Dublin handed group of death as All-Ireland draw compounds shock Meath loss while Tailteann Cup fixtures also revealed
After
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Even veterans like Ciarán Kilkenny were guilty of being sloppy as the Dubs were defeated in Leinster for the first time since 2010
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2024 League champions Derry could potentially be the WEAKEST team in the daunting group
And they have been placed in Group 4 alongside the Connacht winners, the Ulster runners-up and Derry.
The picture will become clearer for the Dubs when Galway go in search of a fourth straight Connacht title against Mayo in Castlebar this Sunday.
The line-up will be complete on Sunday week, with All-Ireland champions Armagh taking on Ulster champions Donegal in a bid to land their first provincial title since 2008.
Dublin, whose All-Ireland title defence was
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While fixture details have yet to be confirmed, the Sky Blues will be away to the Connacht winners in their opening fixture.
They will then play host to the Ulster runners-up, before facing Derry on neutral ground.
Group 1 is also set to produce some mouthwatering fixtures as the Ulster winners and Connacht runners-up have been drawn with Tyrone and Cavan.
Cork may not have long to wait for an opportunity to avenge their recent loss to Kerry in their epic Munster semi-final that was settled after extra-time.
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The Rebels are in Group 2, where the top seeds will be the winners of this Sunday's Munster final between the Kingdom and Clare.
The group also includes Roscommon and the losers of Sunday week's Leinster final between Meath and Louth.
Tipperary GAA legend reveals surprising difference between 'pressure' of playing for club vs county
The first team other than Dublin to win a Leinster title since 2010 will be in Group 3 with the Munster runners-up, Monaghan and Down.
The first-round fixtures featuring the Munster and Connacht finalists are scheduled for the weekend of May 17-18, with the games involving the Ulster and Leinster finalists booked for May 24-25.
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The four group winners advance directly to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Preliminary quarter-finals are contested by the teams who finish second and third.
As per the previous editions of this format, each team will play one game at home, one away and one at a neutral venue.
The much-maligned system will be replaced for the 2026 Championship.
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Meanwhile, Westmeath's bid to become the first team to win the Tailteann Cup twice will see them face Limerick, Antrim and London.
The second-tier competition begins on May 10-11.
All-Ireland SFC
Group 1:
Ulster winner, Connacht runner-up, Tyrone, Cavan
Group 2:
Munster winner, Leinster runner-up, Roscommon, Cork
Group 3:
Leinster winner, Munster runner-up, Monaghan, Down
Group 4:
Connacht winner, Ulster runner-up, Dublin, Derry
Tailteann Cup
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Group 1:
Kildare, Sligo, Leitrim, Tipperary
Group 2:
Offaly, Laois, Wicklow, Waterford
Group 3:
Westmeath, Limerick, Antrim, London
Group 4:
Fermanagh, Wexford, Carlow, Longford
Fixture format
Round 1:
Seed 1 (home) v Seed 3, Seed 2 (home) v Seed 4
Round 2:
Seed 3 (home) v Seed 2, Seed 4 (home) v Seed 1
Round 3:
Seed 1 v Seed 2, Seed 3 v Seed 4 (neutral venues)
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Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO 'So you sort of use that as, 'Let's go and spoil the party.' I did like that mentality, it's a very similar mentality here in Queensland with the other states. 'There's quite a few Aussies that have gone over to Connacht and really enjoyed it. Canberra boys are used to the weather! Where would Mack Hansen be without Connacht now?' Farley qualified for Ireland on residency grounds in 2006 and the following year, Ireland head coach Eddie O'Sullivan gave him a shout. There were good second row stocks in Ireland with the likes of Paul O'Connell, Donncha O'Callaghan, Malcolm O'Kelly, and Mick O'Driscoll, among others, but Farley was keen and joined the squad for a few training camps and was then picked in the Ireland A squad for the 2007 Churchill Cup in England. It was a good experience playing alongside Johnny Sexton, Luke Fitzgerald, Keith Earls, Mike Ross, Sean Cronin, and some of his Connacht team-mates, but Farley admits it was a big decision to commit to Ireland. 'By choosing to take that path, I was locking myself out of Australia because then I became Irish-qualified and I could no longer obvously come back and play for Australia. 'But you know, I was captain of Connacht at the time and I made the decision and I don't regret it. I had a fantastic time.' Declan Kidney took over as Ireland boss in 2008 and Farley wasn't part of his plans. So when Grenoble made an approach in 2009, Farley's head was turned. He had turned 29 and reckoned he could play on for longer in French rugby. There was an ambitious plan in Grenoble. So it was that Farley and Lucy moved to France together and lived there for nine years, with all three of their children born there. Farley during his time with Grenoble. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Farley played for the club more than 100 times across five seasons, then moved into a management role with Grenoble up until 2018. Initially after retiring from playing, Farley split his duties at Grenoble with working part-time in the club president's global engineering company. That experience proved important for Farley, who works with a company called BuildingPoint Australia these days. Life back in Brisbane is good. The Farley children – Ava, Sophia, and Tom – love growing up in Australia and their dad still has a core group of his old school friends to this day. Farley remains involved with rugby as a big supporter and also through a programme called the C2K Rugby Academy, which supports young players with position-specific training, mentoring, and advice. He has helped a couple of youngsters to find rugby opportunities in Europe through his contacts, knowing as he does that taking on an adventure on the other side of the world can be life-changing. 'I can't thank rugby enough,' says Farley. 'It's not until after rugby, when people mentor you and look after you, that you realise that you've learnt so much from playing. 'There are just so many examples from my career that enable me to be a good leader now. 'You've actually got a diploma in life from playing rugby.'
