It was perhaps inevitable given the history between the counties that the Connacht Football Final losers came out of the pot to play whoever emerges on top on Sunday and therefore had to be shifted to Group 2 where the winners of the Leinster Final lie in wait.
If Dublin win against Louth and Galway beat Mayo then we will see a repeat in the group stage of the rivalry that spanned the last decade. If Mayo win then it will be Galway alongside Roscommon and Cavan that face the Leinster winners.
And if Louth pull off the shock and consign Dublin as runner-up, then they will have to play against either Kerry or Clare, Monaghan and Meath in Group 4.
Derry were perhaps the third seed that most would have wanted to avoid. They will play in Group One against the Connacht winners, Ulster runner up and Westmeath.
The draw will only come into full focus after the provincial Finals but there is already enough spice to make the round one that will capture the imagination.
It was televised live this afternoon on GAA.ie and the Association’s social media channels and conducted by GAA President Jarlath Burns and Feargal McGill the GAA Director of Games Administration.
In the Tailteann Cup Kildare will face Leitrim, Longford and Waterford; Sligo will face Antrim, Wexford and Tipperary; Fermanagh will face Laois, Wicklow and Carlow and Down will play against Offaly, Limerick and London.
The first round of matches in the Tailteann Cup will take place on the 11th and 12 of May and in the Sam Maguire the weekend after.
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