Busy Weekend in GAA Football Championship

Connacht launched the 2014 GAA football All-Ireland senior championships when Mayo beat New York last Sunday week and the pace is set to quicken considerably next weekend when five first round games will be played in Leinster (3), Connacht (1) and Ulster (1).

The line-up is as follows:

Saturday

Leinster 1st round: Westmeath v Louth, Cusack Park, Mullingar, 7.0

Sunday

Leinster 1st round: Wicklow v Laois, Aughrim, 3.30; Longford v Offaly, Glennon Brothers, Pearse Park, 3.30.

Connacht 1st round: Roscommon v Leitrim, Dr. Hyde Park, 3.0

Ulster 1st round: Tyrone v Down, Omagh, 4.0.

WESTMEATH v LOUTH

They met twice in the 2012 championship when Westmeath won an All-Ireland first round qualifier while Louth won the Leinster first round clash. Their last meeting was in the O'Byrne Cup last January, when Louth won by 1-15 to 0-10. Louth, managed by Aidan O'Rourke, who is in his second season at the helm, are seeking their fifth Leinster first round win in six seasons having beaten Carlow in 2009, Longford in 2010, Westmeath in 2012 and Laois in 2013. Their only defeat came in 2011 when they lost to Carlow. Westmeath, led by Paul Bealin, who is in his first season, have won three of their last five Leinster first round games beating Wicklow in 2009 and 2010 and Carlow last year.They lost to Wexford in 2011 and to Louth in 2012. Louth are this year seeking their first Leinster title success since 1957 while Westmeath won their only provincial crown in 2004.

Next Sunday's winners will play Kildare in the Leinster quarter-final on June 8.

Last Five Championship Clashes

2012: Westmeath 1-15 Louth 0-12 (All-Ireland qualifiers - Round 1)2012: Louth 2-9 Westmeath 0-14 (Leinster 1st round)2010: Louth 1-15 Westmeath 2-10 (Leinster semi-final)2001: Westmeath 1-13 Louth 0-13 (All-Ireland qualifier)1994: Louth 0-13 Westmeath 1-9 (Leinster first round)

Last Year: Westmeath beat Carlow and lost to Dublin in Leinster before losing to Fermanagh in the first round of the All-Ireland qualifiers. Louth beat Laois and lost to Wexford in Leinster. They beat Antrim in the All-Ireland qualifiers before losing to Kildare in Round 2.

2014 Allianz Football League: Both were relegated. Westmeath dropped out of Division 1 after losing all seven games while Louth were relegated from Division 2 after drawing two and losing five of their seven games.

DOWN v TYRONE

They meet in the championship for the sixth time in ten years, with Tyrone having won three to Down's one while they drew once in Omagh in 2008. Their last championship meeting was in 2010 when Tyrone, for whom Martin Penrose scored 0-5 and Sean Cavanagh 0-3, won by 0-14 to 0-10 in an Ulster quarter-final tie in Casement Park. Mickey Harte leads Tyrone in the championship for a 12th successive year while James McCartan is in his 5thyear as Down manager. Tyrone last won the Ulster title in 2010 while Down's last success was in 1994. Next Sunday's winners will play defending Ulster champions, Monaghan in the quarter-final on June 15.

Last Five Championship Clashes

2010: Tyrone 0-14 Down 0-10 (Ulster quarter-final)2008: Down 1-19 Tyrone 0-21 Replay - after extra-time (Ulster quarter-final)2008: Down 2-8 Tyrone 2-8 Draw (Ulster quarter-final)2005: Tyrone 1-13 Down 1-6 (Ulster quarter-final)2004: Tyrone 1-15 Down 0-10 (All-Ireland qualifiers)

Last Year: Tyrone lost to Donegal in the Ulster quarter-final and beat Offaly, Roscommon, Kildare and Meath in the All-Ireland qualifiers and Monaghan in the All-Ireland quarter-final before losing to Mayo in the semi-final. Down beat Derry and lost to Donegal in Ulster before losing to Derry in Round 2 of the All-Ireland qualifiers.

2014 Allianz Football League: Tyrone finished fifth in Division 1, winning three, drawing two and losing two of seven games, while Down came fourth in Division 2 after winning three, drawing one and losing three of seven games.

WICKLOW v LAOIS

Rather surprisingly, next Sunday's clash will be only the 13th championship tie between the counties, with Laois having won nine to Wicklow's three of the previous twelve. Their last meeting was in the 2008 Leinster quarter-final when Laois won by two points in Dr. Cullen Park against a Wicklow side that had stunned Kildare in the first round.Tomas O Flaharta is in his first season as Laois manager and will be hoping to end a disappointing run which has seen the county lose to Louth (2013) and Longford (2012) in the Leinster first round over the last two seasons. Harry Murphy takes Wicklow into championship action for a third year. They beat Longford in the first round last year and lost to Meath a year earlier. Wicklow have never won the Leinster title while Laois last won the crown in 2003. The winners of Sunday's game will play Dublin in the Leinster quarter-final on June 8.

Last Five Championship Clashes

2008: Laois 0-15 Wicklow 0-13 (Leinster quarter-final)2002: Laois 3-6 Wicklow 0-8 (Leinster 1st round)1986: Wicklow 2-10 Laois 1-9 (Leinster quarter-final)1974: Laois 3-6 Wicklow 0-2 (Leinster quarter-final)1973: Laois 3-15 Wicklow 0-14 (Leinster quarter-final)

Last Year: Wicklow beat Longford and lost to Meath in Leinster before losing to Armagh in Round 1 of the All-Ireland qualifiers. Laois lost to Louth in Leinster; they beat Carlow, Clare and Wexford in the All-Ireland qualifiers before losing to Donegal in Round 4.

2014 Allianz Football League: Laois finished fifth in Division 2 with three wins and four defeats while Wicklow came third in Division 4 with five wins and two defeats.

LONGFORD v OFFALY

They may be close neighbours but they haven't been regular opponents in the Leinster championship - this will be their first meeting since 1997 and only their fifth in the last 30 years. Offaly have won four while there has been one draw from the last five meetings. Offaly are seeking their first win in the Leinster championship since beating Carlow in 2007. Longford, led by Jack Sheedy who is in his first season as manager, beat Offaly by 1-15 to 1-10 in the Allianz League (Div 3) last March. Emmet McDonnell is in his second season as Offaly manager. Offaly last won the Leinster championship in 1997 while Longford were last successful in 1968.

ROSCOMMON v LEITRIM

They last met in the Connacht championship in 2011 when Roscommon ran out easy winners in Carrick-on-Shannon. Leitrim are seeking their first Connacht championship win over Roscommon since 2000 when they won the semi-final by two points. John Evans leads Roscommon into the championship for the second time while Sean Hagan is in his first season as Leitrim manager. Roscommon last won the Connacht title in 2010 while Leitrim'slast provincial win was in 1994.The winners will play Mayo in the Connacht semi-final on June 8.

Last Five Championship Clashes

2011: Roscommon 2-12 Leitrim 0-6 (Connacht semi-final)2010: Roscommon 1-13 Leitrim 0-11 (Connacht semi-final)2009: Roscommon 2-13 Leitrim 2-9 (Connacht quarter-final)2004: Roscommon 1-9 Leitrim 0-5 (Connacht semi-final) Replay2004: Roscommon 0-13 Leitrim 1-10 (Connacht semi-final) Draw

2014 Allianz Football League: Roscommon won the Division 3 title and were promoted after winning seven of eight games. Leitrim finished fourth in Division 4, winning four, drawing one and losing two of seven games.