Sligo’s chance for silverware

SLIGO still have one competition left to compete in and potentially win – the Tailteann Cup.

They were one of 17 counties eligible for the Tailteann Cup, a straight knockout tournament – provided these counties don’t qualify for their respective provincial final. New York – beaten by Sligo in the Connacht GAA Senior Football Championship quarter-final – received a bye to the quarter-final.

Aside from New York, the other counties set for Tailteann Cup participation were the eight that competed in this year’s Allianz Football League Division Four, teams that finished third to eighth in Division Three and the two counties relegated from Division Two, Down and Offaly.

The Tailteann ‘17’ are Sligo,

Down, Offaly, Westmeath, Antrim, Fermanagh, Longford, Laois,

Wicklow, Cavan, Tipperary, Leitrim, London, Wexford, Carlow, Waterford and New York.

Definitely taking part in the inaugural second tier inter-county Senior Football Championship are Sligo, Waterford, Wicklow, Wexford, Longford, Down, Fermanagh, London, New York, Antrim, Offaly, Laois and Carlow. There could be four more participants, depending on results this weekend and the weekend after next. Leitrim have to beat Galway in next Sunday’s Connacht semi-final to avoid a Tailteann Cup test, with Westmeath (Leinster semi-finalists), Cavan (Ulster semi-finalists) and Tipperary (Munster semifinalists) each one victory away from not playing in the Tailteann Cup. If necessary, there’ll be a Tailteann Cup preliminary round (May 2122), followed by the first round (May 28-29) and quarter-finals (June 4-5).