The Laois senior footballers have learned their opponents for the Tailteann Cup following the draw this afternoon.
This is the second time that the second tier competition has been run using a group stage.
In its inaugural staging, the cup was straight knock-out with Laois losing in Round 1 to eventual champions Westmeath.
Laois fared much better last year as they reached the semi final of the competition.
They were defeated by Cavan in Round 1 but draws with Offaly and London saw them progress from the group in third place.
They defeated Fermanagh and Limerick in the weeks that followed before losing heavily to Down in the semi final.
But now, Laois have been drawn against Fermanagh, Wicklow and Carlow.
Laois entered the competition as Second seeds based on their performance in the league where they won Division 4.
Laois are due to begin the Tailteann Cup home to Carlow on May 11 or 12.
They will then be at away to Wicklow the following week before concluding the group against Fermanagh at a neutral venue on June 1 or 2.
The top team in each of the four Tailteann Cup groups will secure a home quarter-final place.
While the second-placed teams will be at home in the preliminary quarter-finals where they will be joined by three highest-ranked third-placed teams and New York, who enter the Tailteann Cup at that stage of the competition.
The preliminary quarter-finals will be played on June 8/9 and the quarter-finals, which will be played a week later.
The Tailteann Cup semi-finals will be played on June 25 and the final on July 15 – with those fixtures down for Croke Park.
The winner of the competition will be guaranteed a spot in the Sam Maguire next year.
Check out the full draw below:
GROUP 1
- Kildare
- Leitrim
- Longford
- Waterford
GROUP 2
- Sligo
- Antrim
- Wexford
- Tipperary
GROUP 3
- Fermanagh
- Laois
- Wicklow
- Carlow
GROUP 4
- Down
- Offaly
- Limerick
- London
SAM MAGUIRE
GROUP 1
- Winners Galway/Mayo
- Losers Donegal/Armagh
- Derry
- Westmeath
GROUP 2
- Winners Dublin/Louth
- Losers Galway/Mayo
- Roscommon
- Cavan
GROUP 3
- Winners Donegal/Armagh
- Losers Kerry/Clare
- Tryone
- Cork
GROUP 4
- Winners Kerry/Clare
- Losers Dublin/Louth
- Monaghan
- Meath
