Far from the glare of All-Ireland time for the second successive year, Tyrone football has used the time well and have reached the semi-final stage of the county championship this weekend.

It's an unusual line-up of clubs with both of the perennial heavyweights Carrickmore and Errigal Chiarán already out of the running.

Tomorrow's semi-final between Donaghmore and Coalisland brings together two teams rated evenly, Coalisland have a good underage record in recent years and have won their matches comfortably en route to the final.

Donaghmore have directly and indirectly inherited the mantle of the big two, dismissing the Clonoe side that had eliminated Carrickmore and defeating Errigal after a two-part quarter-final, re-fixed because of the injury to Paul Quinn, in which they were the better side in both matches.

County manager Mickey Harte says that whereas the championship doesn't reveal much the management don't know about the identity of up-and-coming players, it places them in an interesting context.

"It's an important indicator," he says, "because there is such a thing as a championship or knock-out mentality because the matches have that extra edge. Players with ability who cope well with that environment are always worth taking a look at.

"It's not universal. Some county players are unseen in club matches partly because they don't always play in the same positions, as clubs often ask them to fill central roles when they're more comfortable in other areas."

One county that's reached the final stage is Louth where tomorrow Cooley Kickhams, without a senior title in 17 years, take on St Patrick's, whose successes are a lot more recent with back-to-back wins in 2003-04.

Cooley won a fiery semi-final against Newtown Blues, weathering a goal early on in injury-time, which ran for 10 minutes, to run out convincing winners.

St Pat's qualified for the final crack at their peninsula rivals by defeating former Leinster finalists Mattock Rangers in the semi-final.

Finally, Kildare, home of the reigning Leinster champions Moorefield, are also at the semi-final stage this weekend. Moorefield are still there after a big, nine-point quarter-final win over Carbury and face St Laurence's with the winners facing whoever emerges from the others semi-final between Clane and Sarsfields.