Colm O’Rourke’s first competitive outing as Meath manager will be away to Carlow in the opening round of the O’Byrne Cup on Wednesday, January 4.
O’Rourke has been busy in recent weeks, hosting trials with a view to assembling a training squad culminating in a Meath selection playing a regional All-Stars team in Dunganny last Sunday morning.
Meath have been drawn in Group B of the O’Byrne Cup, which also features Laois and Longford.
Dublin, meanwhile, will begin their 2023 campaign away to Wicklow, as Oisín McConville takes his first steps into inter-county management.
Dessie Farrell’s team are the defending O’Byrne Cup champions and are set to use the competition to trial a number of fringe players ahead of their first season outside the topflight of the league since 2007.
Glenn Ryan’s Kildare team face a trip to Wexford in Round 1.
Group games will be played on January 4, 7 and 11 with semi-finals fixed for Sunday, January 15 and the final, pencilled in for Friday, the 20th.
O’Byrne Cup 2023
Group A: Kildare, Louth, Westmeath, Wexford
Group B: Longford, Carlow, Meath, Laois
Group C: Dublin, Wicklow, Offaly
Wednesday, 4 January 2023: Wexford v Kildare; Louth v Westmeath; Laois v Longford; Carlow v Meath; Wicklow v Dublin; Offaly Bye
Saturday, 7 January 2023: Westmeath v Wexford; Kildare v Louth; Longford v Carlow; Meath v Laois; Offaly v Wicklow; Dublin Bye.
Wednesday, 11 January 2023: Wexford v Louth; Westmeath v Kildare; Laois v Carlow; Meath v Longford; Dublin v Offaly; Wicklow Bye.
Sunday, 15 January 2023: Semi-Finals, Winners A v Winners C, Winners B Bye to Final.
Friday, January 20 2023: Final
