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Beannachtaí an tséasúir daoibh. One of the changes made to the championships for 2026 was to scrap the group stages for the All-Ireland series and make the first couple of rounds into a challenge to win two games before you lose two games, if that makes sense. Anyway. One of the reasons for this was the lack of jeopardy in the system that prevailed until now; you could fall over the line with one point after three games and find yourself still in the championship.
But they've installed the same new format into the 2026 Tailteann Cup as well. I think they should have left it alone. Here's why:
1. With the group stage, you got a minimum of three games. One of the things about the Tailteann Cup was a guaranteed amount of competitive games rather than the usual thrashing at the hands of Div 1 or 2 teams. Reducing it to two games is no good.
2. There was plenty of jeopardy in only finishing in third place in the group stages of the Tailteann Cup; only three third-place teams qualified! Last year Leitrim got the bogey prize, but they kept Antrim honest in their game against London, with Leitrim briefly placing ahead of them in the rankings for a couple of minutes in the second half of a strong showing against Tipperary, before Antrim got their shooting boots on and got a big enough win against London. Waterford and Tipperary missed out the other two years.
I think they should have left it alone. One more point: New York still make an appearance, and that's fine. They come in when there's eight home-based teams left, and they play one of the round 2A winners - those are the teams that have played two games and won them both. But wouldn't it have made more sense to get them to play one of the other teams? It's hardly a reward for a P2 W2 record that you have to play an extra game. (Although I will concede that it's a home game for the 2A winner (but not for London) on the same weekend as the Round 3 games so it's probably that way to save time, and it takes place two weeks after their last game, whereas the other 2A teams will have a three-week gap between their last game and the quarter finals. I've only just looked that up.)
Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1243 - 08/12/2025 14:49:19
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Replying To Tacaí Liatroma: "Beannachtaí an tséasúir daoibh. One of the changes made to the championships for 2026 was to scrap the group stages for the All-Ireland series and make the first couple of rounds into a challenge to win two games before you lose two games, if that makes sense. Anyway. One of the reasons for this was the lack of jeopardy in the system that prevailed until now; you could fall over the line with one point after three games and find yourself still in the championship.
But they've installed the same new format into the 2026 Tailteann Cup as well. I think they should have left it alone. Here's why:
1. With the group stage, you got a minimum of three games. One of the things about the Tailteann Cup was a guaranteed amount of competitive games rather than the usual thrashing at the hands of Div 1 or 2 teams. Reducing it to two games is no good.
2. There was plenty of jeopardy in only finishing in third place in the group stages of the Tailteann Cup; only three third-place teams qualified! Last year Leitrim got the bogey prize, but they kept Antrim honest in their game against London, with Leitrim briefly placing ahead of them in the rankings for a couple of minutes in the second half of a strong showing against Tipperary, before Antrim got their shooting boots on and got a big enough win against London. Waterford and Tipperary missed out the other two years.
I think they should have left it alone. One more point: New York still make an appearance, and that's fine. They come in when there's eight home-based teams left, and they play one of the round 2A winners - those are the teams that have played two games and won them both. But wouldn't it have made more sense to get them to play one of the other teams? It's hardly a reward for a P2 W2 record that you have to play an extra game. (Although I will concede that it's a home game for the 2A winner (but not for London) on the same weekend as the Round 3 games so it's probably that way to save time, and it takes place two weeks after their last game, whereas the other 2A teams will have a three-week gap between their last game and the quarter finals. I've only just looked that up.)" Fully agree with this for the two reasons you gave, especially 2.
The change being made is right for the Sam Maguire championship but the TC teams especially need more summer games not less.
Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1710 - 08/12/2025 18:01:02
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The teacup should be scrapped
alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 159 - 08/12/2025 21:47:50
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Replying To alalalalalum: "The teacup should be scrapped" Why?
Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1243 - 09/12/2025 13:47:44
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Groups should have remaining in both competitions.
trimmer (Meath) - Posts: 569 - 09/12/2025 15:05:17
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Replying To Tacaí Liatroma: "Why?" An utter waste of time. Just have all teams compete in knockouts in the all Ireland proper
alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 159 - 09/12/2025 19:02:56
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Replying To alalalalalum: "An utter waste of time. Just have all teams compete in knockouts in the all Ireland proper" Are you a winder upper or just plain daft?
Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 270 - 09/12/2025 21:10:50
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Replying To alalalalalum: "An utter waste of time. Just have all teams compete in knockouts in the all Ireland proper" Spot on
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17750 - 09/12/2025 21:59:08
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Replying To alalalalalum: "An utter waste of time. Just have all teams compete in knockouts in the all Ireland proper" But where has that gotten us?
2010: Wexford 4-22 - 0-9 London
2010: Cork 1-19 - 0-4 Cavan
2013: Offaly 0-08 - 1-27 Tyrone
2013: Armagh 2-21 - 0-02 Wicklow
2013: Armagh 8-13 - 0-10 Leitrim
2014; Down 4-18 - 0-09 Leitrim
2015: Tipperary 3-21 - 0-07 Louth
2018: Waterford 0-09 - 5-21 Monaghan
And that's just in the qualifiers. None of those results are from the provincial championships, which contained {and still contain) more of the same.
Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1243 - 10/12/2025 07:26:46
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Replying To Viking66: "Spot on" More than that, it is a demeaning trophy. You aren't good enough to be in All Ireland knockouts so here is a meaningless cup for you to play in.
alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 159 - 10/12/2025 09:35:44
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Replying To Tacaí Liatroma: "But where has that gotten us?
2010: Wexford 4-22 - 0-9 London
2010: Cork 1-19 - 0-4 Cavan
2013: Offaly 0-08 - 1-27 Tyrone
2013: Armagh 2-21 - 0-02 Wicklow
2013: Armagh 8-13 - 0-10 Leitrim
2014; Down 4-18 - 0-09 Leitrim
2015: Tipperary 3-21 - 0-07 Louth
2018: Waterford 0-09 - 5-21 Monaghan
And that's just in the qualifiers. None of those results are from the provincial championships, which contained {and still contain) more of the same." And what about it...you don't see the FA cup format changed because some non league team is beaten 5-0 by a premier league side.
You can never tell what will happen on the day of a game, look at Longford beating Mayo in 2010 for example.
Days like that are now prevented by the powers that be because they think they have the best interest of Longford at heart. But they don't.
alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 159 - 10/12/2025 10:30:32
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Replying To alalalalalum: "More than that, it is a demeaning trophy. You aren't good enough to be in All Ireland knockouts so here is a meaningless cup for you to play in." Is an intermediate club championship title demeaning? Those clubs weren't good enough to be senior that year, but I've never seen a single intermediate champion say it was embarrassing for them to win it. Quite the opposite.
Clubs are graded because they're at different levels. Winning a junior or intermediate title for some clubs often means more to them than another club winning senior. The same makes sense at county level, given the disparity in standard.
WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2661 - 10/12/2025 10:55:44
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Replying To alalalalalum: "And what about it...you don't see the FA cup format changed because some non league team is beaten 5-0 by a premier league side.
You can never tell what will happen on the day of a game, look at Longford beating Mayo in 2010 for example.
Days like that are now prevented by the powers that be because they think they have the best interest of Longford at heart. But they don't." No, but when that non-league team is beaten 5-0 or even 10-0 by a Premier League team, they can still compete in another cup competition more suited to their own standing.
There's the Vertu Trophy for Leagues 1 & 2 (i.e. what used to be called 3rd Division & 4th Division). There's the FA Trophy for tiers 5 to 8. The FA Vase for tiers underneath that.
Every team in the country can enter the FA Cup in the hope of getting a crack at one of "the big boys", and when they're inevitably beaten somewhere along the way, they go back and compete in something else.
