The Downs v Garrycastle: (TEG Cusack Park, Sun, 5pm) The Downs to win by a low margin. Garrycastle have to win to qualify and will leave everything out on the pitch.
St Lomans v Caulry: (Moate, Sun, 5pm) St Lomans to win, again by a low margin. Caulry should have pride in their jersey, playing in Moate, stayed with The Downs to half time, Senan is back and if they click will pose serious problems to Lomans. Another draw is a possibility.
Kinnegad v Mullingar Shamrocks: (Rochfortbridge, Sun, 5pm) Kinnegad to win. Shamrocks won't roll over. Outside chance of qualifying is still there, provided results in other games go their way.
Athlone v Tubberclair: (TEG Cusack Park, Sat 5pm) Tubberclair by the minimum
Moate v Killucan: (Kinnegad, Sat, 5pm) Moate by the minimum
Tang v Tyrrellspass: (Shandonagh, Sat, 5pm) Relegation decider. Tang have to win, Tyrellspass can draw or win to stay up. Tyrellspass to stay Senior.
Final Positions:
Section A: Kinnegad => SF The Downs => SF St Lomans => QF Garrycastle Mullingar Shamrocks => Relegated to Section B Caulry => Relegated to Section B
Section B: Tubberclair => QF + Promoted to Section A Moate => QF + Promoted to Section A Athlone => QF Killucan Tyrellspass Tang => Relegated to Intermediate
Replying To mintyfresh: "By the end of the weekend you could have both Tang being relegated to intermediate and Maryland relegated to junior. Two clubs that have played amalgamated at underage for the last 30 years and now both are struggling. I don't think they have had a minor team themselves for at least five years as they have been joined with St. Joseph's this few years as Esker Gaels and prior to that they were in with Garrycastle. It just goes to show if you take your eye of the ball at underage it doesn't take long for adult teams to suffer. If either go down at the weekend it's hard to see them coming back up anytime soon."
No shame in that. A lot of clubs with bigger populations and a lot more resources than those are only playing at intermediate level and even junior. Tang especially punching well above their weight to even be Senior.
Replying To Fighting-Cocks69: "Delaney Cup 2026, there was no Tang/Maryland amalgamation when Tang played The Downs in the 2018 Division 1 final. Have to disagree here. I always felt the St Martin's amalgamation was completely wrong and the county board made a mess of it. Milltown, Ballymore, Tang and Maryland knew exactly what they were doing. Milltown is around 22km from Tang, while some had much closer clubs they could've joined with. As far as I remember they didn't join together for the league but then did for the championship, which felt very calculated. Killucan and Kinnegad had built strong teams over several years, only to meet four clubs combined. Most of that St Martin's starting 15 were county players or went almost straight into senior football. I know it was years ago, but it was very harsh on the genuine club teams especially for kin egad and Killucan losing to them so narrowly in the semi and final"
The 2018 Minor team was Tang/Maryland. They are always amalgamated at under age. Maryland had a number of players on that team also.
St Martins is a completely separate argument; of course it should never have been sanctioned that year. It was nearly a county minor team.
But my point is on population and not because the clubs are suddenly trying or doing less at underage.
Replying To Fighting-Cocks69: "Delaney Cup 2026, there was no Tang/Maryland amalgamation when Tang played The Downs in the 2018 Division 1 final. Have to disagree here. I always felt the St Martin's amalgamation was completely wrong and the county board made a mess of it. Milltown, Ballymore, Tang and Maryland knew exactly what they were doing. Milltown is around 22km from Tang, while some had much closer clubs they could've joined with. As far as I remember they didn't join together for the league but then did for the championship, which felt very calculated. Killucan and Kinnegad had built strong teams over several years, only to meet four clubs combined. Most of that St Martin's starting 15 were county players or went almost straight into senior football. I know it was years ago, but it was very harsh on the genuine club teams especially for kin egad and Killucan losing to them so narrowly in the semi and final"
Also was that not a separate premier competition? I'm not sure it was the regular county minor championship surely.
Replying To DelaneyCup2026: "Also was that not a separate premier competition? I'm not sure it was the regular county minor championship surely."
Maryland/Tang are actually recognised as one club at underage level as far as I'm aware but stand to be corrected. Would have competed in several division 1 semi finals / finals the whole way up with that crop of players, also played The Downs in the U20 final maybe 6 or 7 years ago. I remember them being particularly strong at u20 at the time and a couple of years later Tang won the intermediate with the likes of Tumelty, Coughlan, Neary, Lennon, Keenan, Hanley, Clear, McKiernan, Bannon all around the same age. As an outsider looking in it does seem like they haven't had much coming up since that batch. From that u20 final, I don't know if any of the Maryland lads are playing now. I vaguely remember it being Tang making up the bulk of that team. Both teams in relegation trouble so is it a case of lack of youth coming up is catching up?