By Jackie Cahill
Champions Cork will face Westmeath at home in the opening round of 2020 Lidl National League Division 1 Fixtures on Sunday, January 26.
The Leesiders regained the title they had previously won in 2017 by defeating Galway in the Final at Parnell Park last May.
2019 runners-up Galway, who also contested the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Final, will have home advantage against Waterford as they kickstart their new season in the opening round of National League fixtures.
Elsewhere, TG4 All-Ireland Senior Champions Dublin will play host to the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate winners Tipperary, while Donegal make the trip to Mayo on the opening day.
Looking ahead, Dublin have three mouth-watering fixtures to look forward to in Rounds 2, 3 and 4, when they face Mayo away from home, before welcoming Cork and Galway to the capital on successive weekends.
Cork defeated Dublin in an epic 2019 Lidl NFL Division 1 semi-final, after extra-time at Nowlan Park, but the Sky Blues gained revenge in front of 10,886 spectators at Croke Park in the TG4 All-Ireland Senior semi-final.
Dublin then went on to beat Galway in front of a record 56,114 attendance in the 2019 TG4 All-Ireland Final, to land the Brendan Martin Cup for a third successive year.
Cork will also note the visit to Tipperary in Round 2 of the 2020 Lidl National League, having lost out to the Premier County on home soil in this year’s competition.
Meanwhile, the Connacht derby between Galway and Mayo has been pencilled in for Round 7, on Sunday, March 29.
In Division 2, Cavan host Kerry, Armagh make the trip to Clare, Meath entertain Tyrone, and Monaghan are the visitors to Wexford in the opening round.
In Division 3, Round 1, Fermanagh are at home to Kildare, Laois take on Wicklow in an all-Leinster affair, Longford are up against Down, and there’s a Connacht derby between Roscommon and Sligo.
And in Division 4, Antrim take on Offaly, Carlow are at home to Limerick, while Leitrim make the trip to Derry.
The LGFA has also confirmed that the top two finishers will progress straight to the Finals in each of the divisions.
The 2020 Lidl Ladies National Football League Finals will be played on the weekend of April 18/19.