Munster GAA officials have agreed to a one-year deferral of a contentious seeding system for the Munster Football Championship draw.
It emerged during the summer that the 2026 draw was to be seeded whereby the two highest ranked teams in the previous year’s National League standings (Kerry and Cork) would receive a bye to opposite sides of the semi-final stages.
However, those plans sparked kickback from other counties in the provinceand the threat of some form of boycott or protest had been looming ahead of the November 27th draw.
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The possibility that some teams might refuse to play in January’s McGrath Cup had also not been ruled out.
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However, after holding further discussions with county boards, Munster GAA’s decision to postpone the seeding system should de-escalate matters for now.
The draw for next year’s provincial championship will proceed on the basis of the previous year’s Munster finalists (Kerry and Clare) receiving a bye to the semi-finals, as has been the method used for the last decade. Cork, Tipperary, Limerick and Waterford will be in the quarter-final pot.
Kerry will be the only Munster team operating in Division One of the National Football League next season, while Cork will compete in Division Two, Clare and Limerick in Division Three, and Tipperary and Waterford in Division Four.
