Offaly ladies learn fate as LGFA reveals league divisions
Offaly will face Carlow and Limerick in Division 4B of the 2021 Lidl Ladies National Football League.
The Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) announced details of the divisions in restructured league competitions earlier this week.
There are four counties in each group, with the exception of the three-team Division 4B.
The divisions have been comprised in regional fashion to minimise travelling for the competing teams, and to help ensure the health and safety of all counties amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The fixtures for the 2021 Lidl National Leagues have yet to be released, but the proposed date for the opening round is Sunday, May 23.
However, one of the teams in Offaly’s three-team group will obviously have a bye in the first round.
Offaly won two and drew two of the four games they played in the 2020 NFL, but the competition was not completed due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Under the management of Garry Daly, Offaly were defeated by Wexford and Roscommon in last year’s All-Ireland intermediate championship.
Three rounds of group fixtures will be played on consecutive weekends in this year’s NFL, with the semi-finals scheduled for June 13. There will then follow a two-week break before the Lidl NFL finals are played on June 27.
Confirmation of initial details for the 2021 Lidl Ladies NFL follow the recent Government announcement that inter-county training can resume from April 19, for ‘sanctioned and organised adult inter-county national Gaelic games leagues’.
Meanwhile, 2020 All-Ireland senior finalists Dublin and Cork will meet in Division 1B. Dublin defeated Cork last December to claim a fourth straight All-Ireland senior crown – but Cork are the reigning Division 1 League champions, having won the last competition that was finished in 2019.
Cork and Dublin will be joined by Munster rivals Tipperary and Waterford in Division 1B.
Division 1A consists of Galway, Mayo, Donegal and Westmeath. In Division 2A, All-Ireland intermediate champions Meath will be joined by Clare, Kerry and Wexford, while Armagh, Cavan, Monaghan and Tyrone feature in an all-Ulster Division 2B.
2021 Lidl Ladies NFL
Division 1A: Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Westmeath.
Division 1B: Cork, Dublin, Tipperary, Waterford.
Division 2A: Kerry, Meath, Wexford, Clare.
Division 2B: Tyrone, Monaghan, Armagh, Cavan.
Division 3A: Down, Roscommon, Sligo, Fermanagh.
Division 3B: Kildare, Laois, Longford, Wicklow.
Division 4A: Louth, Leitrim, Antrim, Derry.
Division 4B: Carlow, Offaly, Limerick.
Proposed Dates
Round 1: May 23.
Round 2: May 30.
Round 3: June 6 (bank holiday weekend).
Semi-finals: June 13.
Finals: June 27.
*Dates are set for Sundays but may be played midweek or Saturday by agreement with the counties involved.