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Replying To legendzxix: "If Congress agreed to separate provincials from the All Ireland:
1. League over 6 rounds only.
2. Complete provincial championships over 5 weekends.
3. All Ireland in 4 groups of 5. Tailteann in 2 groups of 6.
Until separating the provincials from the All Ireland is a realistic prospect...
2 qualifying rounds to reduce 24 non finalists to the 7 or 8 league qualifiers is the way forward." Or, my AILC? :)
omahant (USA) - Posts: 3409 - 04/05/2026 15:26:16
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Im not sure what you mean but if you mean the following- the 8 teams qualifying for all ireland that are not in a provincial final play first, the losers of provincial finals join next followed by the winners then ( im not sure what it would look like) yes it could work in that manner. That, with seeded provincial championships,, would address most concerns. Im not sure its possible in a double elimination system like we now have though. The round robin definitely couldn't happen though. ." Sorry. I can see your confusion, I meant playing the league and Provincials in parallel would be better for both.
There would be fewer teams effectively already qualified ahead of their Provincial championship.
It'd be better for scheduling with it avoiding gaps between teams playing.
Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4660 - 04/05/2026 17:07:13
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Replying To Whammo86: "Sorry. I can see your confusion, I meant playing the league and Provincials in parallel would be better for both.
There would be fewer teams effectively already qualified ahead of their Provincial championship.
It'd be better for scheduling with it avoiding gaps between teams playing." Id have tp see how it would work but I can see the teams themselves being against it tbh. GF is a very physical and athletic sport. There is very little reward given its amateur status. The big one is winning and especially winning championship matches. Playing league matches in between or vice versa depending on your point of view is an unnecessary distraction and I dont think they would welcome that.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 344 - 04/05/2026 17:36:32
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Id have tp see how it would work but I can see the teams themselves being against it tbh. GF is a very physical and athletic sport. There is very little reward given its amateur status. The big one is winning and especially winning championship matches. Playing league matches in between or vice versa depending on your point of view is an unnecessary distraction and I dont think they would welcome that." Play the provincials in February and March, let them have their own status, be competitions to win in their own right without other distractions and give time for the winners to celebrate without a big potentially season defining game looming. Then league running into championship, no parallel competitions.
Yes they be may be dimished in some eyes but it will be better than the current situation as of today. There are now 4 provincial finals to be played and a lot of the teams have one eye on their first round draw and will play accordingly. The Munster final could be a farce, not that the Munster 'championship' isn't a facre anyway, but at least Kerry and Cork games used to be an occassion and the winners would have time to celebrate.
As I said in earlier post if the GAA are serious about a league and championship structure that is as fair as possible and has teams playing championship at the correct level then shoehorning the provincials into the middle of the season doesn't work.
JimB1991 (Donegal) - Posts: 165 - 05/05/2026 00:49:24
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If provincials have to stay, then you make then stay by another route.
Alternate years - mix Munster with Ulster and Connacht/Leinster - then Munster/Leinster and Ulster Connacht - moving London to Ulster permanently.
Each group will have 15/16 teams
Take Ulster/Munster
Prelim Round
a. Munster 3 (Clare) v Munster 6 (Waterford)
b. Munster 4 (Limerick) v Munster 5 (Tipp)
c. Ulster 7 (Down) v Ulster 10 (London)
d. Ulster 8 (Fermanagh) v Ulster 9 (Antrim)
Rd 1
1. Munster 1 (Kerry) v b
2. Munster 2 (Cork) v a
3. Ulster 3 (Monaghan) v Ulster 6 (Cavan)
4. Ulster 2 (Armagh) v c
5. Ulster 4 (Derry) v Ulster 5 (Tyrone)
6. Ulster 1 (Donegal) v d
Rd 3
a. 1 v 2
b. 3 v 4
c. 5 v 6
Semi finals
1. a v b
2. c bye
Final
1 v 2
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1791 - 05/05/2026 09:29:18
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Id have tp see how it would work but I can see the teams themselves being against it tbh. GF is a very physical and athletic sport. There is very little reward given its amateur status. The big one is winning and especially winning championship matches. Playing league matches in between or vice versa depending on your point of view is an unnecessary distraction and I dont think they would welcome that." Has anyone ever asked them?
Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 528 - 05/05/2026 09:32:12
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Replying To Seanfan: "Has anyone ever asked them?" Probably not but id doubt if they have given it much thought either. In my experience, albeit at a much lower level, you take your season/ fixture list and build your program around that. That would include prioritising the matches that matter most and working towards peaking for them. Games that are of no material significance to your overall goal that are scheduled in between the games that are would be a nuisance. It would, imo, lead to weak team selection/ significant squad rotation and a campaign to move those fixtures to an area of the season calender that doesnt interfere with the priority competition.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 344 - 05/05/2026 10:45:50
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Probably not but id doubt if they have given it much thought either. In my experience, albeit at a much lower level, you take your season/ fixture list and build your program around that. That would include prioritising the matches that matter most and working towards peaking for them. Games that are of no material significance to your overall goal that are scheduled in between the games that are would be a nuisance. It would, imo, lead to weak team selection/ significant squad rotation and a campaign to move those fixtures to an area of the season calender that doesnt interfere with the priority competition." The league is as important as the Provincials for determining the All Ireland make up though.
They are far from distraction.
I think the history of the Provincials is clouding your perception of where they actually stand in the game in the present.
Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4660 - 05/05/2026 16:59:54
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Replying To JimB1991: "Play the provincials in February and March, let them have their own status, be competitions to win in their own right without other distractions and give time for the winners to celebrate without a big potentially season defining game looming. Then league running into championship, no parallel competitions.
