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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Ok but this isnt a " Cup " competition in the traditional sense. This is the core competition of our intercounty season. I know Sam is the no1 but if this is the competition you are in then its the main one for you to win. The FA Cup , for example, has always been the secondary competition to win in English football so luck of the draw applies/is tolerated.playing away every round would never be tolerated in the PL or the EFL championship. While its not exactly a like for like comparison I hope you get what I mean.
The other point to make is this. Treating both competitions the same is counter productive to the aim and goal of the Tailteann Cup. It is a 2nd tier competition designed to give competitive championship games to tier 2 counties through the summer and give them a shot at CP glory and a title. It doesnt have to deal with tv schedules etc and media scrutiny like the Sam competition. Therefore it doesnt have to mirror the Sam format. It could have stayed as it was and guarenteed 3 games with one at home. The reasons for the change just dont apply or contradict the premise of the tailteann Cup imo." The FA Cup wasnt always the secondary competition. It gradually headed that way, and the Premier League was the final nail in that coffin.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19740 - 20/05/2026 10:37:47
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Replying To LosDodgers: "It's a pretty well known fact that playing at home gives a team a better chance of winning - hence the whole "Home advantage" saying! Being more familiar with the surroundings, different shooting angles into certain posts etc. especially for teams that may very rarely play at a certain venue." Agree
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19740 - 20/05/2026 10:38:27
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Replying To LosDodgers: "Real issue with TC this year is the placement of New York in a prelim quarter final…seems ridiculous.
Firstly a team who have won both games get punished by losing their week off and play an extra game (albeit. Shame they should win) but if players pick up injuries and don't get same rest etc.
If New York must be included why not have them play a preliminary round game - perhaps against the lowest ranking league team? In this years case Waterford…would give both teams a realistic chance of a victory and a boost to their season." It's a bit of an anomaly in how they'll play a Round 2A winner all right (i.e. a team that's already won their two opening matches), but just to point out that New York have always been dropped into the competition at the preliminary quarter-final stage.
As regards why not putting them in at a preliminary round stage against somebody like Waterford instead - maybe it's the cynic in me, but might be a case of "there'd be too much chance of them (New York) winning it". And that would lead to at least two further transatlantic trips, with all the expense and logistics involved.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3686 - 20/05/2026 10:41:07
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Ok but this isnt a " Cup " competition in the traditional sense. This is the core competition of our intercounty season. I know Sam is the no1 but if this is the competition you are in then its the main one for you to win. The FA Cup , for example, has always been the secondary competition to win in English football so luck of the draw applies/is tolerated.playing away every round would never be tolerated in the PL or the EFL championship. While its not exactly a like for like comparison I hope you get what I mean.
The other point to make is this. Treating both competitions the same is counter productive to the aim and goal of the Tailteann Cup. It is a 2nd tier competition designed to give competitive championship games to tier 2 counties through the summer and give them a shot at CP glory and a title. It doesnt have to deal with tv schedules etc and media scrutiny like the Sam competition. Therefore it doesnt have to mirror the Sam format. It could have stayed as it was and guarenteed 3 games with one at home. The reasons for the change just dont apply or contradict the premise of the tailteann Cup imo." 100% agree.
Longford's season ends before the end of May.
Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 570 - 20/05/2026 11:14:31
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Replying To Pikeman96: "It's a bit of an anomaly in how they'll play a Round 2A winner all right (i.e. a team that's already won their two opening matches), but just to point out that New York have always been dropped into the competition at the preliminary quarter-final stage.
As regards why not putting them in at a preliminary round stage against somebody like Waterford instead - maybe it's the cynic in me, but might be a case of "there'd be too much chance of them (New York) winning it". And that would lead to at least two further transatlantic trips, with all the expense and logistics involved." In previous years though they took the place of the worst 3rd place team…don't didn't really effect the competition…now a team will get punished for winning 2 games! Seems mad to me!
You could be right though about not really wanting them to win and the potential headache that can cause! But if that is the case then why are they allowed in the competition to start with!
Personally just have the All Ireland Champions go out and play them either as a holiday/celebration game or to kick off the following years championship. All Irelands champs get a holiday/fundraising trip etc and NY get to welcome in the superstars of the game.
It should be added that NY already compete in the Junior All Ireland with their American born players
LosDodgers (USA) - Posts: 26 - 20/05/2026 15:14:30
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The idea of the Tailteann cup was to give more game time to weaker counties who season finished in May/June while All ireland contenders were finishing in August/September - and creating a performance gap which got worse every year - as players training and playing for 3-4 months more every year had a huge advantage.
By having a leagues system for the tailteann cup, the weaker counties were getting the same season as the stronger counties. The extra playing time and training time was designed to bring them on closer to the top teams.
The teams that have won it Down, Westmeath and Meath have all come on significantly and are contenders for provincial honours. But 2 of those 3 have a significant tradition in Gaelic football anyway and would have likely got their act together at some point.
How much its doing for Div 4 teams and Fermanagh, Sligo, Clare etc is arguable.
One thing for certain is that having 4 tailteann cup teams parked up at the end of May, while Kerry/Armagh et all go on for another 6 weeks wont bring them closer to the standard needed to compete.
The argument for a 3rd tier competition for 8-10 counties that keeps half them going into July is very strong.
Wexford have the longest club championship in the country, they love to get the county stuff out of the way good and early. They naturally voted to get rid of a group stage.
tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1828 - 20/05/2026 16:14:17
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "The idea of the Tailteann cup was to give more game time to weaker counties who season finished in May/June while All ireland contenders were finishing in August/September - and creating a performance gap which got worse every year - as players training and playing for 3-4 months more every year had a huge advantage.
