Confirmed: Munster GAA puts off Football Championship seeding plan until 2027

After a series of consultations with counties, the forthcoming Munster SFC draw will not be seeded, as proposed

WE'LL MEET AGAIN: Cork's Brian O'Driscoll grapples for possession with Kerry's Joe O'Connor in their All-Ireland SFC clash last May. The 2026 Munster SFC draw could pair them together again in a provincial semi-final. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

MUNSTER football's so-called weaker counties have secured a 12-month pause on provincial council plans to seed next year's Munster SFC.

After a series of consultations, the forthcoming Munster SFC draw will not be seeded, as proposed.

As the two best finishers in the National League, Division 1 winners Kerry and Division 2 team Cork were due to receive byes to separate semi-finals when the provincial football draws take place on Thursday, November 27.

The provincial council had agreed in July that the two top-ranked counties in the NFL would be placed in opposing semi-finals for a three-year period.

However, following further engagement with counties, it is now being proposed that the league seeding will only apply to the Munster SFC from 2027.

The year’s grace will give a couple of the counties the chance to improve their league positions with a mind to claiming one of the semi-final byes. Clare and Limerick are competing in Division 3 next year and should either of them be promoted and Cork be relegated from Division 2, they will take their place.

Next month’s draw will follow the same criteria as has been the case since 2015: the previous year’s finalists will earn byes to the last-four in an open draw. Winners Kerry and runners-up Clare will be seeded as they have been for the two previous seasons.

The quarter-final draw will again comprise Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. Those games are due to be staged on April 11, two weeks after the conclusion of the National Football League. The semi-finals are scheduled for April 25 and final on the weekend of May 10.

Not since 2021 has there been a Cork-Kerry final meeting. At the same time, Kerry have won all but six Munster SFCs since 2000 – the exceptions being 2002, ‘06, ‘08, ’09 and ’12 when Cork were victors and 2020 as Tipperary pulled off a first provincial SFC success in 85 years.

*Munster SFC seedings since 2015 - 2026: Clare, Kerry; 2025: Clare, Kerry; 2024: Clare, Kerry; 2023: Kerry, Limerick; 2022: Cork, Kerry; 2021: Cork, Tipperary; 2020: Cork, Kerry; 2019: Cork, Kerry; 2018: Cork, Kerry; 2017: Kerry, Tipperary; 2016 : Cork, Kerry; 2015: Cork, Kerry.