Guide to the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cup in 2024

[GAABoardMod5]

At the end of the league, the rankings are divided into two Groups, based on the final league standings after the 4 league finals.  The Top 16 will play in the Sam Maguire competition and the Bottom 16 will play in the Tailteann Cup competition, unless a Bottom 16 team reaches its Provincial Final.  Were that to occur, lowest team listed in the Top 16 will be dropped to the Bottom 16 and play in the Tailteann Cup.

With the Provincial draws for 2024, one side of the Munster Championship has all Bottom 16 teams (Clare, Tipperary and Waterford), so the lowest rank of the Top 16 teams (Down) is dropped to Tailteann Cup status, since all Provincial finalists are guaranteed to be in the Top 16 for All-Ireland Group stages seeding.  Any team dropped from the Top 16 to the Bottom 16 can regain Top 16 status by reaching their respective Provincial final.  As Tailteann Cup holders, Meath cannot be relegated from the Top 16.

Here is the ranking of Top 16 at the start of the Provincial championships.

Derry
Dublin
Kerry
Mayo
Tyrone
Galway
Donegal
Armagh
Roscommon
Monaghan
Cavan
Cork
Meath
Louth
Westmeath
Clare/Tipperary/Waterford – whichever gets to the Munster Final

The Bottom 16 are:

Down
Fermanagh
Kildare
Clare/Tipperary/Waterford – whichever 2 do not get to the Munster final.
Sligo
Antrim
Offaly
Laois
Leitrim
Wicklow
Limerick
Wexford
Longford
Carlow
London
New York

[GAABoardMod5]

At the end of the Provincial championships, the Group stages of the championships begin. 

The 4 Groups for Sam Maguire will have the 4 provincial champions as the number 1 seeds, the 4 provincial runners-up as the two seeds, the next four from the above rankings as the 3 seeds, and the next 4 as the 4 seeds.

The Tailteann Cup will have seedings based on the league positions of the teams participating. New York will not play in the Tailteann Cup Group stage, but will enter the competition at the Preliminary-Quarter-Final stage.

[GAABoardMod5]

After Week 1 of Provincial games (on 6/7 April), the following Bottom 16 teams were eliminated from their Provincial Championship and will be in the Tailteann Cup in 2024:

London
Leitrim
Longford
Carlow
Tipperary
Limerick

New York - but not in the Group stage as noted in previous post.

[Rossfan]

Good work Mod.
Westmeath hoping Louth make the Leinster Final.

[GAABoardMod5]

13/14 April

4 Leinster Quarter-finals:

13-Apr  Offaly 2-13 Laois 1-8
14-Apr  Dublin 3-19 Meath 0-12
14-Apr  Kildare 0-16 Wicklow 1-12
14-Apr  Louth 4-10 Wexford 0-15

2 Ulster Quarter-finals:

13-Apr  Down 0-13 Antrim 0-9
14-Apr  Fermanagh 0-9 Armagh 3-11

After Week 2 of the Provincial Championships, the following 5 counties are playing in the 2024 Tailteann Cup:

Laois
Wicklow
Wexford

Antrim
Fermanagh

[GAABoardMod5]

6 of the Bottom 16 counties that still have a chance to play in the Sam Maguire are:

Down - must beat Armagh in Ulster semi-final on 27 April, otherwise stay in Tailteann Cup
Kildare - must beat Louth in Leinster semi-final on 28 April, otherwise stay in Tailteann Cup
Sligo - must beat Galway in Connacht semi-final on 20 April, otherwise stay in Tailteann Cup
Offaly - must beat Dublin in Leinster semi-final on 28 April, otherwise stay in Tailteann Cup
Clare/Waterford – play each other in Munster semi-final on 20 April, loser stays in Tailteann Cup, winner goes to Sam Maguire.


After 2 weeks the following 12 counties are confirmed to play in the Tailteann Cup 2024.

Clare or Waterford – whichever does not get to the Munster final.

Fermanagh
Antrim
Laois
Leitrim
Wicklow
Limerick
Wexford
Longford
Carlow
London
Tipperary
New York

[GAABoardMod5]

Results from this weekend (20/21 April):

Connacht Senior Football Championship

Semi-finals
20-Apr  Galway 1-13 Sligo 0-14...Sligo will play in Tailteann Cup, Galway will be a 1 or 2 seed in Sam Maguire
21-Apr  Mayo 1-15 Roscommon 0-13...Mayo will be a 1 or 2 seed in Sam Maguire


Munster Senior Football Championship

Semi-finals
20-Apr  Clare 2-20 Waterford 1-9...Waterford will play in Tailteann Cup, Clare will be a 1 or 2 seed in Sam Maguire
20-Apr  Kerry 0-18 Cork 1-12...Kerry will be a 1 or 2 seed in Sam Maguire