Just as every county here still sets out in the main championship at provincial level in the hope of a good run and maybe a surprise result against a "bigger" team. And then when they're beaten, they go compete in something else as well.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3303 - 10/12/2025 10:59:42
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Replying To alalalalalum: "And what about it...you don't see the FA cup format changed because some non league team is beaten 5-0 by a premier league side.
You can never tell what will happen on the day of a game, look at Longford beating Mayo in 2010 for example.
Days like that are now prevented by the powers that be because they think they have the best interest of Longford at heart. But they don't." "Powers that be" that is the GAA annual Congress and the votes of delegates from the Counties.
That trumps half eejits on internet forums
Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 270 - 10/12/2025 11:16:59
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Replying To WanPintWin: "Is an intermediate club championship title demeaning? Those clubs weren't good enough to be senior that year, but I've never seen a single intermediate champion say it was embarrassing for them to win it. Quite the opposite.
Clubs are graded because they're at different levels. Winning a junior or intermediate title for some clubs often means more to them than another club winning senior. The same makes sense at county level, given the disparity in standard." Well then it is preferable to call the secondary competition the intermediate all Ireland rather than this teacup nonsense
Of course an intermediate title isn't demeaning
alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 159 - 10/12/2025 12:47:48
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Replying To Pikeman96: "No, but when that non-league team is beaten 5-0 or even 10-0 by a Premier League team, they can still compete in another cup competition more suited to their own standing.
There's the Vertu Trophy for Leagues 1 & 2 (i.e. what used to be called 3rd Division & 4th Division). There's the FA Trophy for tiers 5 to 8. The FA Vase for tiers underneath that.
Every team in the country can enter the FA Cup in the hope of getting a crack at one of "the big boys", and when they're inevitably beaten somewhere along the way, they go back and compete in something else.
Just as every county here still sets out in the main championship at provincial level in the hope of a good run and maybe a surprise result against a "bigger" team. And then when they're beaten, they go compete in something else as well." Exactly, let the beaten teams play in an all Ireland qualifier and if they lose that also let them go into another competition...if they wish
alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 159 - 10/12/2025 12:48:52
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Replying To Seanfan: ""Powers that be" that is the GAA annual Congress and the votes of delegates from the Counties.
That trumps half eejits on internet forums" Hmm are you sure when you see some of the delegates that are voting?
alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 159 - 10/12/2025 12:49:29
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Replying To alalalalalum: "More than that, it is a demeaning trophy. You aren't good enough to be in All Ireland knockouts so here is a meaningless cup for you to play in." Door isn't closed on any county, if you happen to be a div 3,4 team you can compete in the Sam Maguire cup by reaching your provincial final and you can also get to compete in it by winning the "demaning Trophy" so hardly meaningless more super.
Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3794 - 10/12/2025 13:02:08
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What the alalalalalalalalala fella is looking for seems to the equivalent of a team losing in the second round of the FA Cup getting a chance to play one of "the big boys" in some sort of further back-door qualifying round anyway.
There are three pathways to the Sam Maguire Cup:
1. Finish high enough in the League
2. Do well enough if your provincial championship
3. Win the so-called meaningless and demeaning "teacup".
Wonder if he thinks the Joe McDonagh Cup is equally meaningless and demeaning? "You're not good enough to play hurling with the top counties, so go and play for this one instead".
Or any or all of the Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard, and Lory Meagher Cups?
Strange that nobody has an issue with a five-tier hurling championship, but put a second tier into football, and you have to listen to this sort of nonsense.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3303 - 10/12/2025 13:22:02
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Replying To alalalalalum: "Well then it is preferable to call the secondary competition the intermediate all Ireland rather than this teacup nonsense
Of course an intermediate title isn't demeaning" Ah I get you. So keep the competition but call it something else. We all must have misunderstood you earlier! Glad it's cleared up now though.
Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1243 - 10/12/2025 13:45:29
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