Wicklow manager Oisín McConville has called on his side to seize the moment when they face Down in the Tailteann Cup final at Croke Park on Saturday. The former Armagh All-Ireland winner is chasing his first trophy in inter-county management, and hopes victory could serve as a launchpad for the Garden County, potentially opening the door to competing in the All-Ireland series as previous winners have done.

Wicklow reached the final with a string of resilient performances, overturning a nine-point deficit to beat Antrim 2-19 to 3-15 in the quarter-finals and recovering from eight points down to defeat Offaly 2-26 to 4-15 in the semi-final. They also pushed Dublin close in the Leinster quarter-finals in April. However, they face a Down side with real pedigree, having won the competition in 2024 and reached their third final; McConville highlighted the threat posed by players such as Odhran Murdock, Daniel Guinness and Pat Havern, as well as Down's Ulster Championship win over Donegal.