Donegal entered the Championship as the unbeaten National League champions, as well as having been runners-up to Tyrone in the 2007 Dr. McKenna Cup.

He also held the record for the highest individual tally in a match, getting 2-07 (13) in the game against Tipperary.

This stage of the competition is a pure knockout, with teams competing facing off in a single match.

As many replays as it takes determines who proceeds in the competition, as at the time there was no definitive tie-breaker in use in Gaelic Games.

The draw for the quarter-finals took place on Sunday 29 July, and it involved the four winning teams from Round Three of the qualifier series being drawn against the four provincial winners; Tyrone, Sligo, Kerry and Dublin.