This year’s beaten Ulster SFC finalists – Armagh or Donegal – will drop into the so-called ‘Group of Death’ in the All-Ireland series.
The losers of the Ulster final on 10 May will be placed into Group Four alongside the beaten Connacht finalists – either Galway or Mayo – as well as Dublin and Derry.
“Can I be the first to call it the ‘Group of Death’, please?” said the GAA’s Director of Player, Club and Games Administration Feargal McGill during Wednesday’s draw.
The Ulster champions will drop into Group One with the winners of Sunday’s Connacht final between Galway and Mayo, Tyrone and Cavan.
On paper, Group Four certainly looks to be the toughest with all six potential teams having reached last year’s knockout rounds.
Derry and Dublin are guaranteed to be a part of it with both counties hoping to rebound from disappointing provincial campaigns.
Derry lost to Donegal in the Ulster preliminary round, while Dublin were stunned by Meath in last weekend’s Leinster semi-final in Portlaoise, setting up a first Leinster final without the Dubs since 2010.
The first round of Sam Maguire games will be played on the weekend of 17/18 May, with the Connacht and Munster finalists among those in action.
The Ulster and Leinster finalists will begin their campaigns the following week.
Armagh are hoping to retain their All-Ireland title after winning Gaelic football’s biggest prize for the second time last summer.
Having lost last year’s Ulster final to Donegal on penalties, the Orchard County navigated their way through a Group of Death that contained Galway, Derry and Westmeath before beating Roscommon, Kerry and Galway in the knockout rounds to lift Sam.
Down, who earned a spot in the Sam Maguire series by winning last year’s Tailteann Cup, will face the Leinster winners, the Munster runners-up and Monaghan in Group Three.
In the Tailteann Cup, Antrim will face 2022 winners Westmeath, Limerick and London, while Fermanagh will take on Wexford, Carlow and Longford.
Antrim, who were relegated to Division Four before losing their Ulster quarter-final to Armagh, have reached the Tailteann Cup semi-finals in each of the past two seasons.
This is the last year of the current All-Ireland format with the group stages set to be scrapped for 2026.
All-Ireland SFC
Group One: Armagh/Donegal winners, Galway/Mayo losers, Tyrone, Cavan
Group Two: Kerry/Clare winners, Louth/Meath losers, Roscommon, Cork
Group Three: Louth/Meath winners, Kerry/Clare losers, Monaghan, Down
Group Four: Galway/Mayo winners, Armagh/Donegal losers, Dublin, Derry
Tailteann Cup
Group One: Kildare, Sligo, Leitrim, Tipperary
Group Two: Offaly, Laois, Wicklow, Waterford
Group Three: Westmeath, Limerick, Antrim, London
Group Four: Fermanagh, Wexford, Carlow, Longford