Ulster Senior Football Championship

Quarter-finals
20-Apr  Donegal 4-11 Derry 0-17...Derry will be a 3 seed in Sam Maguire
21-Apr  Tyrone 1-23 Cavan 3-16

[GAABoardMod5]

We are left with 3 of the Bottom 16 counties that still have a chance to play in the Sam Maguire after 21 April games:

Down - must beat Armagh in Ulster semi-final on 27 April, otherwise stay in Tailteann Cup
Kildare - must beat Louth in Leinster semi-final on 28 April, otherwise stay in Tailteann Cup
Offaly - must beat Dublin in Leinster semi-final on 28 April, otherwise stay in Tailteann Cup

If one of the above three (Down, Kildare or Offaly) win their semi-final, Westmeath will drop to the Tailteann Cup. 

If Kildare and one other win, Westmeath and Louth will drop to the Tailteann Cup.

If Down and Offaly win, but Kildare lose, Westmeath and Cork will drop to the Tailteann Cup.

If Down, Kildare and Offaly win, Westmeath, Louth and Cork will drop to the Tailteann Cup. 



After 21 April, the following 14 counties are confirmed to play in the Tailteann Cup 2024.



Fermanagh
Sligo
Antrim
Laois
Leitrim
Wicklow
Limerick
Wexford
Longford
Carlow
London
Tipperary
Waterford
New York

Edit:  Down, Kildare and Offaly all lost their respective semi-final games, meaning all 3 will play in the Tailteann Cup in 2024.  The teams under threat - Westmeath, Louth and Cork - will all play in the Sam Maguire competition.  See following posts for seeding plans for both competitions.

[Blowitupref]

https://www.gaa.ie/article/sam-maguire-and-tailteann-cup-seedings

[GAABoardMod5]

The Group Stage Draws for the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cups will take place at 3pm on Tuesday 30 April.


Sam Maguire Cup

Seed 1: the 4 Provincial Champions (winners of Galway/Mayo, Clare/Kerry, Dublin/Louth and Armagh/Donegal)

Seed 2: the 4 Provincial Runnersup: (losers of Galway/Mayo, Clare/Kerry, Dublin/Louth and Armagh/Donegal)

Seed 3: the next 4 teams in finishing order of the National League...Derry, Tyrone, Roscommon, Monaghan

Seed 4: the next 4 teams in finishing order of the National League...Cavan, Cork, Meath, Westmeath

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.


Tailteann Cup

Seed 1: Down, Fermanagh, Kildare, Sligo

Seed 2: Antrim, Offaly, Laois, Leitrim

Seed 3: Wicklow, Limerick, Wexford, Longford

Seed 4: Carlow, Tipperary, London, Waterford

New York will enter the Tailteann Cup at the Preliminary Quarter-Final stage, taking the place of the lowest third place finisher after the Group Stage is complete.

[GAABoardMod5]

Dates for the group stages of the Sam Maguire Cup will be:

Round 1 Seeds 1 & 2 will have home venue

18/19 May:

Seed 1 (Munster/Connacht Champions) v Seed 3

Seed 2 (Munster/Connacht Runners Up) v Seed 4

25/26 May:

Seed 1 (Leinster/Ulster Champions) v Seed 3

Seed 2 (Leinster/Ulster Runners Up) v Seed 4

Round 2 Seeds 3 & 4 will have home venue

1/2 June:

Seed 3 v Seed 2

Seed 4 v Seed 1

Round 3 Neutral venues

15/16 June

Seed 1 v Seed 2

Seed 3 v Seed 4


Tailteann Cup

Round 1 Seeds 1 & 2 will have home venue

11/12 May:

Seed 1 v Seed 3

Seed 2 v Seed 4


Round 2 Seeds 3 & 4 will have home venue

18/19 May:

Seed 3 v Seed 2

Seed 4 v Seed1

Round 3 Neutral venues
 
1/2 June:

Seed 1 v Seed 2

Seed 3 v Seed 4

[tonto1888]

with the draw being made before provincial finals how will that affect the potential groups? Can donegal be with Derry for example?

[GAABoardMod5]

with the draw being made before provincial finals how will that affect the potential groups? Can donegal be with Derry for example?

Not sure why I bother...go up 2 posts tonto

[tonto1888]

with the draw being made before provincial finals how will that affect the potential groups? Can donegal be with Derry for example?

Not sure why I bother...go up 2 posts tonto

hah. Apologies. I did read through that. Will blame monday morning. Much appreciated

[Rossfan]

with the draw being made before provincial finals how will that affect the potential groups? Can donegal be with Derry for example?

Not sure why I bother...go up 2 posts tonto