Reigning All-Ireland champions Offaly and Galway were dealt contrasting hands in last night's draw for the 1999 hurling and football championships. In what may be a re-run of the last two years, Offaly play the winners of Wexford-Dublin in the Leinster hurling semi-final, whereas football champions Galway find themselves on the easier side of the Connacht draw.

Should 1996 All-Ireland hurling winners, Wexford, come through, it will be the sixth successive year that they will have played Offaly. The counties shared the semi-final meetings of the last two years - Offaly's win last June coming courtesy of a late, late Johnny Dooley goal.

As the other semi-final is also a repeat of this year's, Leinster champions and All-Ireland finalists Kilkenny will not be renewing acquaintance with Offaly until the Leinster final.

In Munster, Clare begin their quest for a third successive title in the semi-final, where they will face Tipperary or Kerry. Current league holders Cork await the winners of Limerick-Waterford in the other semi-final.

Ulster retain last season's draw, with Antrim or London facing Derry or Down.

The make-up of the All-Ireland quarter-finals will be known after the provincial finals, and will be an open draw.

Galway begin the defence of their football title with a match against London and, should they advance, a semi-final with Sligo. The opposite side of the draw features the other three provincial champions of the current decade, Roscommon - who gave Galway their hardest match this year - Mayo and Leitrim.

In Munster, Kerry and Cork are on opposite sides of the draw and will face each other in the provincial final should they qualify.

Ulster champions Derry renew rivalry with the county which denied them in the 1997 provincial final, Cavan. This year's Ulster finalists, Donegal, are on the same side of the draw. Down and Tyrone, who shared four of this decade's titles, are on the other side.

Leinster has been a particularly competitive province, and next year All-Ireland finalists Kildare face a tough start against their predecessors as provincial champions, the and current league holders, Offaly. Meath are on the same side of the draw, whereas Dublin have, on the face of it, a less daunting challenge than in the last two years.

Nonetheless, Louth ran Meath very close this year and have given Dublin a tough contest on three occasions this decade. Laois play the winners of the preliminary rounds in a repeat of last summer's draw.

The All-Ireland semi-finals will feature Munster v Connacht and Ulster v Leinster.