Tailteann Cup 2026.

[FermGael]

When is the Quarter Final draw?
The coverage for this competition is poor.

Listened to the draw on Rte.
Seems to now be a push for a third tier.
Unbelievable stuff really.

In a different world, Westmeath are in this competition.
Look at the difference in promotion their run has done for them as a county.

Fermanagh, Sligo, Tipperary, Laois, all had their moments in the sun under the back door system.
Yeah we also took a few hammerings but the hammerings are happening anyhow.

It's poorly promoted, poorly run and a poor competition.
This competition is exactly what is suppose to be.
Get the weaker counties finished up well before the main event.

Look at the success tiers has made of hurling.
Teams yo-yoing up and down between competitions and levels.
This is no different.

 

[Rossfan]

Westmeath are Leinster CHAMPIONS.
They had to beat Meath, Kildare and Dublin to qualify for Sam.
The 16 in the TC were in it because they "qualified" for it due to their NFL and Provincial Championship results.

[FermGael]

Westmeath are Leinster CHAMPIONS.
They had to beat Meath, Kildare and Dublin to qualify for Sam.
The 16 in the TC were in it because they "qualified" for it due to their NFL and Provincial Championship results.

Indeed they are.

But they didn't have to beat one of the top 4 teams in the country to win it ( they are miles ahead of the rest )

If you really were tiering correctly you should have a top 4 tier as well

[clonian]

Westmeath are Leinster CHAMPIONS.
They had to beat Meath, Kildare and Dublin to qualify for Sam.
The 16 in the TC were in it because they "qualified" for it due to their NFL and Provincial Championship results.

Indeed they are.

But they didn't have to beat one of the top 4 teams in the country to win it ( they are miles ahead of the rest )

If you really were tiering correctly you should have a top 4 tier as well

Down had to beat 2 of the top 4

[Armagh18]

Westmeath are Leinster CHAMPIONS.
They had to beat Meath, Kildare and Dublin to qualify for Sam.
The 16 in the TC were in it because they "qualified" for it due to their NFL and Provincial Championship results.

Indeed they are.

But they didn't have to beat one of the top 4 teams in the country to win it ( they are miles ahead of the rest )

If you really were tiering correctly you should have a top 4 tier as well

Assuming your top 4 is Kerry Donegal Galway Armagh in whatever order?

How far off that top 4 are Monaghan and Tyrone who took Armagh to extra time? Or Roscommon who beat Galway? Or Down who beat Donegal? Kerry have looked bang average a lot of the year so far.  Anything can happen on the day.

[The Boy Wonder]

There is not a level playing field in regard to Sam qualification. This year both Div 3 winners, Down, and runners-up, Wexford, were denied a place in Sam.

Galway qualified as a provincial finalist by beating a Div 4 team (yes, they qualified via NFL anyway). My own Div 3 county only reached provincial quarter-final after beating a Div 2 team.

[thewobbler]

don't believe the fundamental problem here is the competition, how it is organised, structured or marketed. These are all byproducts of the conundrum that a second tier competitions presents.

The real issue is that there are teams involved that just don't want to be in it.

Some would prefer to be in the Sam Maguire with no expectations of success, but a hope for one or two big performances that show they're closing the gap.

Some would prefer to be in a lower tier competition that they have a genuine chance of winning, and as well as celebrating success, then using that as a platform to grow.

It's easy enough to understand both these points of view.

My own feelings, as they have been since the Tailteann concept first emerged, is that dragging out a county season benefits nobody (but does cost our county boards a fortune to maintain). All county players have club football to return to and enjoy. The teams that don't really want to be in Tailteann shouldn't have to have their summer dragged out. The teams that can't win Tailteann don't need 4 games to find this out; they'll have the NFL in January to build from again.

Place the 16 sides into a straight knockout format, and run it off in 4 weeks. Have no other championship football for the entire weekend of the final - make it the centrepiece of a weekend. Don't play it in Croke Park. Find a suitable, central ground that will be full to the gills on the day.

Then get back to club football.

[thewobbler]

There is not a level playing field in regard to Sam qualification. This year both Div 3 winners, Down, and runners-up, Wexford, were denied a place in Sam.

Galway qualified as a provincial finalist by beating a Div 4 team (yes, they qualified via NFL anyway). My own Div 3 county only reached provincial quarter-final after beating a Div 2 team.

Why would anyone expect a level playing field in a sporting association whereby some competitors have a population pool of less than 50k, and others of over a million?

It's not possible.

It's a pipe dream to think Gaelic Games can deliver equality.

[Armagh18]

don't believe the fundamental problem here is the competition, how it is organised, structured or marketed. These are all byproducts of the conundrum that a second tier competitions presents.

The real issue is that there are teams involved that just don't want to be in it.

Some would prefer to be in the Sam Maguire with no expectations of success, but a hope for one or two big performances that show they're closing the gap.

Some would prefer to be in a lower tier competition that they have a genuine chance of winning, and as well as celebrating success, then using that as a platform to grow.

