All-Ireland SFC: Cork await their fate in today's draw for the new round-robin format

THERE’S every chance Cork footballers will meet familiar opposition in the first round of the new-look group stages of the All-Ireland championship.

The draw for the four groups of four with three to advance to the knock-out phase takes place today at 1pm at Croke Park and you can follow it live on the GAA website, www.gaa.ie 

Cork are seeded four and they will be away to a provincial finalist loser in their opening game before being at home to a provincial champion and then meeting a third seed in the final game at a neutral venue.

Two provincial finals take place on Sunday with All-Ireland champions Kerry meeting Cork’s conquerors Clare at the Gaelic Grounds at 4pm and Galway, beaten by the Kingdom last season, facing Sligo in the Connacht final in Castlebar at 1.45.

The expectation is that Kerry and Galway will retain their provincial crowns leaving Cork with a possibility of meeting Clare or Sligo in two-and-a-half weeks.

Croker have decided there will be no provincial final repeats in the group phase but have allowed for teams who’ve already met to square-up one more time.

It leaves the door open for another Cork-Clare encounter which would be their fourth of the year, having already played in the McGrath Cup, Division 2 in the league and the Munster championship with Cork having travelled on all three occasions. The score stands 2-1 in Cork’s favour.

Sligo, who won the Division 4 title to earn promotion to Division 3 next season, benefitted from a lop-sided draw in Connacht, where they easily defeated London away and New York at home.

Football is on the rise again in Yeats Country as Sligo successfully defended their Connacht U20 title and meet Munster champions Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final in Galway on Saturday at 4.45.

But, if John Cleary’s side avoids Munster and Connacht, they will be playing the runners-up in Leinster or Ulster.

There, it’s Dublin against Louth and Derry and meeting Armagh on Sunday week at Croke Park and Clones respectively.

Cork have already played three of those teams in the league, losing at home to Dublin and away to Louth and drawing at home to Derry. That group game will take place at the end of the month.

The Dubs are fancied to complete 13-in-a-row in Leinster though Louth, who were involved in an epic with Offaly and needed extra-time to prevail will take some comfort from their opponents’ struggles against Kildare.

As always, the Ulster decider is set to be the most competitive with champions Derry slightly fancied to get the better of an Armagh side in what’s sure to be a close affair.

Accordingly, Cork could be heading to Croker to face Dublin, although unlikely, or returning to Ardee to face Mickey Harte’s Louth or travel the length of the country to either Derry or Armagh.

Whatever the draw throws up, Cork will be at home to a provincial champion, Kerry, Galway, Dublin or Derry on current form, on June 3-4 before taking on a third seed, Mayo, Tyrone, Roscommon or Monaghan in the concluding game on June 17-18.

Cork were ranked 12 after the league and finished 14, behind Donegal, who play in Division 2 in 2024, but ahead of Kildare and Tailteann Cup holders Westmeath.

The Rebels needed two results to go their way at the weekend with Louth, eventually, and Armagh coming up trumps before Dublin completed the perfect set of outcomes.

All-Ireland SFC seeds: 1-2: Kerry, Clare, Galway, Sligo, Dublin, Louth, Armagh or Derry.

3-Mayo, Tyrone, Roscommon, Monaghan.

4-Donegal, Cork, Kildare, Westmeath.

Tailteann Cup seeds: 1-Meath, Cavan, Fermanagh, Limerick.

2-Down, Offaly, Antrim, Wicklow.

3-Longford, Tipperary, Laois, Wexford.

4-Leitrim, Carlow, Waterford, London.

New York will enter at the preliminary quarter-final round stage.