Tailteann Cup 2026.

[Cunny Funt]

It won't be gone because irrespective of whether it works or not in the confines of itself the sam maguire works better with that number of teams and that level of competition. I would highly doubt there will ever be any going back from it.

You read people say Down or Meath didn't deserve to be in it with tradition etc. I think it gave both of them the kick up the arse they needed, they both deserved to be in it and but for a set of unusual circumstances down wouldn't have been near it this year.

it may take a few years to find the right set of teams and there will always be yo yos. You would expect Cavan and Kildare to start to gravitate towards it on current trajectory. Hard to know what way Wexford will go but you would imagine they would get relegated to 3 as well and end up in it.

I don't think a 3rd tier would get any traction at all.

Tailteann Cup winners and league finish that year.

2022.  Westmeath. 3rd in Division 3
2023. Meath  6th in Division 2
2024. Down  1st in Division 3
2025. Kildare 1st in Division 3


Should the bottom two in Division 2 and top two in Division 3 be allowed in the Tailteann Cup to begin with?  Certainly not a 6th placed team in Division 2

Agree with your view on a tier 3 competition.

[Armagh18]

It won't be gone because irrespective of whether it works or not in the confines of itself the sam maguire works better with that number of teams and that level of competition. I would highly doubt there will ever be any going back from it.

You read people say Down or Meath didn't deserve to be in it with tradition etc. I think it gave both of them the kick up the arse they needed, they both deserved to be in it and but for a set of unusual circumstances down wouldn't have been near it this year.

it may take a few years to find the right set of teams and there will always be yo yos. You would expect Cavan and Kildare to start to gravitate towards it on current trajectory. Hard to know what way Wexford will go but you would imagine they would get relegated to 3 as well and end up in it.

I don't think a 3rd tier would get any traction at all.

Tailteann Cup winners and league finish that year.

2022.  Westmeath. 3rd in Division 3
2023. Meath  6th in Division 2
2024. Down  1st in Division 3
2025. Kildare 1st in Division 3


Should the bottom two in Division 2 and top two in Division 3 be allowed in the Tailteann Cup to begin with?  Certainly not a 6th placed team in Division 2

Agree with your view on a tier 3 competition.

Yes as you need 16 in each.

[Cunny Funt]

It won't be gone because irrespective of whether it works or not in the confines of itself the sam maguire works better with that number of teams and that level of competition. I would highly doubt there will ever be any going back from it.

You read people say Down or Meath didn't deserve to be in it with tradition etc. I think it gave both of them the kick up the arse they needed, they both deserved to be in it and but for a set of unusual circumstances down wouldn't have been near it this year.

it may take a few years to find the right set of teams and there will always be yo yos. You would expect Cavan and Kildare to start to gravitate towards it on current trajectory. Hard to know what way Wexford will go but you would imagine they would get relegated to 3 as well and end up in it.

I don't think a 3rd tier would get any traction at all.

Tailteann Cup winners and league finish that year.

2022.  Westmeath. 3rd in Division 3
2023. Meath  6th in Division 2
2024. Down  1st in Division 3
2025. Kildare 1st in Division 3


Should the bottom two in Division 2 and top two in Division 3 be allowed in the Tailteann Cup to begin with?  Certainly not a 6th placed team in Division 2

Agree with your view on a tier 3 competition.

Yes as you need 16 in each.

It can be changed.

[Blowitupref]

DOWN: Ronan Burns; Peter Fegan, Pierce Laverty, Patrick Brooks; Callum Rogers, Shane Annett, Ryan Magill; Ryan McEvoy, Odhran Murdock; Daniel Guinness, Ceilum Doherty, Miceal Rooney; John McGeough, Pat Havern, Eamon Brown.

Subs: John O'Hare, Finn McElroy, Caolan Mooney, Tom McCarroll, Patrick McCarthy, Ruairi McCormack, Ross Carr, Ruari O'Hare, Tom Close, Órán Cunningham, Adam Crimmins


FERMANAGH: Seán McNally; Luke Flanagan, Oisin Smyth, Shane McGullion; Jonathan Cassidy, Ronan McCaffrey, Josh Largo Elis; Conor McGee, Stephen McGullion; Brandon Horan, Seán Cassidy, Joe McDade; Conor Love, Darragh McGurn, Ciaran Corrigan.

