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Group 1: Ulster winner (Armagh/Donegal), Mayo, Tyrone, Cavan.
Group 2: Kerry, Leinster runner up (Meath/Louth), Roscommon, Cork.
Group 3: Leinster winner (Meath/Louth), Clare, Monaghan, Down.
Group 4: Galway, Ulster runner up (Armagh/Donegal), Dublin, Derry.
Confirmed Round 1 fixtures May 17th/18th:
Mayo v Cavan
Kerry v Roscommon
Clare v Down
Galway v Dublin
The remaining Round 1 fixtures will be played the weekend after. Group winners go direct to quarter finals. Last placed teams are eliminated. 2nd and 3rd contest preliminary quarter finals. Last year of this controversial format of 3 from 4 advancing from the group and the strongly perceived lack of jeopardy.
I think all groups will have a battle to avoid elimination this year. Clare v Down will probably go a long way to deciding elimination from Group 3. The lowest two counties based on league will go head to head.
legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8769 - 05/05/2025 10:00:44
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Just an observation from the last few years.
The group winners get a massive advantage as they end up in a qfinal fresh, after they teams in the prelim q finals have had to play hard three weeks in a row.
If I am coaching a county team, I'm thinking, get to the finals fresh, regardless of how you get there.
If I'm one of the tough groups, I'm thinking get your points early in the first two matches and rest your team for the final match.
You'll have a high probability of a relatively winnable prelim game against a team from the two weaker groups to tune you up for the final
If you go full throttle in the groups, you could well be punch drunk by the end of the groups and run out of steam by q finals.
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1360 - 06/05/2025 06:50:48
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Can anybody explain why the time clock was stopped at 64 minutes 38 seconds as play went on in the Connacht Final on Sunday? Anyone with the match recorded can check it. It went on for 1 minute and 20 secs. A bit unusual as it gave the chasing team extra time to try and rescue the game.
conordee (Galway) - Posts: 453 - 06/05/2025 08:55:00
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After the matches in each group the winners go to ghe quarter finals. Then there's a playoff off between the second placed teams and the third placed teams for the last spot in the quarter finals. Here is my question?
In group one for example does the second placed team play the third placed team from group one or is it the third placed team from another group like group 3?
border Gael (Monaghan) - Posts: 908 - 06/05/2025 09:09:39
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Replying To border Gael: "After the matches in each group the winners go to ghe quarter finals. Then there's a playoff off between the second placed teams and the third placed teams for the last spot in the quarter finals. Here is my question?
In group one for example does the second placed team play the third placed team from group one or is it the third placed team from another group like group 3?" Yes correct Preliminary Quarter Final is seeded ie 2nd in Group 1 v 3rd in Group 4. This much controversial structure will make way for a familiar back door system in 2026.
francie81 (Louth) - Posts: 232 - 06/05/2025 10:12:39
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Replying To francie81: "Yes correct Preliminary Quarter Final is seeded ie 2nd in Group 1 v 3rd in Group 4. This much controversial structure will make way for a familiar back door system in 2026." Is it not a draw for PQF, Qf and semis?
Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2284 - 06/05/2025 11:01:45
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Replying To francie81: "Yes correct Preliminary Quarter Final is seeded ie 2nd in Group 1 v 3rd in Group 4. This much controversial structure will make way for a familiar back door system in 2026." Thank you Francie. And is it group one verses group 4 for sure? I thought that before it was group one verses group 3 and group 2 verses group 4.?
border Gael (Monaghan) - Posts: 908 - 06/05/2025 11:01:54
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Replying To border Gael: "Thank you Francie. And is it group one verses group 4 for sure? I thought that before it was group one verses group 3 and group 2 verses group 4.?" Galway were second in Group 1 last year and played ye, 3rd group 4 in the prelim.
FullOfPorter (Roscommon) - Posts: 80 - 06/05/2025 11:44:03
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Group 1: Ulster winner, Mayo, Tyrone, Cavan
Group 2: Kerry, Leinster runner-up, Roscommon, Cork
Group 3: Leinster winner, Clare, Monaghan, Down
Group 4: Galway, Ulster runner-up, Dublin, Derry
If this plays out to form
Group 1:
Donegal
Mayo
Tyrone
Cavan
Group 2:
Kerry
Roscommon
Cork
Louth
Group 3:
Monaghan
Meath,
Down,
Clare,
Group 4:
Galway,
Armagh,
Dublin,
Derry
The draw for prelim q finals would be
Pot 1 - Mayo, Roscommon, Meath, Armagh (Home teams)
Pot 2 - Tyrone, Cork, Down, Dublin
in that scenario, Mayo could only get Cork, Down or Dublin, Armagh could only get Tyrone, Cork or Down.
