Tailteann Cup draw made with Waterford facing Kildare

There’s a lot to be said for the argument that whatever happens for the rest of Waterford’s 2024 senior football campaign, this season will be seen as a successful year, but of course Paul Shankey and his players will want more.

After a disappointing league they grabbed the headlines when they defeated Tipperary in their opening Munster SFC game to record the Déise’s first Munster SFC win in 14 years, their first championship win of any sorts in six years and a first win over the Premier County in 36 years.

A rather heavy defeat to Clare followed but now it’s the Tailteann Cup and after the draw was made this week, the Decies will be in group one where they will face Kildare and Longford from Leinster and Leitrim of Connacht.

In this competition in 2023 they lost by 11 points to Down, nine points to eventual winners Meath and by a single point to Tipperary in Cork.

Once again Waterford will go into this group as underdogs but that won’t worry Shankey and his men.

Group 1: Waterford, Leitrim, Kildare and Longford.

Group 2: Sligo, Antrim, Wexford, Tipperary 

Group 3: Fermanagh, Laois, Wicklow, Carlow 

Group 4: Down, Offaly, Limerick, London.