The draws for the 2008 Westmeath club championships were made in January and, as ever, have thrown up some intriguing ties. The senior football championship has a lopsided appearance with Division 1 comprising defending champions Tyrrellspass, Mullingar Shamrocks, Garrycastle, Castledaly Athlone and Bunbrosna. The most attractive first round tie in what has been labelled as the 'group of death' is arguably the meeting of Castledaly and last year's beaten finalists Mullingar Shamrocks. In Division 2, there will be plenty of local derbies with The Downs, Killucan and Coralstown/Kinnegad all grouped together. There will also be an interesting derby clash between newly promoted Ballinagore and St. Malachy's - the two clubs play together at underage level. The other team in Division 2 is St. Loman's who have been perennial underachievers in recent times. In the intermediate football championship, last year's relegated senior side, Tubberclair, have been drawn against Ballynacargy in Division 2, which also includes the 2007 finalists Shandonagh. Last year's junior winners Rosemount, 2007 semi-finalists Tang and Milltownpass, who survived a relegation battle, make up what is arguably the toughest of the two divisions. Division 1 will feature some spicy clashers between close neighbours. South county clubs Ballymore, Maryland, Caulry, Moate All-Whites and Kilbeggan Shamrocks are joined in the division by Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall from the far north of the county. In the senior hurling championship, which will once again feature a winners' and losers' group after the opening round of games, there are two standout first round games. They are the meeting of newly crowned All-Ireland intermediate champions Clonkill and St. Oliver Plunkett's, and old rivals Lough Lene Gaels and Castlepollard, who return to the top flight after a year's absence. The other first round ties will see Castletown-Geoghegan taking on Ringtown, and 2006 winners Raharney up against Crookedwood. The tie of the first round in the intermediate hurling championship, which is notable for the involvement of Clonkill and St. Oliver Plunkett's second teams, is the clash of north county neighbours Brownstown and Delvin. The following are the Competition first round draws for 2008: SENIOR HURLING (8 TEAMS): Castletown Geo V Ringtown Clonkill V St Oliver Plunketts Raharney V Crookedwood Lough Lene Gales V Castlepollard. SENIOR FOOTBALL (12 TEAMS, 2 DIVISIONS): DIV 1 Garrycastle V Bunbrosna Athlone V Tyrrellspass Castledaly V Mullingar Shamrocks DIV 2 Ballinagore V The Downs St Malachy's V Killucan St. Lomans V Coralstown/Kinegad INTERMEDIATE HURLING (8 TEAMS): Clonkill V St. Oliver Plunketts Turin V St. Brigids Cullion V Southern Gales Brownstown V Delvin INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL (12 TEAMS 2 DIVISIONS): DIV 1: Maryland V Caulry Castletown Finea/Coole/Whitehall V Kilbeggan Shamrocks Moate All Whites V Ballymore DIV 2: Milltownpass V Shandonagh Ballynacarragy V Tubberclair Tang V Rosemount JUNIOR A HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP (8 TEAMS): Raharney V Ringtown Lough Lene Gales V St. Oliver Plunketts Castletown Geo V Castlepollard Clonkill V Crookedwood JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP (11 TEAMS 2 DIVISIONS): DIV :1 Mullingar Shamrocks V St. Lomans St. Fintans Multy V Delvin Loughnavalley V St. Josephs DIV 2: St. Marys Rochfortbridge V Ballycomoyle Milltown V St. Pauls Bunbrosna Bye JUNIOR B HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP (7 TEAMS): Cullion V Southern Gales Brownstown V St Brigids Fr. Daltons V Turin Delvin Bye FEIS CUP HURLING (8 TEAMS): Castletown Geo V Raharney Ringtown V St. Oliver Plunketts Castlepollard V Lough Lene Gales Crookedwood V Clonkill INTERMEDIATE CUP HURLING (6 TEAMS): Turin V Southern Gales St. Brigids V Cullion SEMI FINAL: Brownstown V Turin/Southern Gales Delvin V St. Brigids/Cullion FEIS CUP FOOTBALL (12 TEAMS): Bunbrosna V Ballinagore Garrycastle V Coralstown-Kinegad St. Lomans V Castledaly Athlone V St. Malachy's QTR FINALS: The Downs V Bunbrosna/Ballinagore Killucan V Garrycastle/Coralstown-Kinegad Athlone/st Malachy's V St. Lomans/Castledaly Tyrrellspass V Mullingar Shamrocks INTERMEDIATE CUP FOOTBALL (12 TEAMS): Caulry V Ballynacaragy Shandonagh V Ballymore Castletown Finea-Coole-Whitehall V Tubberclair Moate All Whites V Tang QTR FINALS: Moate All Whites V Caulry/Ballynacaragy Rosemount V Milltownpass Castletown Finea-Coole-Whitehall/ Tubberclair V Maryland Kilbeggan Shamrocks V Shandonagh/Ballymore JUNIOR CUP FOOTBALL (8 TEAMS): Milltown V St Marys Rochfortbridge Delvin V Ballycomoyle Loughnavalley V St. Josephs St. Fintans Multy V St. Pauls Tweet

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