By 
TYRONE will travel to face the Connacht champions (Sligo or more likely Galway) in the first group game of the new All-Ireland Senior Championship series on the weekend of May 20/21st.
The draw was held on Tuesday lunchtime with the Red Hands paired in Group 2. Tyrone are the third seeds in the Group with the Connacht champions (Galway or Sligo who meet this Sunday) top seeds and the losing Ulster finalists (Armagh or Derry) Seeded 2. The Number 4 Seeds in the Group are Westmeath.
In the the new Sam Maguire Cup Draw format, the sixteen participating Counties were drawn to four separate groups. Teams will be seeded based on Championship and League performance and each group will feature four teams (each group consisting of a 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th seed).
The provincial Champions will each be a first seed, with the provincial runners-up being second seeds. The third seeds will be the four highest placed teams from the 2023 Allianz Leagues (who have not qualified for their Provincial finals). The fourth seeds included Westmeath (as the 2022 Tailteann Cup Champions) and the next three highest placed teams from the conclusion of this year’s Allianz Leagues.
The Groups are as follows:
Group 1: Clare/Kerry winner; Dublin/Louth loser; Mayo; Cork
Group 2: Galway/Sligo winner; Armagh/Derry loser; Tyrone; Westmeath
Group 3: Dublin/ Louth winner; Galway/Sligo loser; Roscommon; Kildare
Group 4: Armagh/Derry winner; Clare/Kerry loser; Monaghan; Donegal
After heading west for their opening match, Tyrone will then host Armagh or Derry on June 3rd/4th; and then take on Westmeath at a neutral venue on June 17th/18th.
The schedule of games for the group stages of the Sam Maguire Cup will be:
Round 1 (first named team at home)
20-21.05.2023 (Sat/Sun)
Seed 1 (Connacht Champions v Tyrone)
Seed 2 (Munster/Connacht Runners Up v Seed 4)
27-28.05.2023 (Sat/Sun)
Seed 1 (Leinster/Ulster Champions v Seed 3)
Seed 2 (Leinster/Ulster Runners Up v Seed 4)
Round 2 (first named team at home)
03-04.06.2023 (Sat/Sun)
Tyrone v Armagh/Derry loser
Seed 4 v Seed 1
Round 3 (Neutral venues)
17-18.06.2023 (Sat/Sun)
Seed 1 v Seed 2
Tyrone v Westmeath
Full fixtures will be released tomorrow (Friday May 5th).
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