By Michael McMullan

DERRY are under no illusions with the task facing them when they begin their All-Ireland campaign this weekend.

Manager Paddy Tally said being paired with Armagh, Galway and Dublin zoned them in right away.

“It’s a tough group,” said Tally, referencing to the only group with all four teams having played in Division One this season.

“You’ve Armagh who are Ireland champions, and you’ve Galway who are Connacht champions, All-Ireland finalists last year and they’re tipped to be an All- Ireland winner this year.

“You have two of the top teams in the country on form. Then, you have Dublin who, over this last 20 years have been the best team in Ireland.”

While they’ve lost many of their multiple All-Ireland winners and failed to make this month’s Leinster final, Tally still rates Dessie Farrell’s charges highly.

“I’m sure since the Meath game in the Leinster championship, I’m sure Dublin have got regrouped again,” he said.

“They will have used their time well to get out of the group stages. There are so many experienced players in there, really good players.

“We played them in Croke Park earlier this year, they were a very good team, and I expect Dublin to be very, very competitive.”

Tally feels all games in Group Four to be tight. Coming out of it in any way, even to avoid finishing bottom, it going to be “a battle”.

Derry will have had a seven-week layoff since their Ulster exit at the hands of eventual champions Donegal by the time they run out against Armagh on Saturday evening.

“You know what you’re up against straight away,” he said of the group. “You can’t have any complacency and it gives us a real clear focus. Since the draw was made, there’s been a very clear focus on the challenge ahead of us.”

Tally is in his first season as Derry manager, coming in late to take over from Mickey Harte.

After a hectic spell of eight games in 11 weeks and the disappointment of relegation, Derry have spent most of their time since defeat in Ballybofey looking in the mirror. At their game.

“The fact is that you’re not looking towards the next match which means then you’re really only looking at yourself,” Tally told Gaelic Life.

“That gave us opportunity to say right our full concentration now for the next number of weeks is just on ourselves.”

Derry still await their first victory of 2025. Aside from a draw at home to Galway, the Oakleafers lost their other games.

After this weekend’s trip to Armagh, Derry welcome Galway to Celtic Park before completing the group stage with a neutral game against Dublin.