Dublin handed group of death as All-Ireland draw compounds shock Meath loss while Tailteann Cup fixtures also revealed
DUBLIN will have to survive the group of death to keep their All-Ireland SFC hopes alive.
After
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Even veterans like Ciarán Kilkenny were guilty of being sloppy as the Dubs were defeated in Leinster for the first time since 2010
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2024 League champions Derry could potentially be the WEAKEST team in the daunting group
And they have been placed in Group 4 alongside the Connacht winners, the Ulster runners-up and Derry.
The picture will become clearer for the Dubs when Galway go in search of a fourth straight Connacht title against Mayo in Castlebar this Sunday.
The line-up will be complete on Sunday week, with All-Ireland champions Armagh taking on Ulster champions Donegal in a bid to land their first provincial title since 2008.
Dublin, whose All-Ireland title defence was
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While fixture details have yet to be confirmed, the Sky Blues will be away to the Connacht winners in their opening fixture.
They will then play host to the Ulster runners-up, before facing Derry on neutral ground.
Group 1 is also set to produce some mouthwatering fixtures as the Ulster winners and Connacht runners-up have been drawn with Tyrone and Cavan.
Cork may not have long to wait for an opportunity to avenge their recent loss to Kerry in their epic Munster semi-final that was settled after extra-time.
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The Rebels are in Group 2, where the top seeds will be the winners of this Sunday's Munster final between the Kingdom and Clare.
The group also includes Roscommon and the losers of Sunday week's Leinster final between Meath and Louth.
Tipperary GAA legend reveals surprising difference between 'pressure' of playing for club vs county
The first team other than Dublin to win a Leinster title since 2010 will be in Group 3 with the Munster runners-up, Monaghan and Down.
The first-round fixtures featuring the Munster and Connacht finalists are scheduled for the weekend of May 17-18, with the games involving the Ulster and Leinster finalists booked for May 24-25.
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The four group winners advance directly to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Preliminary quarter-finals are contested by the teams who finish second and third.
As per the previous editions of this format, each team will play one game at home, one away and one at a neutral venue.
The much-maligned system will be replaced for the 2026 Championship.
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Meanwhile, Westmeath's bid to become the first team to win the Tailteann Cup twice will see them face Limerick, Antrim and London.
The second-tier competition begins on May 10-11.
All-Ireland SFC
Group 1:
Ulster winner, Connacht runner-up, Tyrone, Cavan
Group 2:
Munster winner, Leinster runner-up, Roscommon, Cork
Group 3:
Leinster winner, Munster runner-up, Monaghan, Down
Group 4:
Connacht winner, Ulster runner-up, Dublin, Derry
Tailteann Cup
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Group 1:
Kildare, Sligo, Leitrim, Tipperary
Group 2:
Offaly, Laois, Wicklow, Waterford
Group 3:
Westmeath, Limerick, Antrim, London
Group 4:
Fermanagh, Wexford, Carlow, Longford
Fixture format
Round 1:
Seed 1 (home) v Seed 3, Seed 2 (home) v Seed 4
Round 2:
Seed 3 (home) v Seed 2, Seed 4 (home) v Seed 1
Round 3:
Seed 1 v Seed 2, Seed 3 v Seed 4 (neutral venues)
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