NORTH County will follow a familiar route when they begin their defence of the Irish Cup next June. The Dublin kingpins were yesterday drawn away to Bangor in the first round of the 2006 competition, a trip that is unlikely to give the holders any sleepless nights this winter after their performances in the Northern Cricket Union area last season. Joint Ulster Bank league champions Waringstown and North Down both hosted North County and lost as the Balrothry side proved once again they were the best club side in Ireland, winning the trophy for the third time in five years.

The last time Bangor and North County met was in the second round of 2003 when Irish internatinals Andre Botha and Conor Armstrong both scored centuries as North County amassed 344 for six on their way to a comprehensive 188 runs victory. Even with home advantage, Bangor will hardly say they had the luck of the draw but the NCU certainly did. The draw, made in Dublin by ICU chief executive Peter Thompson and honorary secretary John Wright, sent all but three Leinster teams to Ulster and eight of the 13 games in the Province will be in the NCU.

North Down are at home to last year's North West Senior Two champions Fox Lodge in one of three all-Ulster ties, although, as usual, no two teams from the same union meet in the first round.

Civil Service North, who were the first winners of the competition under the North of Ireland banner in 1982, return to the premier knock-out competition under their new name with a game at Ardmore while the other all-Ulster tie will be at either Carrickfergus or Derriaghy.

Derriaghy will learn this morning if their sumission to the NCU Appeals Committee against relegation from the top flight was successful. Carrickfergus, who finished bottom of the table, are hoping for a reprieve and the team that survives in next year's Premier League will face a formidable first round Irish Cup tie against ClubTurf Ulster Cup winners Strabane.

North West league champions Donemana will also visit the NCU for the second successive year. Last year they lost their first round game at Waringstown; this year they make almost exactly the same journey to face Lurgan at Pollock Park.

The other confirmed games in the NCU are at Lisburn (who face 2002 finalists Rush), Cliftonville (against CYM) and Downpatrick, last year's beaten NCU cup finalists at home to YMCA.

Instonians will also be at home against the winners of the preliminary round game between Pembroke and Old Belvedere while Merrion and Leinster, the other two teams who finished in the bottom four in Leinster last season, will be away to Bready in the first round which has been delayed until the second half of June because of the surfeit of international cricket in the early part of next season.

Top match in the North West will be Limavady's clash with Malahide, the former the only Ulster team to reach last year's semi finals.

For the second year in a row Glendermott will host The Hills, giving the Dubliners the chance to avenge their remarkable defeat last year when the North West Cup holders chased 312 to win the game at The Rectory by three wickets.

Eglinton, who hope to have a much stronger team than the one that flirted with relegation in Senior One last season, should have the easiest tie of the round, at home to Munster champions Cork County. Waringstown lead the teams who must head south. The villagers, undoubtedly, have the easist of the games in Dublin, away to Phoenix, because Brigade are away to Clontarf and Ballyspallen face last year's beaten finalists Railway Union