Tailteann Cup final: Down v Wicklow, Saturday, 3.30pm – Live on RTÉ2
For the third year in a row, the Tailteann Cup final will be played between a clear favourite and a clear underdog.
Down and Wicklow looked to be on completely different trajectories earlier this year, with the Ulster side earning promotion to Division 2 in the spring while the Garden County finished third again in Division 4, stalling their progress from last year’s promising Tailteann run.
This year’s second-tier championship has been Down’s to lose all along as the highest-ranked team in the competition. A solid Sam Maguire campaign last year and this year’s win over Donegal in Ulster seemed to prove that this was a team well in advance of the class in the Tailteann Cup.
However, a real thumping in the Ulster semi-final against Armagh sent them into a bit of a wobble, going into the competition they won in 2024. And it hasn’t been easy going despite the favourites tag, winning their semi-final win over Fermanagh by just a point.
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An eight-point defeat to Offaly earlier in the competition was also a shock to the system, especially given that Wicklow took care of the same team with a five-point win in the semis.
Down weren’t the only ones to show progress in the provincial championships, as Wicklow nearly pulled off a big shock against Dublin back in April.
Having run them close last year too, Wicklow almost took a big scalp but ultimately lost out by two points after a late Dublin surge. If McConville’s side had stayed the course, perhaps they would be viewed as being on level footing with Down heading into the decider.
En route to the final, they avenged last year’s semi-final loss to Limerick, as well as beating Tipperary, Antrim and one of the competition favourites in Offaly. Two-pointers are one of their big strengths, with goalkeeper Mark Jackson proving why he was on the radar for NFL teams with three crucial two-point frees in the Offaly game.
Veteran Dean Healy will be more crucial than ever thanks to the presence of Odhran Murdock in Down’s midfield. Tailteann Cup or not, the Burren man is one of the finest players in Ireland on his day, dominating the midfield against Donegal in April.
From the outside, there looks to be two different mentalities for the finalists. Having already proved that they can slay a giant, Down should look at the final mainly as a means of access to next year’s Sam Maguire. That is the goal and the level that Conor Laverty’s team are at now and anything less is an underachievement.
Wicklow, 3/1 underdogs right now, will instead be playing to win probably the greatest piece of silverware in their history, having never won a Leinster or All-Ireland title.
Right now, Down look like they’re further down the road than Wicklow. The likes of Murdock, Pat Havern and Daniel Guinness should bring too much firepower for Wicklow to handle.
Verdict: Down
