Latest news with #TailteannCups
Irish Examiner
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Why did the All-Ireland draw take place before the provincial finals?
The tremors from Dublin's defeat to Meath last weekend were always going to have repercussions for the summer. We've talked in the past about difficult groups. None rival this. Third seeds Dublin will face the Connacht champions, Ulster runners-up and Derry in Group 4 of the Sam Maguire series. It is the first time in the history of this format that four teams who played each other in Division 1 are pitted in the same group. Whoever triumphs in Castlebar on Sunday can look forward to a home fixture against Dublin and an away trip to Derry. Ouch. What a way to bid farewell. At Congress last February, delegates overwhelmingly voted in favour of doing away with the group stages for the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cups. An enhanced backdoor system will take its place in 2026. First things first, why now? Time to dust off that old chestnut: logistics. A catch-all explainer thrown over any awkward fixture, venue or scheduling debate. Take the Connacht final. If they waited until after the provincial finals had been played, it would give one of Galway or Mayo six days preparation time. That encompasses everything from training to travel and accommodation. The same applies for supporters. Speaking after the Connacht final last year, Mayo manager Kevin McStay revealed they were one of the counties who had asked HQ to conduct their draws earlier. 'The paradox is that we're one of the counties who got caught on the logistics side of it. We couldn't get hotels because the draws were being made on Mondays,' he explained. 'We certainly asked them to tweak that. But what came out it was that we didn't know who we were playing anyway or what day we were playing or what time we were playing, because the draw was made and what we wanted was the fixtures. 'But we didn't get the fixtures because there are matches to be played yet and they didn't want to do an either/or, which I'm sure could be done administratively. That's for them to figure out into the future. I felt a little bit sorry for the Connacht Championship that the draw was made. You guys were all writing about the different groups you might be thinking of putting yourself into." Either way, the group stage will kick off with a cracker in Pearse Stadium or MacHale Park. Kerry, on the other hand, won't face a 2025 Division 1 team at all. This is the second successive year that this has happened. If they win a fifth Munster title in a row, they will face Cork once more. The losers of the Leinster decider and Roscommon are also in Group 2. Despite being third seeds, Monaghan could be set for a group where they finished above every other team in the league. If Clare can't shock Kerry, they will join group 3. Monaghan finished above Down and Louth/Meath in Division 3. There are blockbusters all over. Galway/Mayo versus Dublin. Donegal/Armagh versus Derry. Meath/Louth versus Cork. Dublin versus Donegal/Armagh. Where will that fixture be played? It is due to take place on 31 May/ 1 June. That is the same weekend that the Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard, and Lory Meagher Cup finals are scheduled for Croke Park. In the Tailteann Cup, Kildare will face Sligo and Leitrim once again, having already played them in the league. Tipperary are also in that group. That fixture will be the first time Kildare have played Tipperary in the championship. Last year's beaten finalists Laois join Division 3 champions Offaly as well as Wicklow and Waterford. The most difficult one to call at this juncture is Group 4, where Fermanagh, Wexford, Carlow and Longford lie. As a reminder, New York will enter at the preliminary quarter-final stage. Sam Maguire groups Group 1 Ulster winners (Armagh/Donegal) Connacht runners-up (Galway/Mayo) Tyrone Cavan Group 2 Munster winners (Clare/Kerry) Leinster runners-up (Louth/Meath) Roscommon Cork Group 3 Leinster winners (Louth/Meath) Munster runners-up (Clare/Kerry) Monaghan Down Group 4 Connacht winners (Galway/Mayo) Ulster runners-up (Armagh/Donegal) Dublin Derry Tailteann Cup groups Group 1 Kildare Sligo Leitrim Tipperary Group 2 Offaly Laois Wicklow Waterford Group 3 Westmeath Limerick Antrim London Group 4 Fermanagh Wexford Carlow Longford Sam Maguire key dates Round 1 (May 17/18, May 24/25, home team first) – 1v3, 2v4. Round 2 (May 31/June 1) – 4v1, 3v2. Round 3 (June 14/15, neutral venues) – 1v2, 3v4. All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals, June 21/22. All-Ireland quarter-finals, June 28/29. All-Ireland semi-finals, July 12/13. All-Ireland final, July 27. Tailteann Cup key dates Round 1 (May 10/11, home team first) – 1v3, 2v4. Round 2 (May 17/18, home team first) – 4v1, 3v2. Round 3 (May 31/June 1, neutral venues) – 1v2, 3v4. Preliminary quarter-finals, June 7. Quarter-finals, June 14/15. Semi-finals, June 21/22. Final, July 12.
