North and South Groups in Tailteann Cup to help ease costs

From a local GAA perspective the focus this weekend will be on the Tailteann cup first round fixtures. Leitrim and Antrim as well as Cavan and Down will meet at 2pm in the new championship competition while at 5:30 Longford go up against Fermanagh and Sligo take on London. It is first named at home in those Northern group fixtures with the winners going into the quarter final draw. In the Southern group on Sunday, Laois take on Westmeath, Offaly go up against Wicklow with those 2 sides have registered wins in the preliminary round and Carlow take on Tipperary. All those games throw in at 2pm with again first named at home and the winners going into the quarter final draw which will include New York. While some questions had been raised about splitting the competition into a Northern and Southern group, GAA president Larry Mc Carthy explained the reasoning behind the decision