SATURDAY 31 MAY
Group 2
Offaly v Laois, Cedral St Conleth's Park, 6pm
Wucklow v Waterford, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 6pm
Group 3
Westmeath v Limerick, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, 2pm
SUNDAY 1 JUNE
Group 1
Leitrim v Tipperary, TEG Cusack Park, 1.30pm
Kildare v Sligo, King and Moffatt Dr Hyde Park, 2pm
Group 3
Antrim v London, Páirc Esler, 1.45pm
Group 4
Carlow v Longford, Glenisk O'Connor Park, 1.45pm
Wexford v Fermanagh, Croke Park, 1.45pm
ONLINE
Live blog/score updates on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app.
TV
Wexford v Fermanagh is live on GAA+. Highlights on The Saturday Game, 9.50pm, and The Sunday Game, 9.30pm, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
RADIO
Live updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday and Sunday Sport.
WEATHER
Saturday: A band of showery rain will spread from the west through the morning and afternoon. The rain will clear into the Irish Sea, with sunshine and a scattering of showers following, some heavy in the northwest, with the chance of thunder. Highest temperatures of 15 to 20 degrees in moderate to fresh southwest winds, veering westerly.
Sunday: A mix of sunshine and showers, some heavy and with a longer spell of rain spreading from the west for a time. There's a chance of thunder, especially further north. Temperatures will be a little lower than the previous couple of days with highest values of 13 to 17 degrees and it'll breezy or rather windy with moderate to fresh and gusty southwest winds, veering west to northwesterly and likely to increase strong at times in western and northern coastal parts. For more go to met.ie.
Some clarity, yet much to be decided
And so we reach the final round of group games in the fourth staging of the Tailteann Cup. It's fair to say we've had a the right amount of buy-in from all involved to ensure that the prize on offer, a piece of silverware and with it a guaranteed place in the 2026 Sam Maguire, is keenly fought.
Some teams have already progressed to the knockout stages and what this weekend will sort is who makes the quarter-finals and who is destined for the preliminary quarter-finals. On the other hand, there are other sides teetering on the brink of seeing their inter-county adventure end on the Bank Holiday weekend.
Recap
The top team in each group will progress to the last eight, where they will have home advantage.
The second-placed team in each group shall have home venue in the preliminary quarter-finals and will be joined there by only three of the best-placed third-placed teams. The fourth spot here will be taken by New York.
The criteria for deciding the best three across the four groups shall be determined using the following criteria:
(i) Total number of points
(ii) Score difference subtracting the total scores against from the scores for
(iii) Highest total score for
(iv) Highest total goals for
(v) Lowest total goals against
(vi) A play-off
In the event of teams finishing on equal points, the tie shall be decided by the following means and in the order specified below:
(i) Where two teams only are involved – the outcome of the meeting of the two teams in the group
(ii) Score difference – subtracting the total scores against from the total scores for
(iii) Highest total score for
(iv) Highest total goals for
(v) A play-off
Road to Croker
The draw for the preliminaries, which will be broadcast live on GAA.ie and the GAA YouTube channel at 6.15pm on Sunday, shall be subject to the avoidance of repeat pairings from the group stage.
The preliminary quarter-finals will take place on the weekend of 7/8 June. A week later, 14/15 June, the quarter-finals are down for decision.
Croke Park will stage the semi-finals on 21/22 June, with both games live on RTÉ2, RTÉ Player and on RTÉ Radio's Sunday Sport.
The 2025 Tailteann Cup final will take place ahead of the first All-Ireland SFC semi-final at Croke Park on Saturday, 12 July, with live coverage on RTÉ television and radio.
The lie of the land
Kildare and Sligo will battle it out at the Hyde to see who'll top the group. The Lilywhites' superior score difference, in the event of a draw, will see them head the section.
With only three of the third-placed teams advancing, Tipperary and Leitrim are really under pressure based on their +/- figures, with Stephen Poacher's side most vulnerable, particularly after their crushing defeat to Kildare.
Offaly know that a draw against Laois at Cedral St Conleth's Park would be enough to see them head affairs. However a Laois win and Wicklow beating Waterford then leaves three teams on four points. Score difference would come into play with the Garden County hoping that they can muster a big tally to elevate them.
There is also the scenario of three teams, Laois, Wicklow and Waterford, finishing on two points. Again, all eyes will focus on that second last column.
Westmeath and Limerick head to Portlaoise in the battle to claim top spot. Should parity be the outcome, the inaugural winners of the Tailteann Cup would advance to the quarter-finals.
A significant victory is required for either Antrim or London if they are to progress. Their scoring returns so far leave them at risk of being the third-placed side that misses out.
Carlow struck late to earn a draw against Wexford in Round 2 and you'd fancy them to take the points on offer against struggling Longford. Croke Park stages the meeting of Wexford and Fermanagh, with the former knowing that a win may not see them top the section if Carlow really put Longford to the sword.
Fermanagh, already assured of a knockout game, know that victory at Croker could propel them to the No 1 spot should Longford upset Carlow.
No result can save Longford, who were the first team eliminated from this year's championship.