RTÉ News
29-04-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Explained: Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cup draws
The draw for the group stages of the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cups will take place on Wednesday. The draw, which will be steamed live at 1.30pm on the GAA's YouTube channel, occurs before the provincial finals so we won't know the complete groups in the All-Ireland series until the Munster and Connacht finals (Sunday) as well as the Ulster (Saturday week) and Leinster deciders (Sunday week) are complete. The Tailteann Cup groups will be more straight forward as the 16 teams and their seedings have been confirmed. The draws will be conducted by Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) chairperson Brian Carroll and Feargal McGill, GAA Director Player, Club and Games Administration. Sam Maguire First seeds (provincial winners) Clare/Kerry, Galway/Mayo, Armagh/Donegal, Louth/Meath Second seeds (provincial runners-up) Clare/Kerry, Galway/Mayo, Armagh/Donegal, Louth/Meath Third seeds Dublin, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tyrone Fourth seeds Cavan, Cork, Derry, Down This marks the third and final edition of the current format, with a qualifier structure in place for both the All-Ireland series and the Tailteann Cup. With three from the four teams in each group progressing from the current 'Super 16' format, it hasn't been without its fair share of criticism. Last year, Derry and Roscommon qualified for the knockout stages despite losing three of their four games. Louth became the 16th and final team to book their place in the All-Ireland series with their Leinster semi-final victory over Kildare. It was the other semi-final that created all the headlines as Meath ended Dublin dominance to book their place in a provincial decider and a place in either Pot 1 or Pot 2 depending on how they fare out against the Wee County. The provincial winners (first seeds) and runners-up (second seeds) won't be known fully until Sunday week, though Kerry will be overwhelming favourites to get the better of Clare this weekend. Dublin's shock defeat means they find themselves in Pot 3 in with a number of other teams more than capable of landing some big results. Meath and Dublin could be a repeat pairing in the All-Ireland series group stage Tyrone will lament their late loss to Armagh at the weekend. Without ever playing to their potential, they reeled the All-Ireland champions back in before being edged out at the death. Ulster rivals Monaghan showed against Donegal in patches that they justifiably have ambitions of further progress while the side that joined them in climbing out of Division 2 this spring, Roscommon, complete the third pot. Based on a small sample size, Cork appear to the strongest of the teams in Pot 4. The Rebels pushed Kerry all the way in an absorbing Munster semi-final, coming undone after goals from Sean O'Shea and Joe O'Connor. It's all-Ulster after that with Derry and Cavan – both soundly beaten in their provincial defeats to Donegal and Tyrone respectively – joining a Down side coming off the back of a defeat to Donegal. While provincial finalists cannot be drawn in the same group, teams who have already played each other earlier in this year's championships can be pitted together again, raising the possibility of Dublin getting the chance to exact revenge on Meath, Cork the opportunity to take on Kerry again (the Rebels would have home advantage) and Armagh the possibility of facing Tyrone for the second time in a matter of weeks. You could get groups such as: Kerry, Armagh, Dublin and Cork, or Galway, Donegal, Tyrone and Cork all pitted together. The opening round of games will see provincial winners host a team from Pot 3, while provincial runners-up will have home advantage against a fourth seed. Dates Round 1 - 17/18 May, 24/25 May, home team first – Seed 1 v Seed 3, Seed 2 v Seed 4 Round 2 - 1/2 June, – Seed 4 v Seed 1, Seed 3 v Seed 2 Round 3 - 14/15 June, neutral venues – Seed 1 v Seed 2, Seed 3 v Seed 4 All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals – 21/22 June. All-Ireland quarter-finals – 28/29 June. All-Ireland semi-finals – 12/13 July. All-Ireland final - 27 July. Tailteann Cup First seeds Fermanagh, Kildare, Offaly, Westmeath. Second seeds Laois, Limerick, Sligo, Wexford Third seeds Antrim, Carlow, Leitrim, Wicklow. Fourth seeds Longford, London, Tipperary, Waterford. Similar to the Sam Maguire draw, 16 teams are drawn into four separate groups. The seedings have already been confirmed and are based off finishing positions in the league. Each group features a team from pots 1-4, while New York will enter at the preliminary quarter-final stage. Teams who have already met in this year's championships can be drawn to the same groups. Down players celebrate victory in last year's Tailteann Cup final Dates Round 1 - 10/11 May, home team first – Seed 1 v Seed 3, Seed 2 v Seed 4 Round 2 - 17/18 May, home team first – Seed 4 v Seed 1, Seed 3 v Seed 2 Round 3 - 31 May/1 June, neutral venues – Seed 1 v Seed 2, Seed 3 v Seed 4 Preliminary quarter-finals - 7 June. Quarter-finals – 14/15 June. Semi-finals – 21/22 June. Final - 12 July Watch a provincial football final double-header, Kerry v Clare (1.45pm) and Mayo v Galway (4pm) on Sunday from 1.15pm. Follow a live blog on and the RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
BreakingNews.ie
28-04-2025
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Explained: The Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cup group seedings
The GAA has confirmed the seedings for the group stage draws in the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cups. How do the seedings work for the Sam Maguire? In the Sam Maguire draw, 16 counties will be placed into four separate groups. Teams will be seeded based on championship and league performance and each group will feature four teams (each group consisting of a first, second, third and fourth seed). Advertisement The provincial champions will each be a first seed, with the provincial runners-up being second seeds. The third seeds will be the four highest-placed teams from the leagues (who have not qualified for their provincial finals). The fourth seeds will include the next four highest-placed teams from the conclusion of this year's leagues. Teams who are due to meet in a provincial final (seeds 1 and 2) cannot be in the same group. However, teams who have already played each other earlier in this year's championships can be drawn to the same groups. What are the seedings this year? First seeds Galway or Mayo Clare or Kerry Dublin or Louth Armagh or Donegal Second seeds Galway or Mayo Clare or Kerry Dublin or Louth Armagh or Donegal Third seeds Derry Tyrone Roscommon Monaghan Fourth seeds Cavan Cork Meath Westmeath What are the dates for the games this year? Round 1 May 17th/18th, May 24th/25th, home team first – Seed 1 v Seed 3, Seed 2 v Seed 4 Advertisement Round 2 June 1st/2nd – Seed 4 v Seed 1, Seed 3 v Seed 2 Round 3 June 14th/15th, neutral venues – Seed 1 v Seed 2, Seed 3 v Seed 4 All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals June 21st/22nd and June 28th/29th All-Ireland semi-finals July 12th/13th All-Ireland final July 27th And what about the Tailteann Cup? In the Tailteann Cup, the 16 participating counties will also be drawn into four separate groups. Teams will be seeded based on their finishing positions in the leagues and each group will feature four teams (each group consisting of a first, second, third and fourth seed). New York will enter the Tailteann Cup at the preliminary quarter-final stage. Teams who have already played each other earlier in this year's championships can be drawn to the same groups. First seeds Offaly Kildare Westmeath Fermanagh Second seeds Sligo Laois Limerick Wexford Third seeds, league finishes Antrim Leitrim Wicklow Carlow Fourth seeds, league finishes Tipperary Longford London Waterford New York enter the competition at the preliminary quarter-final stage When will the draws take place? The draws will take place at 3pm on Wednesday, April 30th, and will be broadcast live on and available on the official GAA social media channels.