By having a leagues system for the tailteann cup, the weaker counties were getting the same season as the stronger counties. The extra playing time and training time was designed to bring them on closer to the top teams.
The teams that have won it Down, Westmeath and Meath have all come on significantly and are contenders for provincial honours. But 2 of those 3 have a significant tradition in Gaelic football anyway and would have likely got their act together at some point.
How much its doing for Div 4 teams and Fermanagh, Sligo, Clare etc is arguable.
One thing for certain is that having 4 tailteann cup teams parked up at the end of May, while Kerry/Armagh et all go on for another 6 weeks wont bring them closer to the standard needed to compete.
The argument for a 3rd tier competition for 8-10 counties that keeps half them going into July is very strong.
Wexford have the longest club championship in the country, they love to get the county stuff out of the way good and early. They naturally voted to get rid of a group stage." We are a proper GAA county. Every child and adult gets the opportunity to play Football and Hurling, most of them with their own local club in the parish they are from. Likewise nearly all adults. We had the 1st roofed handball alley in the country outside of Croke Park, which is still being used to this day in the village. Most parishes here have had at least one for years at this stage. All our National School children get to play rounders.
So of course we have a long club championship. Isn't club, and parish, the most important aspect of GAA life?
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19740 - 20/05/2026 17:32:37
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Replying To tirawleybaron: "The idea of the Tailteann cup was to give more game time to weaker counties who season finished in May/June while All ireland contenders were finishing in August/September - and creating a performance gap which got worse every year - as players training and playing for 3-4 months more every year had a huge advantage.
By having a leagues system for the tailteann cup, the weaker counties were getting the same season as the stronger counties. The extra playing time and training time was designed to bring them on closer to the top teams.
The teams that have won it Down, Westmeath and Meath have all come on significantly and are contenders for provincial honours. But 2 of those 3 have a significant tradition in Gaelic football anyway and would have likely got their act together at some point.
How much its doing for Div 4 teams and Fermanagh, Sligo, Clare etc is arguable.
One thing for certain is that having 4 tailteann cup teams parked up at the end of May, while Kerry/Armagh et all go on for another 6 weeks wont bring them closer to the standard needed to compete.
The argument for a 3rd tier competition for 8-10 counties that keeps half them going into July is very strong.
Wexford have the longest club championship in the country, they love to get the county stuff out of the way good and early. They naturally voted to get rid of a group stage." Your post is just plain wrong or at least downright spurious in so many places that it's laughable.
First, the claim that "The idea of the Tailteann cup was to give more game time to weaker counties who season finished in May/June while All Ireland contenders were finishing in August/September" -
The Tailteann Cup was introduced in 2022, with a July final each year it's been held. In each of those years, the All-Ireland Final (i.e. Sam Maguire Cup) has also been in July. Clearly not the case that All-Ireland contenders were finishing in August/September.
Funniest of all is how you include Clare in the list of counties where you ask what the Tailteann Cup has done for them.
Granted, it's fair to say that the Tailteann Cup has done nothing for Clare so far. But that's because they were actually in the Sam Maguire every year from 2022 to 2025! This year was their first year to even be in the Tailteann.
Or where you ask what it's done for Div. 4 counties or e.g. Fermanagh and Sligo. What has being in the Sam Maguire done for all the perennial runners-up there, who are still as far away from being All-Ireland champions as they ever were?
Or about four Tailteann Cup being parked up early. There'll also be four Sam Maguire teams parked up six weeks before the championship is completed. Somebody has to go out early. That's the way in every knockout stage of every competition in every sport.
Finally, your sly dig at how of course Wexford would be in favour of the restructure so that we could run our club championships instead.
The vote at Congress to get rid of the group stages in the Sam Maguire & Tailteann Cup was 92.8% of delegates in favour. They weren't all from Wexford, you know. Just about every other county voted the same way. Chances are high that Mayo was one of them. What were your reasons?
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3686 - 20/05/2026 23:45:17
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Replying To Pikeman96: "Your post is just plain wrong or at least downright spurious in so many places that it's laughable.
First, the claim that "The idea of the Tailteann cup was to give more game time to weaker counties who season finished in May/June while All Ireland contenders were finishing in August/September" -
The Tailteann Cup was introduced in 2022, with a July final each year it's been held. In each of those years, the All-Ireland Final (i.e. Sam Maguire Cup) has also been in July. Clearly not the case that All-Ireland contenders were finishing in August/September.
Funniest of all is how you include Clare in the list of counties where you ask what the Tailteann Cup has done for them.
Granted, it's fair to say that the Tailteann Cup has done nothing for Clare so far. But that's because they were actually in the Sam Maguire every year from 2022 to 2025! This year was their first year to even be in the Tailteann.
Or where you ask what it's done for Div. 4 counties or e.g. Fermanagh and Sligo. What has being in the Sam Maguire done for all the perennial runners-up there, who are still as far away from being All-Ireland champions as they ever were?
Or about four Tailteann Cup being parked up early. There'll also be four Sam Maguire teams parked up six weeks before the championship is completed. Somebody has to go out early. That's the way in every knockout stage of every competition in every sport.
Finally, your sly dig at how of course Wexford would be in favour of the restructure so that we could run our club championships instead.
The vote at Congress to get rid of the group stages in the Sam Maguire & Tailteann Cup was 92.8% of delegates in favour. They weren't all from Wexford, you know. Just about every other county voted the same way. Chances are high that Mayo was one of them. What were your reasons?" Well said pikeman.
Magpie2 (Wexford) - Posts: 688 - 22/05/2026 13:01:31
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