logo
All-Ireland football group stage draw proves format is a failure – it's unnecessary distraction for provincial finalists

All-Ireland football group stage draw proves format is a failure – it's unnecessary distraction for provincial finalists

The Irish Sun04-05-2025

THE only good thing about the draw for the All-Ireland SFC group stages being made this week was it served as a reminder that this is the final edition of this failure of a format.
While there are logistical reasons for having the Championship mapped out this far in advance, the draw is an unnecessary distraction for the provincial finalists.
1
Graham Geraghty slammed the current All-Ireland SFC format
Credit: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
A revamped system will be in place in 2026, yet the method of separating the Sam Maguire counties from their Tailteann Cup counterparts is to remain the same.
And the flaws of linking it to the provincial competitions have been exposed again this year.
This should not be interpreted as any form of criticism of Clare, for they merely capitalised on the opportunity presented to them like any other team would be happy to do.
But the fact that a win against Tipperary, a Division 4 outfit, was all the Banner needed to secure their place in the All-Ireland series is a joke.
Read More on GAA
Antrim got the better of Clare when the teams met in Division 3 of the National League earlier this season.
But for Andy McEntee's side to compete in the Sam Maguire, victories over Tyrone and All-Ireland champions Armagh would have been required, as well as beating Cavan.
To reach the same destination, Antrim were tasked with surviving shark-infested waters but Clare barely got their feet wet crossing a stream.
As long as they persist with a two-tier Championship, the GAA have to find a way of levelling the playing field for teams with ambitions of being in with the big boys
Most read in Sport

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Mark English moves into world-class territory as he lowers Irish 800m record
Mark English moves into world-class territory as he lowers Irish 800m record

Irish Times

timean hour ago

  • Irish Times

Mark English moves into world-class territory as he lowers Irish 800m record

Mark English became the first Irish athlete to break the 1:44-barrier in the 800 metres as he clocked 1:43.92 to win the FBK Games in the Dutch city of Hengelo on Monday evening. At age 32, it's shaping up to be the season of his life as English once again displayed all his racing experience to take the win on the latest stop on the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series. His 1:43.92 improved his previous best of 1:44.34, set when winning the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Bydgoszcz, Poland last Friday week. Last summer, he'd improved the Irish record to 1:44.53, and is now running in properly world-class 800m territory. Sitting in third coming into the homestretch, a few metres down on Peter Sisk from Belgium and Yanis Meziane from France, English coolly kicked past them both in the last 50m. Meziane held on for second in 1:44.32, with Craig Payton from Australia given the same time in third. Sisk faded right back to seventh. READ MORE After pacemaker Simon Mohlosi took them to the bell in 49.20, a fast time was clearly on. English bided his time, however, the Donegal athlete keeping his finishing kick until it mattered most. English won his fifth European medal back in March, taking bronze at the European Indoors in Apeldoorn, adding to his two outdoor medals, and another two indoors. Over the winter English moved to Australian coach Justin Rinaldi, and continues to take a break from his medical career. He'd already run well inside the automatic qualifying standard for the Tokyo World Championships of 1:44.50, and in this form will certainly fancy his chances of making the final when those championships take place in September.

GAA confirm All-Ireland SHC and Tailteann Cup fixtures next weekend
GAA confirm All-Ireland SHC and Tailteann Cup fixtures next weekend

The 42

timean hour ago

  • The 42

GAA confirm All-Ireland SHC and Tailteann Cup fixtures next weekend

NEWBRIDGE WILL HOST a double-header next Saturday afternoon after the GAA confirmed the fixtures for the All-Ireland SHC preliminary quarter-finals and Tailteann Cup quarter-finals. The Kildare hurlers will host Dublin at 4pm, after their historic Joe McDonagh Cup success yesterday, with the Kildare footballers taking on Offaly afterwards at 6.30pm. The other hurling fixture on Saturday sees Laois host Tipperary, a curtain-raiser to the Roscommon-Cork game in the All-Ireland senior football championship. Advertisement Fermanagh will face Sligo in the Tailteann Cup on Saturday, while in the same competition there will be quarter-finals on Sunday with Wicklow playing Westmeath and Limerick taking on Wexford. ***** Saturday 14 June All-Ireland senior hurling preliminary quarter-finals Laois v Tipperary, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, Portlaoise 1.45pm – GAA+. Kildare v Dublin, Cedral St Conleth's Park, Newbridge, 4pm. Tailteann Cup quarter-finals Fermanagh v Sligo, Brewster Park, Enniskillen, 5pm. Kildare v Offaly, Cedral St Conleth's Park, Newbridge, 6.30pm. ***** Sunday 15 June Tailteann Cup quarter-finals Wicklow v Westmeath, Echelon Park, 1.15pm – GAA+. Limerick v Wexford, TUS Gaelic Grounds, 3.45pm – GAA+. **** * Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here

Ireland boss urges players to be excited by progress but demands no drop off against Luxembourg
Ireland boss urges players to be excited by progress but demands no drop off against Luxembourg

The 42

timean hour ago

  • The 42

Ireland boss urges players to be excited by progress but demands no drop off against Luxembourg

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND boss Heimir Hallgrimsson has encouraged his players to be excited by the progress they have made as they prepare for a new World Cup qualifying campaign. Ireland will bring down the curtain on this season's fixtures with a friendly in Luxembourg on Tuesday evening knowing that when they next meet up in September, it will be the hard currency of qualification points which will be at stake against Hungary and Armenia. They go into the game having won four and drawn one of the nine matches they have played to date under Hallgrimsson and the Icelander, who helped guide his native country to the quarter-finals at Euro 2016 courtesy of a famous last 16 win over England, believes they have established a momentum. Asked about replicating that excitement with Ireland, he said: 'I think it comes automatically. It comes because we are growing as an unit. 'It comes because we are saying the same thing over and over again – probably boring for the players to listen to because we are saying the same thing over and over – and I have said before, basics first before details. Basics before details. Advertisement 'The excitement comes from that. We can feel that we are growing every time we play, like how comfortable we were against Senegal. 'That's one step taken. We can have the same against Luxembourg, so it shouldn't be up and down performances, it should be consistent performance. That is what we need.' Friday night's 1-1 draw with Senegal, who are ranked 41 places above Ireland by FIFA, in Dublin was a creditable result, but Hallgrimsson and his players would dearly love to go into the competitive games with a another victory under their belts. However, they know from painful experience that Luxembourg are no longer the push-over they once may have been having lost 1-0 to Luc Holtz's men in a World Cup qualifier at the Aviva Stadium in March 2021. Hallgrimsson, who has drafted Stoke defender Bosun Lawal into the squad, said: 'They have shown in the past how quickly they have developed as a football team. 'They have had the same coach for a long time, really consistent in team selection, so it's more like playing a club team. Their knowledge of the team and each other is really at a high level. 'I watched the Sweden game when they played here – they beat Sweden 1-0, they could have scored more goals against Sweden. I know a little bit about them, and the strength of Sweden, so I wouldn't look at it as a shock to the nation if we would not get a good result here. 'It's that good a team that a win here would be really good for us at this stage. I hope nobody is taking them lightly, if that is the right word to say.' That said, that night in Dublin was a dark one for Irish football and then manager Stephen Kenny – they won the return 3-0 to restore a measure of wounded pride – although defender Nathan Collins does not want to dwell on the past. He said: 'It's just football, isn't it? football changes, people change, managers change, teams change and you just have to reflect on that. 'It is about what works for us now, and we can't have that on our mind. We are here with fresh faces, it is a fresh game, it is a new game.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store