Ever since Cork knocked Tipperary out of the Munster Championship on the 21st of May, people have been looking at the qualifiers. And doing the math for the potential matches and permutations that could've led to a route to the All Ireland quarter finals.
Galway's victory over Wexford in the Leinster final last weekend put Davy Fitzgerald's side into the draw. Cork's subsequent Munster final win yesterday ensured that Clare would join them in one pot. Both losing finalists will have been disappointed with their performance in the respective games. Clare couldn't figure out Cork's puck out strategy, while Wexford fell flat in the second half against the Tribesmen.
In the qualifier route, Tipp dispatched of Westmeath and then Dublin to make the quarter final draw. Waterford needed extra time to finally kill of Kilkenny's ninth life and complete the line up.
The draw was made on Morning Ireland and RTE News Now this am. Darren Frehill was joined by Fergal McGill - the GAA's director of games for the draw. We have a serious set of matches on our hands.
First off, the Banner will need to recover from the pain of the final loss, as they're up against the All Ireland champions as Clare drew Tipperary. Which means that there is a mouthwatering encounter between Wexford and Waterford on our hands. Davy Fitz gets a shot at his former county.
The draw in full:
Clare vs Tipperary
Wexford vs Waterford
The quarter finals will take place on July 23rd, with the GAA to confirm the venue later today. It's widely expected that the new Pairc Ui Chaoimh will host the quarter finals, but Semple Stadium and the Gaelic Grounds are also options.
