MySQL - selecting first 3rd, second 3rd, and third 3rd from multiple tables

Question

Given table1, table2, and table3 (assume they are identical in structure), is it possible to select the first 1/3 records of table1, table2, and table3? Then the second 1/3? Then the last 1/3?

Answer 1

The first 1/3 record :

SELECT *
FROM
(
    SELECT *
    FROM
    (
       SELECT * FROM Table1 
       UNION ALL 
       SELECT * FROM Table2
       UNION ALL
       SELECT * FROM Table3 
       UNION ALL
    ) sub
    ORDER BY ID DESC
    LIMIT 3
) t 
ORDER BY Id ASC
LIMIT 1

The second 2/3::

SELECT *
FROM
(
    SELECT *
    FROM
    (
       SELECT * FROM Table1 
       UNION ALL 
       SELECT * FROM Table2
       UNION ALL
       SELECT * FROM Table3 
       UNION ALL
    ) sub
    ORDER BY ID DESC
    LIMIT 3
) t 
ORDER BY Id ASC
LIMIT 2, 1

The last 1/3 record:

SELECT *
FROM
(
    SELECT *
    FROM
    (
       SELECT * FROM Table1 
       UNION ALL 
       SELECT * FROM Table2
       UNION ALL
       SELECT * FROM Table3 
       UNION ALL
    ) sub
    ORDER BY ID DESC
    LIMIT 3
) t 
ORDER BY Id DESC
LIMIT 1

Answer 2

Try to play with a LIMIT and a OFFSET clause like :

SELECT column FROM table1 LIMIT X OFFSET Y
union
SELECT column FROM table2 LIMIT X OFFSET Y+10
union
SELECT column FROM table3 LIMIT X OFFSET Y+20

but you must parameterize the LIMIT and the OFFSET.. that's a way