Wicklow and Waterford ready to create some history

When it comes to firsts, Waterford have a bit of history – and they'll add to the list on Saturday in Aughrim as they, along with hosts Wicklow, compete in the first-ever Tailteann Cup match.

The Déise also had the honour of competing in the very first All-Ireland Football Championship game when they lost to Louth in July 1887 with Limerick defeating Meath in the second part of a double-header at Elm Park in Dublin.

Waterford were also involved in the first day of the All-Ireland Qualifiers back in 2001, losing out to Carlow in Dungarvan, but the Wee County got the better of them once again as their game with Tipperary started three and a half hours earlier.

An estimated 10,000 showed up to Elm Park 135 years ago, and while the crowd this weekend – even with the novelty of the fixture – won’t get anywhere near that sort of figure, both camps are embracing their new surroundings.

Waterford’s Conor Murray is firmly in favour of the new second-tier competition, and he expects his county to plan long-term to make inroads into it.

"You're guaranteed to be playing someone at your level. When you go into a qualifier draw you could get anyone. You could get a Division 2 team and you're really up against it and it's hard to get lads to buy in.

"So this Tailteann Cup, getting lads to buy in. It's the big problem we've had the last few years, player turnover. It's been really hard to keep the same squad together. Every year you're back to square one.

"When Ephie [Fitzgerald] came in at the start of the year himself and Peter [Leahy] put a big emphasis on the fact that this isn't a one-year job, it's a two or three-year process.

"So if it doesn't work out against Wicklow, that's fine, we'll go again and we'll start straight away building