Tailteann Cup 2023

blowitupref

Goal for Down, it's 1-10 each 47 mins played.

robbiezero

I would be absolutely baffled if the likes of Offaly are not taking the Tailteann seriously. Recent AI u20 champions, it seems like an ideal platform to keep progressing and building.

The likes of Meath and Down have impressive Sam Maguire pedigrees, and obviously the 2nd tier is not where they want to be but they undoubtedly recognize that this is a platform the build their way back as well as something to give their success starved counties to cheer.

legendary.xix

Down and Offaly are in Division 3 next year. Division 3 had no places available for the All-Ireland series this year. It would be absolutely baffling not to target Tailteann glory.

Three Division 2 teams missed out on the All-Ireland this year. Fermanagh are out of the Tailteann after today. Meath and Cavan are the only teams left in the Tailteann that are in next year's Division 2. Division 2 football does not guarantee All-Ireland football.

blowitupref

Longford challenge fades in the 2nd half. FT Down 1-20 Longford 1-12

Monday's quarter draw shall be subject to the avoidance of repeat pairings from the group stage.

Pot 1 - Meath,Cavan,Antrim,Limerick

Pot 2 - Carlow,Laois,Wexford,Down

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698842#Comment_120698842

I was curious to see if this was a typical experience or not so I looked at all 18 counties who have played in the Tailteann Cup. This is how they got on in the All-Ireland in the previous 5 years of the All-Ireland qualifiers:

On only 3 occasions did any of those 18 counties emerge from the Qualifiers. But wait...on two of those occasions (Meath '19 & Tipp '16) they had already reached their provincial final.

So had the Tailteann Cup been around back then, out of 90 different occasions (18 counties x 5 years) the only time it would have thwarted a county from reaching the business end of the All-Ireland would have been Fermanagh in 2015.

In contrast:

• 2 counties never won a qualifier
• 6 counties never got past round 2
• 10 counties never got past round 3
• Only 2 counties made it past round 2 more often than not (They went on to play each other in the first Tailteann Cup final)

Is this a better experience than playing in the Tailteann Cup? I personally don't think so but I appreciate that others don't agree and that's fine.

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120699416#Comment_120699416

Getting past the qualifiers means getting to the quarter finals, top 8 in the country. 8 of the counties listed have got to the last 12 and that's only in the last few years. You're describing a better experience for counties like London, Waterford etc who barely ever get a championship win. It may be a better experience for them but they still lose the majority of the time in the Tailteann Cup, while it's a waste of time for the other counties. Apart from maybe trying out a few players. And the push is on to create more tiers and not giving these counties any access to the real championship.

Let's look at a better resolution to all this. Let's give these counties financial backing, put structures in place to develop players and increase their chances of being able to compete. People will say, no amount of money will get counties like these to be competitive because of population etc. Well we have a real life example that proves this to be false. Let's look at Offaly. Population 83,000. Gaelic football and hurling in a desperate state. 3rd tier in hurling and similar or worse in football.

What has happened? They have received funding from a few different sources. GAA funding but also from a high earning golfer. This funding has been used to create a coaching system to develop players with a lot of people involved. Not going into the specifics of what they created but the results for the last few years are there for everyone to see. First Leinster minor hurling championship won in 22 years, they lost the All Ireland final with a last minute goal. First Leinster u20/21 football victory in 26 years, only second ever u20/21 All Ireland. First u20/21 Leinster hurling title in 23 years, they lost the All Ireland final.

There has been small improvements at senior level in Offaly off the back of this underage success but more will come. Funding and setting up coaching structures works. Offaly didn't benefit from dropping down tiers in hurling or football. In fact, it made things worse. Not every county has a wealthy golfer to help them but they shouldn't need it. The GAA have enough to help counties but more needs to be done on development. This is the solution. It's how you stop Gaelic football from becoming a closed shop and how you open up hurling.

legendary.xix

Westmeath have been competitive this year in the All-Ireland group stage. They won the Tailteann last year. In hurling, Antrim have been improving their standards. The McDonagh has been a very competitive level.

It is important that lower tier counties get to take on the top teams at some stage. The provincial championships offer that in football. The McDonagh finalists get to host the third placed provincial teams. People still give out!

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698159#Comment_120698159

Crowds have been horrendous for AI games too. The problem in both is a scheme where you had groups of 4 and 3 teams went through.

