2024 Provincial Football Championships draw.

blowitupref

Ulster Draw

Prem round

Monaghan v Cavan

Quarter finals

Tyrone v Monaghan/Cavan

Down v Antrim

Fermanagh v Armagh

Derry v Donegal

Last tie very interesting with the managers in charge now.

Semi finals

Down/Antrim v Fermanagh/Armagh

Derry/Donegal v Cavan/Monaghan/Tyrone

Armagh will be favourites to reach another Ulster final.

Munster draw

Quarter finals

Tipperary v Waterford

Limerick v Cork

Semi finals

Clare v Waterford/Tipp

Kerry v Limerick/Cork

A repeat of this years Kerry v Clare final looks likely

Leinster draw

Round 1

Westmeath v Wicklow

Carlow v Wexford

Longford v Meath

Quarter finals

Kildare v Westmeath/Wicklow

Louth v Carlow/Wexford

Dublin v Longford/Meath

Offaly v Laois

Semi finals

Kildare/Westmeath/Wicklow v Louth/Carlow/Wexford

Dublin/Longford/Meath v Offaly/Laois

Connacht

Quarter finals

Sligo v Leitrim

New York v Mayo

London v Galway

Semi finals

Roscommon v New York/Mayo

Sligo/Leitrim v London/Galway

An Ciarraioch

As with last year, the main point of interest will be which counties will qualify for the All-Ireland series - Meath are secure as Tailteann Cup winners, and all the D1 counties will either be provincial finalists or one of the seven highest League placers. So, in terms of teams from the third tier or lower who'll make it, you're almost certainly looking at Clare (as mentioned), and Down appear best placed to cause an upset. Hard to see any surprise contenders in Leinster or Connacht, though Westmeath are always tricky opponents.

CrabRevolution

I'm glad we didn't get another draw guaranteeing a Div 3/4 team in a provincial final and hence the AI Group Stages.

Not for any sporting reason, I was just sick this year of having to explain and see it explained why it looked there was a team missing from the league allocation. Made doubly worse by the fact I'm from Meath, who were fighting for those marginal spots in Division 2....

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121317820#Comment_121317820

Well Clare are a Division 3 team and they will have to beat a Division 4 county to qualify for the Munster final.

The Leinster CEO and the Connacht CEO want an incentive for counties winning the provincial championships. Their suggestion is provincial winner going straight to the quarter-finals. Seems a backward step. Is there a fairer way of rewarding provincial success?

Provincial winners could be rewarded with 3 home games in the group stage. All other counties with 1 home game.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121662493#Comment_121662493

Their suggestion is provincial winner going straight to the quarter-finals. Seems a backward step. Is there a fairer way of rewarding provincial success?

It's an interesting idea.

One thing that emerged from the first year of this system was that there were too many games to eliminate too few counties.

If you put the provincial winner straight through then you could have four groups of three made up of the rest to determine who joins them.

With the group winners going through.

You would reduce the group games from 24 down to 12.

So where you had 24 games to eliminate a mere 4 teams , you would now have 12 to eliminate 8.

Obviously the issue is that it gives the "unfair" provincial championship more influence compared to the current structure where the provincial championships have the least influence they ever had.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121662493#Comment_121662493

The entire reason for group stages was provincial winners complaining they have no back door and can only lose once.

It's such a backward step I can't believe anyone actually said it out loud.

I know no other sport fuks about with formats as regularly as the GAA.

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121663089#Comment_121663089

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121665602#Comment_121665602

Galway and Kerry both had at least another game after a group stage defeat. It would seem a backward step for provincial winners to be eliminated after 1 loss.

Within the timescale, I can only see rewarding provincial winners with 3 home games as a solution. Provincial winners would effectively be hosting a group each, with all other teams between themselves having 1 home game each.

In a group of 3, all teams would have 1 game anyway. If the provincial winners are in the group, that doesn't change and provincial winners have a reward of 3 home games.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121666767#Comment_121666767

Home advantage is sometimes not that big a deal in football.

Mayo are very inconsistent at home and playing at home gives them little or no advantage.

They were only delighted to move a Connacht final to Croke Park a few years ago.

Even though Kerry had a long streak of not losing in Killarney they fare just as well in other grounds, especially CP.

Ulster teams rearly play big championship matches at home, they usually go to Clones or other neutral venues.

And think of all the giving out about Dublin not having to ever go on the road (assuming they are Leinster champions).

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121666767#Comment_121666767

Could also do away with the neutral venue game and give that to the provincial champions.

Or just admit the provincial championships are unfair bollix and leave it as it is. Why should the Munster champions get the same reward as Ulster for instance.

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121667052#Comment_121667052

I think Killarney would welcome hosting 3 All-Ireland games. I take your point but it would seem still be a clear reward for winning a provincial title.

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121667065#Comment_121667065

You could reward the provincial winner the neutral home advantage alright but then one other county is being handed another away game. The cleanest way is 3 home games for the provincial winner and 1 home game for everyone else. Example:

Galway v Tyrone, Westmeath v Armagh.

Galway v Westmeath, Armagh v Tyrone.

Galway v Armagh, Tyrone v Westmeath.