Tailteann Cup draw live on RTÉ platforms on Monday morning

The draw for the opening round of the Tailteann Cup, the new second tier competition in Gaelic football, will take place this Monday live on RTÉ Radio 1 at 8:35am and streamed live on the RTÉ News channel.

The knockout competition will be regionalised up until the quarter-final stage.

There will be 14 teams participating in the first round, with North and South groupings of fixtures drawn.

A total of 15 counties have already qualified; Antrim, Down, Fermanagh, Cavan, Longford, Offaly, Laois, Carlow, Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford, Sligo, Leitrim, London and New York (who get a bye to the quarter-finals).

If either Westmeath or Tipperary are defeated in provincial semi-finals this weekend a preliminary round will be required to reduce the number of first round teams to 14. Two preliminary round games will be played if both Westmeath and Tipperary lose.

All provincial semi-finalists will be exempt from a preliminary round, which as it stands comprises Cavan, Sligo and Leitrim.

New York will receive a bye to the quarter-final stage and will play their match in Ireland.

The opening fixtures are scheduled for the final weekend of the month, 28/29 May, with the final pencilled in for Saturday 9 July.

The Tailteann Cup semi-finals and finals will be televised live by RTÉ Sport, as well as radio coverage on RTÉ Radio 1 and live blogs on matchdays.

One Tailteann Cup team enduring a tough preparation for the inaugural competition are Down, who have seen four players choose to leave the panel this week.

Kilcoo defender Ryan McEvoy was a starter in the heavy defeat to Monaghan. He has opted out alongside Downpatrick's Gerdie Collins, who came off the bench against the Farney men.

Cory Quinn and goalkeeper Charlie Smyth, both from Mayobridge, have