The final round of Allianz league games takes place this weekend with promotion and relegation still to be decided.
For the third year, final league positions will determine the line-up of both the All-Ireland (Sam Maguire) and the Tailteann Cup.
There are two paths to qualify for the All-Ireland championship.
Path A – Qualify for your provisional final
Path B – The next best seven teams in the Allianz League plus the Tailteann Cup winners.
At this stage, we now know six of the 16 teams who will take part in the All-Ireland championship. This weekend will confirm one more of those 16 places. Finally, the eighth team will be confirmed next weekend.
The top six teams in division one plus the division two winners and the 2023 Tailteann Cup winners make up the eight teams in path B.
Whereas, The top five teams in Allianz League division one are now confirmed. Dublin, Derry, Mayo, Kerry and Tyrone. The final line-up will be confirmed next weekend, which impacts seeing. More on that later.
Place six is between Galway and Roscommon. Roscommon must beat Derry to have any chance of staying in division one and taking sixth place. Even if Roscommon win, a Galway victory over Kerry would see Galway take sixth place.
Place seven is given to the winner of division two. Indeed, Donegal and Armagh are both guaranteed a place in the division two final. The winner of this game on March 31 will take place seven.
Whereas. Meath are defending Tailteann Cup champions and are guaranteed place 16 in the All-Ireland championship draw.
In summary; Dublin, Derry, Mayo, Kerry, Tyrone and Meath will all play in the All-Ireland championship. Whereas, Galway or Roscommon and Armagh or Donegal will confirm their place over the next two weekends.
Path A
Path A goes the old school way as the provincial championship gets underway on April seven. This part of the process is simple.
The finalists in the Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster championship make up the teams in Path A. Indeed, the provincial winners are top seeds in the group stage draw with the provincial runners-up second seeds.
Path B – Part Two!
This is where things get a bit more interesting and a spreadsheet is required to explain things.
If as expected Dublin and Kerry make the Leinster and Munster final. Their Path B spot is replaced with the next team in Allianz League rankings.
As things stand the runners-up in division two and the team finishing seventh in division one take a place in the All-Ireland championship.
Thus final positions in division two have real meaning in making the final shake up!
Possibilities
Whereas, the bookies are giving short odds on Dublin and Kerry making their final. Also Galway, Mayo or Roscommon will most likely make the Connacht final.
However, things are a lot more uncertain in Ulster. If Monaghan beat Cavan in round one they face Tyrone. Whereas, the winner of this tie face the winner of Donegal and Derry.
Meaning two teams with Path B places will not make their provincial final.
Yes it gets this complicated. As such a prediction is needed so here goes!
Prediction time
Connacht; Mayo and Galway. Leinster; Dublin and Westmeath. Munster; Kerry and Clare. Ulster; Armagh and Derry.
Pot three (on league places); Tyrone, Donegal, Roscommon and Monaghan
Pot four (on league places); Cavan, Louth, Cork and Meath!
Indeed, the remaining teams; Fermanagh, Kildare, Down, Sligo, Antrim, Offaly, Wicklow, Limerick, Laois, Wexford, Longford, Leitrim, Carlow, Tipperary, London, Waterford and New York will play in the Tailteann cup.
Interesting times ahead!
