Here are our previews for the four provincial championship clashes taking place in Leinster and Ulster over the weekend. 

Saturday, May 14th

Leinster SFC first round - Carlow v Louth, O'Moore Park, 5pm

Louth gained max profit from their league campaign after topping off promotion with an upset over Antrim at Croke Park to take home the Division Four trophy. Carlow's league campaign saw them finish mid-table in the fourth tier after three wins and four defeats and manager Turlough O'Brien has cited a scalp over the Wee County as being a "realistic goal" for them.

The last time these two sides met in the championship it was the Barrowsiders that sprung an upset with a one-point victory in Portlaoise back in 2011 - a year on from Louth's famous Leinster final defeat to Meath. The winners on Saturday will meet the Royals in the quarter-finals and it's no surprise to see Colin Kelly's side ranked as 1/5 favourites given the momentum that they're carrying into this one.  

Verdict: Louth

Leinster SFC first round - Laois v Wicklow, O'Moore Park, 7pm

Part Two of Saturday's double-header in Portlaoise sees Laois and Wicklow facing off for the 14th time in the championship, with the former having won 10 of those meetings. When they last met two years ago it was the O'Moore men that came away from Aughrim with a comfortable seven-point victory and they're hotly fancied to get another win against the visitors this weekend.

Despite suffering relegation from Division Two in the league with one win in seven games, Mick Lillis's men are 1/10 favourites to continue their winning trend over the Garden County, who haven't tasted success in a first round game in the Leinster SFC since 2013. The threat of Ross Munnelly and Donie Kingston will undoubtedly be something Johnny Magee and his management team will be looking to thwart, considering the duo combined for 0-15 in these sides' last provincial meeting. For added incentive, the prize for the winners here will be a quarter-final date with champions Dublin at Nowlan Park on June 4th.

Verdict: Laois

Sunday, May 15th

Leinster SFC first round - Offaly v Longford, O'Connor Park, 3.30pm

This midlands derby is hard to call going by league form, considering both sides finished dead even on eight points apiece in Division Three, but the bookies have opted to make hosts Offaly the 8/11 favourites. The Faithful County have not won in the opening round of the championship since back in 2007, when they beat Carlow, with their last two defeats in 2015 and 2014 coming against none other than Longford.

When these two sides met in the first round of the league this year it was Pat Flanagan's team that edged a 0-12 to 0-10 victory in Tullamore, where they'll meet again on Sunday afternoon. Niall McNamee and Nigel Dunne will have to be on song for the home side if they are to end what has grown into a nine-year wait for an opening round win in the eastern province, while Denis Connerton will look to old reliables like Brian Kavanagh and Barry McKeon to continue the streak over their familiar rivals.

Verdict: Draw

Ulster SFC preliminary round - Fermanagh v Antrim, Brewster Park, 4pm

All roads lead to Enniskillen in the Ulster senior football championship on Sunday as Fermanagh and Antrim kick off the summer race for The Anglo-Celt Cup. Last year saw Pete McGrath's side hand the Saffrons defeat in the provincial championship as well as the qualifiers, before going on to reach the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland SFC where Dublin ended their dreams. That extended run helped Sean Quigley to finish up as the championship's top scorer in 2015 with 3-36 and the visitors will certainly need a game plan to try and shackle the Roslea ace, whom could very well bury them in Brewster Park on Sunday if he's on top form.

The Glensmen made strides in their league campaign this season, finishing top of Division Four for promotion before losing out to Louth at Croke Park with the trophy on the line. Joint managers Gearoid Adams and Frank Fitzsimons will no doubt be looking for a response from that defeat and while they could well get it, the home side still should have enough to keep things to script here.  

Verdict: Fermanagh

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