Donegal to face Tyrone in 2013 Ulster SFC first round

Jim McGuinness and Mickey Harte

Champions Donegal have been drawn to face Tyrone in the first round of the 2013 Ulster Football Championship.

The winners of that tie will play the winners of another attractive quarter-final between Derry and Down.

Cavan have been drawn against Armagh in the preliminary round, with the victors taking on Fermanagh in the last eight.

Antrim's footballers will play Monaghan in the other first round tie, while the Saffron county's hurlers play Westmeath in the Leinster SHC preliminary round.

The winners of that game will face Laois in round one.

The match involving All-Ireland champions Donegal and Mickey Harte's Tyrone was the standout fixture in the draw for next year's Ulster SFC.

Meanwhile new Derry manager Brian McIver will come up against Down, with whom he was part of James McCartan's backroom team when the Mourne County reached the All-Ireland final in 2010.

Antrim, who are currently without a manager, will provide the first Championship test for new Monaghan boss Malachy O'Rourke.

Monaghan defeated the Saffrons in this year's Ulster Championship.

The bottom half of the draw looks wide open with Armagh, Cavan, Fermanagh, Antrim and Monaghan all fancying their chances of making the final.

2013 Ulster SFC draw

Preliminary round - Cavan v Armagh

First round - Donegal v Tyrone; Derry v Down; Antrim v Monaghan; Cavan or Armagh v Fermanagh

Semi-Finals - Fermanagh or Cavan or Armagh v Antrim or Monaghan, Donegal or Tyrone v Derry or Down

Leinster SFC

First round - Wicklow v Longford, Laois v Louth, Westmeath v Carow

Quarter-Finals - Meath v Wicklow or Longford, Wexford v Laois or Louth, Dublin v Westmeath or Carlow, Kildare v Offaly

Semi-Finals - Meath or Wicklow or Longford v Wexford or Laois or Louth, Dublin or Westmeath or Carlow v Kildare or Offaly

Munster SFC

Quarter-Finals - Kerry v Tipperary, Limerick v Cork

Semi-finals - Clare v Limerick or Cork, Waterford v Kerry or Tipperary

Connacht SFC

Quarter-Finals - New York V Leitrim, London v Sligo , Galway v Mayo

Semi-Finals - Galway or Mayo v Roscommon, New York or Leitrim v London or Sligo

Leinster SHC

Preliminary round - Antrim v Westmeath

First round - Antrim/Westmeath v Laois, Carlow v London

Quarter-Finals - Antrim/Westmeath/Laois v Carlow/London, Offaly v Kilkenny, Wexford v Dublin

Semi-Finals - Galway v Antrim/Westmeath/Laois/Carlow/London, Offaly/Kilkenny v Wexford/Dublin

Munster SHC

First round - Clare v Waterford

Semi-Finals - Tipperary v Limerick, Cork v Clare or Waterford