Fermanagh manager Ryan McMenamin acknowledges that his side have a tough task ahead after they were handed an away tie against Monaghan in this year’s Ulster Championship - but the Erne boss says that he will worry about that further down the line with his immediate focus on Fermanagh’s upcoming league campaign that gets underway with a meeting with Ulster champions Cavan on May 15.

McMenamin’s charges avoided playing in the preliminary round and the manager states that with Ulster a minefield all any team could ask for was a home draw, something they didn’t get.

“It is a tough draw,” said McMenamin. “The first thing you would like is a home draw and we didn’t get that and after that it is in the lap of the Gods. Ulster is a unique province, everyone is looking to avoid everybody else in the draw.”

He is glad though that they now know who their opponents will be when the competition commences. The Ulster Championship is scheduled to start on June 26/27 with the final fixed for July 31 or August 1.

“Look, we are happy that it is out of the way and we now know who we are to play. For the lads living on the Fermanagh Monaghan border it is big for them and there was a time in February or March when you thought that there mightn’t be a championship draw so we’re happy just to have it.

“We know Monaghan is going to be tough, we met Monaghan over the last couple of years and we beat them in 2018 and they beat us in 2019 and I think in 2017 so they have maybe had the upperhand over the years. It is going to be a battle and a knock out game and when it comes around we will look forward to it.”

The winner of the Monaghan v Fermanagh game will then face whoever comes through the Armagh v Antrim tie in the semi-final but McMenamin is not looking any further ahead than the opening round of the league.

“We’ll not worry about the championship yet. We are just going to focus now on the league and try and get our heads around that first game with Cavan, we can deal with Monaghan in July. Cavan is going to be a big, big ask as they are the Ulster champions but we will look forward to that one and it is heads down from here on.”

Inter-county training got the greenlight to return on Monday and McMenamin says that it is good to get back out collectively.

It is good to get back out among the boys and it is just nice to get out and kick a bit of football and not worry about anything else that is going on,” he said.