The toughest draw of the lot is Galway - home to Dublin, Away to Derry and either Donegal in Breffni park or Armagh in the Hyde (or Maybe even Croker).
lose one they are in a prelim q final
9 matches v div1 teams in 14 weeks to win an All Ireland - there has never been as hard a route to an All Ireland.
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1360 - 06/05/2025 12:21:18
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Over 27,000 people enjoyed an absolutely rip roaring contest in the Connacht Final in Castlebar on Sunday. Nobody has the right to end our provincial championships. Nobody. There's too much history and rivalry and banter and craic and brilliant sport and joy. Munster and Leinster GAA can get their houses in order and change is happening in Leinster at least, with a Louth v Meath final.
Let's leave the brilliant Connacht and Ulster championships right where they are, the others too, thank you very much. We're not the owners of this tradition, we're only its stewards. To see the emotion on that pitch in Castlebar immediately after the match on Sunday, from 5 year olds to 90 year olds, it shows exactly what a provincial title still means. 'To break a tradition is easy; to understand its weight is not.'
togoutlads (Galway) - Posts: 1047 - 06/05/2025 12:36:33
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "Group 1: Ulster winner, Mayo, Tyrone, Cavan
Group 2: Kerry, Leinster runner-up, Roscommon, Cork
Group 3: Leinster winner, Clare, Monaghan, Down
Group 4: Galway, Ulster runner-up, Dublin, Derry
If this plays out to form
Group 1:
Donegal
Mayo
Tyrone
Cavan
Group 2:
Kerry
Roscommon
Cork
Louth
Group 3:
Monaghan
Meath,
Down,
Clare,
Group 4:
Galway,
Armagh,
Dublin,
Derry
The draw for prelim q finals would be
Pot 1 - Mayo, Roscommon, Meath, Armagh (Home teams)
Pot 2 - Tyrone, Cork, Down, Dublin
in that scenario, Mayo could only get Cork, Down or Dublin, Armagh could only get Tyrone, Cork or Down.
The toughest draw of the lot is Galway - home to Dublin, Away to Derry and either Donegal in Breffni park or Armagh in the Hyde (or Maybe even Croker).
lose one they are in a prelim q final
9 matches v div1 teams in 14 weeks to win an All Ireland - there has never been as hard a route to an All Ireland." On current form Galway will beat Dublin and Derry. Their tougher games will keep them on their toes and stand to them. Kerry don't look like they'll be tested before the quarter final.
GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7949 - 06/05/2025 13:11:24
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Replying To togoutlads: "Over 27,000 people enjoyed an absolutely rip roaring contest in the Connacht Final in Castlebar on Sunday. Nobody has the right to end our provincial championships. Nobody. There's too much history and rivalry and banter and craic and brilliant sport and joy. Munster and Leinster GAA can get their houses in order and change is happening in Leinster at least, with a Louth v Meath final.
Let's leave the brilliant Connacht and Ulster championships right where they are, the others too, thank you very much. We're not the owners of this tradition, we're only its stewards. To see the emotion on that pitch in Castlebar immediately after the match on Sunday, from 5 year olds to 90 year olds, it shows exactly what a provincial title still means. 'To break a tradition is easy; to understand its weight is not.'" Absolutely, that must of being one of the best Connacht Finals recent times and was testament of what the Championship is all about as you pointed out, to even consider the possibility of removing the provincials would be lunacy and should be met with resistance.
francie81 (Louth) - Posts: 232 - 06/05/2025 13:22:01
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Replying To border Gael: "Thank you Francie. And is it group one verses group 4 for sure? I thought that before it was group one verses group 3 and group 2 verses group 4.?" Last year there was an open draw for the preliminary quarter finals, 4 second place teams in bowl 1 drawn against 4 third place teams in bowl 2.
Open draw again for the quarter finals last year.
Pretty sure it's the same this year.
sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 879 - 06/05/2025 13:26:29
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