91Èȱ¬

The GAA's 2013 fixture list released on Friday did not include mention of the venue for the Ulster SFC football clash between Donegal and Tyrone.

The majority of venues for provincial championship games were outlined but a blank remained beside the Ulster clash.

Donegal want their home Ballybofey venue but Tyrone boss Mickey Harte believes McCumhaill Park's 12,253 capacity is too small for the big game.

The venue for Derry's Ulster SFC clash with Down has also yet to be confirmed.

Like Donegal, Derry are insisting that their game should be played at their home venue Celtic Park but once again, there was no confirmation of this in the GAA's master fixtures list.

If the Ulster Council does opt to switch the mouthwatering clash from Ballybofey, Clones is likely to be the venue.

The Ulster Championship will begin on Sunday 19 May with Cavan facing Armagh in the preliminary round at Breffni Park.

Donegal's clash with Tyrone will take place on the following Sunday with Derry taking on Down a week later.

Antrim's game against Monaghan will be staged at Casement Park on 9 June with the remaining first-round game scheduled for 16 June with Cavan or Armagh due to host Fermanagh.

The Ulster semi-finals take place on 23 and 29 June with the provincial decider set for 21 July.

The publication of the GAA's fixture list did not clarify widespread speculation that Donegal's opening Football League game against Kildare will be played as part of a double-header at Croke Park on Saturday 2 February with Dublin's game against Cork.

This has already been widely reported but the fixtures list said that the date for Donegal's league opener against the Lilywhites has yet to be finalised.

Down's Division 1 game against Tyrone will take place on the opening Saturday of action on 2 February with Armagh taking on Laois away in Division 2 on the same evening.

Derry's Division 2 opener against Galway will take place on the following afternoon when the Division 3 fixtures will include Antrim's tussle with Cavan, Monaghan's clash with Meath and Fermanagh's trip to Wicklow.

Big games over the following weekend will include the Saturday evening encounter between Donegal and Down and Tyrone's game in Mayo the following day.