The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final draw is set to take place on Sunday after the quarter-finals conclude, but there may be no need for a draw at all.

The quarter-finals get underway this Saturday when Cork take on Mayo at 4:00 pm, followed by Kerry and Tyrone locking horns at 6:15 pm. The following day, Louth and Monaghan face off at 1:45 pm before an in-form Dublin take on Galway at 4:00 pm.

There is only one scenario in which a draw will not be needed: if Monaghan, Louth, and Mayo all win their respective games.

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Dara McDonnell of Louth. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

The GAA holds an open draw at the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland and seeks to avoid repeat pairings from earlier in the championship, where possible.

That means Mayo cannot face Tyrone or Monaghan again in the semi-final, so if that trio is victorious, then Mayo will take on the winners of Dublin and Galway, and Tyrone would then be left to play Monaghan.

Other potential semi-finals that can’t take place are Cork against Kerry, having met in the Munster final in May, and Dublin against Louth, a fixture that has already happened twice this summer in the Leinster semi-final and earlier in the All-Ireland series.

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Colm O’Callaghan of Cork. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

If there is a need for a draw, it will take place live on The Sunday Game on RTÉ 2 at 6:00 pm on Sunday, after the Galway and Dublin game, barring either of Sunday’s games requiring extra time or penalties.

A last-four spot is a rarity for some teams in the quarter-finals, with Louth having not featured at the semi-final stage since 1957, and Cork aiming to reach the last-four for the first time since 2012.

Mayo haven’t played a last-four tie since 2021, while Dublin and Monaghan both appeared in 2023. Galway last played in the semi-finals in 2024, while Kerry and Tyrone are looking to return to the semi-finals after their clash in last year’s edition.