Division 4 preview: The beast from the south-east as teams eye up promotion

It's the beast from the east in Division 4 this season with Leinster providing half the teams for what should be another extremely competitive campaign.

The beast from the south-east is a more fitting term actually, with the five counties that Kilkenny borders - Carlow, Laois, Wexford, Tipperary and Waterford - all in the basement division.

With the Cats not competing, it’s not hard for the GAA to pin-point the area where football is currently struggling right now at the top level.

Neighbours Leitrim and Longford and a morale-boosted London complete the line-up.

The Exiles, now in their fifth season under Michael Maher, didn’t win a competitive game in 2023, but they have already racked up their first ever victory over Mayo with a one-point FBD League win and will be targeting a few more in the Allianz League.

Like Maher, Carlow have also a manager readying for his fifth season in charge in Niall Carew with only his former boss at Kildare, Kieran McGeeney [10 seasons], in the job longer as 'Geezer' remains with Armagh.

Even Andy Moran is high up on that long-serving list as he prepares for this third year with Leitrim. The first two years have brought eight points from a possible 14 on each occasion, enough to push for promotion but not enough to get over the line.

Wexford are also in a similar situation having ended up mostly as a top-half Division 4 team since their 2018 relegation.

O'Byrne Cup champions Longford and Tipp are the sides hoping to bounce back from relegation, something Tipp managed to do in 2022 after they had fallen through the trap down following the Covid-affected four-team Division 3 groups the season before.

Their play-off loss that year came against a Longford side that last competed in the bottom division