It's easy enough to understand both these points of view.

My own feelings, as they have been since the Tailteann concept first emerged, is that dragging out a county season benefits nobody (but does cost our county boards a fortune to maintain). All county players have club football to return to and enjoy. The teams that don't really want to be in Tailteann shouldn't have to have their summer dragged out. The teams that can't win Tailteann don't need 4 games to find this out; they'll have the NFL in January to build from again.

Place the 16 sides into a straight knockout format, and run it off in 4 weeks. Have no other championship football for the entire weekend of the final - make it the centrepiece of a weekend. Don't play it in Croke Park. Find a suitable, central ground that will be full to the gills on the day.

Then get back to club football.

would there be many teams in the boat of wanting to be in a third tier? I'd say bar Waterford most would fancy their chances at minimum a good run in the TC and once you get to a semi final anything can happen.

Bar Down I don't think any team could realistically this year want to be in Sam Maguire and not get a couple of serious tankings.

 Down absolutely have to take it seriously because theres a possibility they find themselves down the league places next year looking at having to make an Ulster final to get into Sam Maguire again.

[Cunny Funt]

When is the Quarter Final draw?
The coverage for this competition is poor.

Listened to the draw on Rte.
Seems to now be a push for a third tier.
Unbelievable stuff really.

HQ need to stop this tier 3 nonsense and focus more on what they have in place. The competitive nature of inter county football at the moment doesn't make it comparable to Hurling,ladies football or club football where further tiers are used.

Should previous Tailteann Cup winners be allowed to play in it again?

Bottom two in Division 2 and top two in Division 3 should all be in the tier 1 championship IMO.

League placings of the final 8

Offaly 8th in Division 2
Down 1st in Division 3
Wexford 2nd in Division 3
Laois 4th in Division 3
Sligo 5th in Division 3
Fermanagh 8th in Division 3
Wicklow 3rd in Division 4
Antrim 4th in Division 4

[Blowitupref]

Saturday June 13

Tailteann Cup Quarter-Finals

Offaly v Wexford, O'Connor Park, 1pm, GAA+

Antrim v Wicklow, Corrigan Park, 2pm

Laois v Down,O'Moore Park, 4pm, GAA+

Fermanagh v Sligo, Brewster Park, 5pm

[Joeythelips]

I think all teams should have at least the possibility of winning the All Ireland. The All Ireland series should be based on seeding and seedings are derived from the stand alone competitions of the league, provincial championships, the Tailteann cup (all of which are run off before the AI series starts) and also previous seasons AI championship.
The top 16 ranked sides qualify to compete for Sam McGuire in proper knockout format with the final in September.

I though it was a shame they ditched the Joe McDonagh winners playing the 3rd place team in Leinster/Munster, that was an avenue to theoretically win the All Ireland, even though there was a big gulf between the two tiers they would have at least being apart of the competition.

It does feel like those tiers are being ignored. This was the RTE GAA page last Saturday on the day they were broadcasting the Joe McDonagh cup final, not even one article about the fact it was even on.

[statto]

Saturday June 13

Tailteann Cup Quarter-Finals

Offaly v Wexford, O'Connor Park, 1pm, GAA+

Antrim v Wicklow, Corrigan Park, 2pm

Laois v Down,O'Moore Park, 4pm, GAA+

Fermanagh v Sligo, Brewster Park, 5pm

The scheduling on GAA+ could have been looked at also, the Down Laois game will run into the Monaghan/Roscommon game and most neutrals will turn over at half time in Down game you would expect. Could the game not have been at 3.00pm?

[The Boy Wonder]

There is not a level playing field in regard to Sam qualification. This year both Div 3 winners, Down, and runners-up, Wexford, were denied a place in Sam.

Galway qualified as a provincial finalist by beating a Div 4 team (yes, they qualified via NFL anyway). My own Div 3 county only reached provincial quarter-final after beating a Div 2 team.

Why would anyone expect a level playing field in a sporting association whereby some competitors have a population pool of less than 50k, and others of over a million?

It's not possible.

It's a pipe dream to think Gaelic Games can deliver equality.

My point is that there is not a level playing field regarding qualification rules - this will always be the case while the provincials are linked to the Sam Maguire Cup. A Connacht county can qualify for Sam by winning one match whilst an Ulster or Leinster county may have to win 3 matches to reach the same stage as Westmeath did in Leinster.

[magpie seanie]

I really have to say I detest this notion of "not wanting to be in" a second tier competition.

You only end up in the competition if you qualify for it as was said above. Meaning - you did not qualify for Sam Maguire. Therefore - your rightful place is in the Tailteann.

Yes there are inequalities with the provincial structure and it's not just the great Ulster championship. A team like Sligo could get in by beating Leitrim but could also have to beat 2 of Galway/Roscommon/Mayo. If you're in D3/D4 the championship is a wild card to get you qualified. The league is the bread and butter that usually gives you a fair reflection.