Yes they be may be dimished in some eyes but it will be better than the current situation as of today. There are now 4 provincial finals to be played and a lot of the teams have one eye on their first round draw and will play accordingly. The Munster final could be a farce, not that the Munster 'championship' isn't a facre anyway, but at least Kerry and Cork games used to be an occassion and the winners would have time to celebrate.
As I said in earlier post if the GAA are serious about a league and championship structure that is as fair as possible and has teams playing championship at the correct level then shoehorning the provincials into the middle of the season doesn't work." Scrap the National League, and convert the Provincial Championships into a Provincial league format, with Finals?
The top 4 from each Province progress to the All Ireland series (16 teams).
-- The Provincial winners getting Automatic All Ireland Quarter final places.
-- The 3rd and 4th place go into All Ireland knockout round 1, play other losing 3rd and 4th placed teams.
-- The Provincial runner up plays a winner of round 1 in the 2nd round, with 2nd round winner through to All Ireland Quarter final.
Anyone who doesn't make the All ireland series, is automatically in the Tailteann cup, with the exception of the bottom 2 in each Province, who maybe go into a 3rd tier Championship.
Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1818 - 05/05/2026 22:53:42
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I was suggesting a return of qualifying rounds for 23 or 24 non finalists playing off for 7 or 8 league qualifier spots. With Kildare qualifying as Tailteann winners outside of the 8 finalists, an illustration of this year would be 23 non finalists playing off for 7 league qualifier spots:
QUALIFIER ROUND 1
(5 byes. 6 to 14 drawn against 15 to 23. Coin toss for home advantage.)
Donegal bye
Mayo bye
Meath bye
Louth bye
Derry bye
Tyrone v Longford
Cavan v Limerick
Down v Fermanagh
Wexford v Wicklow
Offaly v Antrim
Laois v Tipperary
Sligo v London
Clare v Leitrim
Carlow v Waterford
QUALIFIER ROUND 2
(1 to 7 drawn against 8 to 14. Coin toss for home advantage.)
Donegal v Wexford/Wicklow
Mayo v Down/Fermanagh
Meath Offaly/Antrim
Louth Laois/Tipperary
Derry v Sligo/London
Tyrone/Longford v Clare/Leitrim
Cavan/Limerick v Carlow/Waterford
Some qualifier matches would be tricky. Other qualifier matches would be more predictable. It would add a bit of jeopardy for all however for not automatically qualifying through their respective provinces.
legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9709 - 06/05/2026 13:30:49
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Replying To JimB1991: "Play the provincials in February and March, let them have their own status, be competitions to win in their own right without other distractions and give time for the winners to celebrate without a big potentially season defining game looming. Then league running into championship, no parallel competitions.
Yes they be may be dimished in some eyes but it will be better than the current situation as of today. There are now 4 provincial finals to be played and a lot of the teams have one eye on their first round draw and will play accordingly. The Munster final could be a farce, not that the Munster 'championship' isn't a facre anyway, but at least Kerry and Cork games used to be an occassion and the winners would have time to celebrate.
As I said in earlier post if the GAA are serious about a league and championship structure that is as fair as possible and has teams playing championship at the correct level then shoehorning the provincials into the middle of the season doesn't work." Unless....you go with my AILC!
omahant (USA) - Posts: 3409 - 06/05/2026 13:32:18
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Replying To Commodore: "Scrap the National League, and convert the Provincial Championships into a Provincial league format, with Finals?
The top 4 from each Province progress to the All Ireland series (16 teams).
-- The Provincial winners getting Automatic All Ireland Quarter final places.
-- The 3rd and 4th place go into All Ireland knockout round 1, play other losing 3rd and 4th placed teams.
-- The Provincial runner up plays a winner of round 1 in the 2nd round, with 2nd round winner through to All Ireland Quarter final.
Anyone who doesn't make the All ireland series, is automatically in the Tailteann cup, with the exception of the bottom 2 in each Province, who maybe go into a 3rd tier Championship." This is not good.
One of the key themes is that the Provincials are imbalanced. Why would we want them at the heart of the championship.
Get the National championship format right first. Nationally organised.
See if Provincial champions can be accommodated.
Everything else should be secondary.
Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4660 - 06/05/2026 14:02:40
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If not my AILC, then I'd go with:
- 3-tier league of 10-12-10
- Each tier split into 2 groups, A & B of 5-6-5
- Tier 2 'straddles' tiers 1&3 with inter-tier matches only
- Each team plays a 10-match league/regular season
- Schedule has 1Av1A; 1Av2A; 2Av3A; 3Av3A;
1Bv1B; 1Bv2B; 2Bv3B; & 3Bv3B
- AIC KO1 (8 teams = top 3 in 1A&1B & top 1 in 2A&2B);
AIC KO2 (*12 teams =other 2 in 1A&1B & mid 4 in 2A&2B);
AIC KO3 (8 teams = other 1 in 2A&2B & top 3 in 3A&3B)
*Byes to 1A/1B 4ths & 2A/2B 2nds
- AIC KO2 Finalists join all AIC KO1 in next Tier 1 league
- AIC KO3 Finalists join all other AIC KO2 in next Tier 2
- Other 10 teams to next Tier 3 league
- Variable promotion & relegation, based on AIC KO above
- Do as you wish with Prov SFCs
- Next league schedule refreshed (play inter-group instead, i.e. AvB in alternate 'even' years, with Tier 1 & Tier 3 teams avoiding 1 intra-tier, inter-group opponent, of similar rank)
omahant (USA) - Posts: 3409 - 06/05/2026 14:50:31
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