There wasn’t enough at stake in the games and they were too expensive.

Last year a family of 4 was €20 for a Tailteann match (2 x €10 and 2 kids free), now it’s €40 (2x €15 and €5 per child).

For example, only die hard supporters would pay €40 and travel an hour to Longford to watch Cavan last week knowing they were already qualified and were 1/4 to beat Offaly.

MacDanger

QF draw made this morning:

Cavan v Down

Meath v Wexford

Limerick v Laois

Antrim v Carlow

Cavan v Down the standout fixture

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120703989#Comment_120703989

Cavan vs Down definitely the stand out.

Antrim Carlow also a stand out but for the opposite reason.

legendary.xix

Cavan v Down is the draw of the round. Limerick and Antrim fully qualified on merit as group winners. Carlow did fantastic to finish second and deservedly beat New York. Wexford and Laois did superb to win away from home at the weekend. Meath did well to win their group. All 8 quarter-finalists are fully deserving of their place.

Limerick and Antrim need to back up their group wins by making the semi-finals. Cavan and Meath will be favourites. Down need to win the Tailteann Cup though for All-Ireland qualification next year. Cavan and Meath have the Plan B of Division 2 football next year.

Brussels Sprout

Times & Dates have been set

Saturday

Sunday

legendary.xix

Carlow on Sunday is sensible as their hurlers play Dublin on Saturday evening. Carlow are going for a unique McDonagh-Tailteann double.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120706981#Comment_120706981

Good point. This has the potential to be the best year in Carlow GAA since their only provincial win in either code...the Leinster football title in 1944!

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120714879#Comment_120714879

Carlow, Laois and Wexford have had a positive bounce. Antrim, Limerick and Meath are rightly favourites after winning their groups but the 3 away teams can travel with confidence and optimism. Tailteann semi-finals day in Croke Park is a big carrot.

Brussels Sprout

Limerick up by a point against Laois at half-time (0-10 v 0-9) in the opening fixture of the day

Brussels Sprout

Laois with a great second-half comeback (they were 3 points down after 19mins) to win by 1-14 - 0-14 in the end

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120727125#Comment_120727125

Good wins for Laois. Beating Fermanagh away and Limerick away to get go Croke Park for the Tailteann semi-finals.

Brussels Sprout

The second fixture looks done and dusted already. Meath 1-12 to Wexford's 0-3 at half-time (and Meath went 15mins without scoring near the end of the half).

Jock_Ewing

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120727142#Comment_120727142

We're happy. Big change from scraping a draw with London 2 weeks ago.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120727125#Comment_120727125

Limerick fell apart both halves after racing into a lead. Failed to put away any of 5 goal chances and gifted Laois the winning goal with a terrible back pass.

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120727154#Comment_120727154

Goes to show the fine margins. Barely getting through to going on a good run and building momentum.

Jock_Ewing

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120727173#Comment_120727173

Absolutely. We're not near our level in the 80s, 90s, 00s, but we should be able to compete with Fermanagh, Limerick, Sligo, Carlow etc. And it's great to do that.

Meath and Cavan look a cut above.

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120727157#Comment_120727157

The absolute dogma of short passing and possession for the sake of it cost Limerick. They stopped playing and tried to be cute 'icing the clock' by keeping possession, unfortunately this is Limerick 2023 and not Dublin 2017 and they are not good enough to execute a possession game in tight quarters under pressure. Keep playing footbal is the secret.

Cavan Down, Cavan making hay with marks and keeping themselves alive with everyone's favorite tactic, 3/4 points from soft marks.

Brussels Sprout

Meath destroy Wexford:

https://twitter.com/MeathGAA/status/1670107307793850368

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120727316#Comment_120727316

Have they a bye to the final, do they not have to play the semi final first?

Fair play to them! Official Twitter person in Meath well informed!

legendary.xix

Meath 2-23 Wexford 0-12

Meath join Laois in the Croke Park semi-finals. A statement win for Meath.

Brussels Sprout

Down 2 up against Cavan at half-time in the final game today:

https://twitter.com/OfficialDownGAA/status/1670112020643954690

Brussels Sprout

Anyone know if the semi-final draw will be entirely open? Cavan were in the same group as Laois and Down were in the same group as Meath.

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120727428#Comment_120727428

Repeat pairings are to be avoided where possible.