Subs: Ethan McCaffrey, Garvan Jones, Ultan Kelm, Mattie McDermott, Declan McCusker, Oisín Kelm, Cian O'Brien, Lughaidh Donnelly, James McMahon, Conor O'Hanlon, Aogán Kelm

OFFALY: Conor Melia; Shane O'Toole Greene, David Dempsey, Lee Pearson; Cormac Egan, Diarmuid Egan, Marcas Dalton; Jack McEvoy, Jordan Hayes; Kyle Higgins, Keith O'Neill, Aaron Leavy; Dylan Hyland, Shane Tierney, Jack Bryant.

Subs: Sean O'Toole, Aidan Bracken, Eoin Dunne, Rory Egan, Robbie Gallagher, Harry Goulding, Daire McDaid, Ciaran Murphy, Harry Plunkett, Nathan Poland, Cathal Ryan.


WICKLOW: Mark Jackson; Tom Moran, Matt Nolan, Malachy Stone; Darragh Fee, Eoin Murtagh, Gavin Fogarty; Dean Healy, Jack Kirwan; Jonathan Carlin, Padraig O Toole, Christopher O Brien; Oisin Mc Graynor, Kevin Quinn, Eoin Darcy.

Subs: Cathal Fitzgerald, Mark Kenny, Cian Deering, Joe Prendergast, Liam O Neill, Jack Hardy, Conall Ó Gallchobhair, Jacques Mc Call, Conor Fee, Sean Murphy, Cathal Baker


Down 2/9 Fermanagh 7/2.  Draw in 70 minutes 10/1

Offaly 4/9 Wicklow 9/4 draw 15/2

To win the Tailteann Cup
Down 2/5
Offaly 5/2
Fermanagh 10/1
Wicklow 12/1

Expected attendance according to Crokepark.ie for the semi-final double header tomorrow is 12,000.

Last year it was 13,960 for Wicklow v Limerick and Kildare v Fermanagh

2024 Antrim v Laois and Down v Sligo  had 10,348 was in attendance

[Captain Obvious]

Attendances roughly the same as what you would get for Division 3/4 league final double headers in Croke Park.

[statto]

Fifteen minutes on Saturday game preview hardly much promotion of games.

[Blowitupref]

After 12 minutes Down 1-4 Fermanagh 1-2.  Down was 1-3 to no score ahead.

Game going away from Fermanagh, after 27 minutes Down 1-13 Fermanagh 1-5

Half-time Down 2-13 Fermanagh 1-9

Good effort by Fermanagh just comes up short. Full-time Down 2-19 Fermanagh 1-21

[Armagh18]

Terrible work not giving these games their own day. Great work being done in all 4 counties with teams on the up but the eyes of the country will be on Killarney today.

[Blowitupref]

Half-time Wicklow 1-9 Offaly 3-11.

52 minutes played level game Wicklow 1-18 Offaly 3-12.

Wicklow point effort drops into the net, poor goalkeeping they lead by 3 with 15 minutes left.

Goal for Offaly level game again.

Wicklow 4 in front with 10 minutes to play

Result Wicklow 2-26 Offaly 4-15

[Rossfan]

Great to see Wicklow making the Final.
Won't be a goat milked tonight....

[FermGael]

That's the best we have played in Croke park in years. The difference between that display and last year's against Kildare is night and day.

Ciaran Corrigan turned the game when he came on at half time.

Kelm, Cassidy and himself were outstanding in the second half .

Feel for Decky .
He's been a great servant for Fermanagh football.

Fair play to Wicklow.
Fantastic performance and they won't be easy beat.

[Cunny Funt]

Fine effort by Fermanagh, Wicklow went one better with a fine effort to win.

Just 9,854 in attendance time to play the semi-finals elsewhere and just the Tailteann Cup final in Croke Park.

[thewobbler]

Why in holy sweet f**k are Foireann semi finals being played in Croke Park?

The daft bastards up and down the GAA who believe the venue is more important than the occasion, need a serious boot in the hole.

—-

Congrats to Down for holding on. I think. Honestly I'm not sure. We definitely don't know how to put a game out of sight either way.

[Aristo 60]

Terrible work not giving these games their own day. Great work being done in all 4 counties with teams on the up but the eyes of the country will be on Killarney today.

Indeed they were.

[imtommygunn]

That's a huge win for Wicklow. You wouldn't have thought at the start of this that they'd be in the final. Still expect down to win but you never know.