Down and Fermanagh cruise into Tailteann Cup semi-finals
June 13, 2026
Down's Patrick Brooks is challenged by Ronan Coffey of Laois during the Tailteann Cup quarter-final clash at Laois Hire O'Moore Park ©INPHO/Tom Maher
The Tailteann Cup is down to its last four teams following today’s quarter-final results in the second-tier football championship competition.
Declan Bonner’s Fermanagh side were in ruthless form as they defeated Sligo by 2-24 to 0-9 in Enniskillen, where Shane McGullion and Matte McDermott netted the goals.
McGullion’s goal doubled the hosts’ lead to 1-7 to 0-4 lead in the 27th minute and they’d hit four more scores, including a Conor O’Hanlon two-pointer, to go in at the break up by 1-12 to 0-5.
Sligo got points back through Niall Murphy (2) and Alan McLoughlin after the change of ends, but the Ernesiders would send over seven unanswered afterwards and then net a second goal through McDermott in the 65th minute to rubberstamp their return to Croke Park.
In Portlaoise, Down booked their semi-final spot by seeing off Laois on a 2-23 to 0-15 scoreline.
Ryan Magill’s goal after five minutes settled in the visitors who saw Odhran Murdock and ‘keeper Ryan Burns (two frees) sailing over two-pointers to help them lead by 1-16 to 0-10 at the half.
Eamon Brown and Patrick Havern raised white flags in the second-half to increase the advantage for Conor Laverty’s men ahead of Daniel Guinness netting them a late goal.
Earlier in the day, Wicklow staged a late rally to deny hosts Antrim at Corrigan Park where it finished 2-19 to 3-15.
Having edged a 1-7 to 0-9 half-time lead, goals from Dominic McEnhill and Patrick McAleer early in the second-half looked like helping the Saffrons to victory, but Oisin McConville’s side were able to hang in there and get a timely goal from Eoin D’Arcy in the 58th minute.
Back-to-back points from Pat Shivers and a Niall Burns score put Antrim back up by four ahead of Mark Jackson nailing a long range free for the visitors and Oisin McGraynor (free) and Kevin Quinn grabbing points that levelled before Dean Healy’s last-gasp score won it for Wicklow.
Meanwhile, Offaly produced the goods in the second-half to defeat Wexford by 1-22 to 1-17 in Tullamore in the day’s early throw-in.
Eoghan Nolan’s goal helped Wexford to hold a 1-13 to 0-10 lead at the halfway stage, but the hosts would be in front by the 52nd minute thanks to 1-1 from Jack Bryant, a brace of points from Shane O’Toole-Greene and a Keith O’Neill white flag.
Harry Plunkett’s two-pointer pushed the Faithful men three clear and, from there, the scores of Bryant, Plunkett, Lee Pearson and Dylan Hyland ensured that Offaly would be in Monday morning’s semi-final draw.
