Down’s extra-time victory over Wexford secures Division Three promotion, but their path to the Sam Maguire Cup isn’t straightforward. Here’s how the complex All-Ireland football championship qualification rules could affect Conor Laverty’s side this summer.
The Down team celebrate with the cup after their Division Three final win over Wexford in Croke Park on Saturday night(Image: ©INPHO/Nick Elliott)
Down’s hard-earned victory over Wexford on Saturday night in extra time has seen Conor Laverty’s lads promoted as champions of Division Three, and they now stand a solid chance of playing in the Sam Maguire again this summer.
However, it’s not entirely straightforward.
Typically, the two teams promoted from Division Three would be ranked in the top 16, replacing the two teams that were relegated from Division Two.
The top 16 teams compete in the Sam Maguire, while the remaining teams enter the Tailteann Cup with New York joining at the preliminary quarter-final stage.
Last season’s Tailteann Cup victors Kildare were relegated to Division Three along with Offaly, reports Belfast Live.
As their place in the Sam Maguire is guaranteed, they effectively take the spot of the defeated finalists from the Division Three final – Wexford.
There are several exceptions to that statement with the main one being the losing team can still advance to the top 16 if they reach the provincial final.
There’s also the possibility for Kildare to reach the Leinster final, thus returning the place to the Division Three runners-up.
Lastly, Down’s place in the top 16 isn’t guaranteed either. If Kildare don’t reach the Leinster final, the Division Three champions won’t know their fate until after the provincial semi-finals are completed.
Essentially, the Division Three winners are in the hot seat if there’s an upset in the provincial series and a Division Three or Four team reaches their provincial final.
The most likely contender would be Westmeath, who narrowly missed out on promotion due to Seán Ryan’s last-minute goal at Wexford Park the previous weekend.
They’d need to overcome Meath and, possibly, Kildare to reach the Leinster final, while the Model County would need to surprise defending champions Louth before defeating, most likely, Dublin to make it to the last two in Leinster.
Should Limerick shock Cork, they’d face either Tipperary or Waterford for a spot in the Munster final.
In Connacht, Sligo’s route to the final is obstructed by Galway, while the draw in Ulster places Down and Fermanagh on the same side as Armagh, Tyrone and Donegal.
One unexpected finalist in the provincial series, provided it isn’t Kildare, would push Down into the Tailteann Cup. Two upsets would bring Cavan into play as the team finishing sixth in Division Three.
Tyrone aren’t entirely safe yet, but it would require a summer of monumental shocks to place the Red Hands into the Tailteann Cup as three teams from Divisions Three or Four would need to reach the provincial finals.
That seems a long shot and with the provincial Championships unlikely to yield a surprise finalist, Division Three victors Down look set to reclaim their spot in the Sam Maguire once again.