The 42
Tailteann Cup semi-finals
- Wicklow 2-26 Offaly 4-15
- Down 2-19 Fermanagh 1-21
SECOND-HALF FIGHTBACKS WERE the theme of this afternoon’s Tailteann Cup semi-finals which ended in wins for Down and Wicklow, propelling the pair through to a novel 11 July decider back at Croke Park.
Down, the 2024 champions and tournament favourites, ultimately had enough in their armoury to hold off Fermanagh’s revival and to secure their place in a third final in four seasons.
Ryan McEvoy kicked the winning point in the 67th minute for Conor Laverty’s side who are just one more win from grabbing a free pass to the 2027 All-Ireland SFC series.
But Offaly, leading Wicklow by eight points at half-time in the second semi-final, were reeled in by the resurgent Garden County who scored their biggest win so far in Oisín McConville’s four-season reign.
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 20, 2026
Eoin Darcy and Oisín McGraynor struck the goals for Wicklow, but it was goalkeeper Mark Jackson and man of the match Chris O’Brien, along with captain Dean Healy, that really powered the recovery.
Jackson, who blazed a series of wides in Wicklow’s narrow Leinster SFC defeat to Dublin, converted three two-point frees this time, including two in the second half when Wicklow outscored the favourites by 1-17 to 1-4.
O’Brien struck six points overall, including the first of four two-pointers that Wicklow scored in that memorable second half.
McConville said afterwards that he felt Wicklow tried too hard to stop Offaly in the opening half, a period in which they coughed up three goals and never really got going.
Dylan Hyland, Marcas Dalton and Shane Tierney scored those Offaly goals and the side managed jointly by Mickey Harte and Declan Kelly led 3-11 to 1-9 at the interval.
Wicklow looked much more dangerous in the second half and McConville was so impressed by their rhythm and flow that he didn’t even want to make any substitutions.
“It just felt as if we were dominating everything in the second half,” said McConville.
“We wanted to make subs earlier than we did but because we had so much momentum, we just let it run and let it play out.”
There was a brief setback when Offaly scored a fourth goal in the 57th minute, by their leading scorer Jack McEvoy, but Wicklow responded with a brilliant Eoin Murtagh two-pointer and finished with the last three points of the game to win by a five-point margin.
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 20, 2026
Fermanagh tried something similar in the earlier game, coming from seven points down at half-time to twice draw level with Down late on.
Ultan Kelm was the inspiration for Fermanagh and curled over two second half two-pointers but, crucially, they never actually led in the game as Down, with goalscorers Eamon Brown and Pat Havern scoring 2-5 between them, escaped to victory.
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 20, 2026
Written by Paul Keane and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.