'll be Dublin v Meath?

The GAA have clarified the format and pairings for the remainder of the All-Ireland football championship ahead of this Sunday…

The GAA have clarified the format and pairings for the remainder of the All-Ireland football championship ahead of this Sunday's quarter-final draw.

The only stipulation come Sunday evening will be that teams that have already met in a provincial final cannot be drawn against one another in the last eight - meaning Dublin cannot face Laois, Tyrone will not be able to play Monaghan, and Kerry likewise will be kept apart from Cork.

Both Monaghan and Laois, of course, still have to earn their place in the draw, and as beaten Ulster and Leinster finalists respectively still face their third round qualifier opposition - with Monaghan playing Donegal in Omagh, and Derry playing Laois in Cavan, both set for 7pm this Saturday evening.

For Sunday's draw, the four provincial champions - Dublin (Leinster), Sligo (Connacht), Tyrone (Ulster) and Kerry (Munster) - will each be drawn against the four teams that successfully negotiate the last round of the qualifiers. Cork and Meath are already in the hat after respectively seeing off Louth and Galway on Saturday.

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In recent years, the quarter-final draw kept apart all teams that had previously met at any stage of the championship, but it was agreed to change to the more open format this year.

At the semi-final juncture, the winners of the Sligo quarter-final will face the victor from the Tyrone tie on August 19th.

In other words, it's a Connacht-Ulster designated semi-final. The winners of Dublin's quarter-final will face the side that comes through Kerry's match - the Leinster-Munster semi-final - in what could well be the most traditional of championship matches, on August 26th.

Meanwhile, Conor Fitzgerald has returned to the Limerick senior hurling panel, but will be unavailable for selection for this Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final against Clare at Croke Park.

The Adare man opted out of the squad earlier this year to concentrate on a business enterprise. Fitzgerald, a member of the Limerick team which recorded a hat-trick of All-Ireland under-21 titles, was a leading scorer with the seniors over a three-year period.

Richie Bennis will serve a one-match sideline ban on Sunday. The Limerick manager received the ban for entering the playing area during the county's third game against Tipperary during the time Mark Foley was injured.

Carlow hurling manager Eoin Garvey has resigned after three years at the helm. Garvey announced his decision in the wake of last weekend's Christy Ring Cup semi-final defeat to Westmeath.

The Clare native - a teacher in De La Salle, Bagenalstown - brought many of the current senior squad through from the successful All-Ireland B minor sides, which he also managed.

"I'm disappointed for the players they did not get an opportunity to return to Croke Park for a second successive year," said Garvey. "I had decided some time back to step aside once the season concluded.

"Now the season is over and my time as manager is over. I hope Carlow hurling continues to prosper and not return to the dark days.

"These are a special bunch of players, a dedicated group of young players, who are capable of progressing Carlow hurling."

Carlow are also without a football manager after John Kearns's tenure ended following his side's dismal showing to Waterford in the Tommy Murphy Cup.

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan is an Irish Times sports journalist writing on athletics