Tailteann Cup: Offaly heading back to Wexford as Tipperary head to Carlow

Seventeen teams went into the hat, first named teams at home, on Monday morning's historic draw.

JOHN Maughan's Offaly will get the opportunity to avenge their Leinster SFC defeat in Wexford in the preliminary round of the new Tailteann Cup for lower-tier counties.

The Leinster counties were drawn out of the hat Monday morning by GAA president Larry McCarthy who expressed the hope that the new competition will take off "like a meteorite." Ben Brosnan starred as the Yelloebellies surprised Offaly by three points last month in the provincial championship.

Ephie Fitzgerald's Waterford will test their progress this season with the other preliminary tie in the southern section - a visit to Wicklow. The two preliminary winners will meet in the first round proper.

David Power's Tipperary, beaten in the Munster SFC semi-final last Saturday by Limerick, must pull themselves together quickly as they prepare for a Tailteann Cup first-round trip to Netwatch Dr. Cullen Park in Carlow.

In the northern section, Sligo have a home tie against London, while Cavan will entertain Ulster rivals Down in arguably the most high-profile of the first-round encounters. James McCartan's Down have struggled for form and momentum in 2022.

GAA President Larry McCarthy believes that the competition will fire local rivalries and offer lower-tier counties something tangible for the summer. Both semi-finals and the final will be broadcast on live television from Croke Park.

McCarthy said the reason for the regionalised draw was to enhance local rivalries and also to keep travel costs for counties down.

"My hope is that t takes off like a meteorite, that some county grabs it and thrives during the summer. I feel the best elements of local GAA rivalries will manifest themselves in the Tailteann Cup. It will take off, I have no doubt."

Southern section: Preliminary round - Wexford v Offaly, Wicklow v Waterford; Round 1: Prelim winner 1 v Prelim winner 2; Carlow v Tipperary; Laois v Westmeath.

Northern section: Longford v Fermanagh, Leitrim v Antrim, Sligo v London, Cavan v Down.

*New York receive a bye into the quarter-finals