Archive for category: County Football

Leitrim GAA Management Committee at its meeting tonight decided that it would be recommending to its July County Committee meeting that Andy Moran’s current two-year term as Leitrim GAA Senior Football Team Manager would be extended to include the next two seasons that is 2023 and 2024.

We are delighted to announce that Andy Moran has accepted the terms of this recommendation, subject to its acceptance at the County Committee meeting, and we look forward to the continued progress of the Leitrim Senior Footballers over the next two years.

Leitrim 6-9     Longford 2-8

Leitrim U-16s advanced to the Fr. Manning Cup Semi Final with a comfortable victory over Longford on Saturday last at the Leitrim Centre of Excellence.   Playing against a gale force breeze in the first half, Leitrim started the game in dramatic fashion with Paul Honeyman finishing a great Leitrim move to the net inside 3 minutes.   It could have been so much better for Leitrim as an earlier goal chance went a begging after some great build up play carved the Longford defence open.   Indeed, this was to be a recurring feature of the game and something that will undoubtedly need addressing going forward as Leitrim continually created chances throughout the game without capitalising.   By the 11^th minute Leitrim had added a further goal from Fionn Curley and 2 points from Josh Maye and a Paul Honeyman free.   Longford eventually got on the scoreboard with a free kick and this was followed with 2 points from play to reduce the gap to 5 points.   Dara Greenan then got the score of the game when after claiming a kickout with a fine catch, he proceeded to carry the ball 60 yards through the heart of Longford defence and finish expertly to the roof of the net to restore Leitrim’s 8 point lead.   Josh Maye added a further point for Leitrim and this score was sandwiched between 2 Longford points to leave the half time score Leitrim 3-3 Longford 0-5.

Longford started the 2^nd half in much better fashion adding a goal and a point inside the first 4 minutes.   Leitrim responded themselves with a well taken Senan Mooney goal and points from Brian Keaney and Paul Honeyman but Longford added another goal and 2 points of their own which proved to be their last scores in the match on 10 minutes.   Leading by 3 points, Leitrim completely dominated the rest of the game adding a further 2-4 to their tally with the scores coming from Paul Honeyman (2-2), Josh Maye and sub Cian Reynolds (0-1 apiece).   As Leitrim emptied their bench, the chances kept coming their way without much threat to their own defence.   Throughout the game, Leitrim created numerous chances but had 15 wides and will want to improve on their accuracy going into the remainder of their season.   All in all it was a satisfactory outcome for Leitrim as their intensity and general play was very good.   They can now look forward to a Fr. Manning Cup semi-final on July 23^rd with as yet unknown opposition.

LEITRIM: Darragh Lee, Aaron Gardiner, Darragh Gardiner, Eanna McNamara, Dessie Wisley, Colm McLoughlin, Josh McNamee, Dara Greenan (1-0), James Gilheaney, Fionn Curley (1-0), Josh McNamee (0-3), Brian Keaney (0-1), Noah McNulty, Paul Honeyman (3-4), Senan Mooney (1-0). Subs: Liam Crowe, James Shanley, Frank Cullen, Adam Reynolds, Cian Reynolds (0-1), Cathal McCarthy, Tommy Reen, David Liu Doyle.

HUMPHREY KELLIHER CUP

Leitrim 4-11   Longford 3-7

Leitrim U15s completed a double for the county’s underage squads on Saturday when they accounted for a game Longford team on Saturday at the Leitrim Centre of Excellence.   Also playing against the stiff breeze in the 1^st half, Leitrim started very well and probably shaded the contest in that first half despite trailing narrowly at half time.   The second half saw Leitrim come flying out of the blocks and quickly gained an advantage that they never surrendered.   This was an impressive all round display from the U15s who got back to winning ways after 2 narrow defeats earlier in the competition.   They now progress to the Shield semi finals of this competition which will also be held on July 23^rd.

LEITRIM: Daire Shannon, Aodh Gavin, Oran Foley, Killian Mulvey, Niall Torsney, Niall Stenson, Cormac Moran, Luke Fitzsimons, Bailey McBride, Peter Moran, Sean Carolan Morris, Cillian Downes, Senan Bohan, Andrew Lee, Ruairi O’Rourke. Subs: Josh Sheridan, Gavin Gallagher, Joey McBrien, Mark Ahearne, Jack Kelly, Oisin Conlon

Note: The next outing for both these squads will be at the Connacht Centre of Excellence in Bekan for their respective Connacht Blitz days on 9^th July.

40 Years Ago This Year Leitrim Went To London For the First Time.

It was a very nervous Leitrim team that went to play London  almost forty years ago on the 23^rd May 1982. Leitrim had reason to be nervous as in 1977 London caused a sensation by beating Leitrim in 1977 in Carrick on Shannon by 0-9 to 0-6. 1982 was the first time Leitrim played in the Connacht Championship outside Ireland and made a piece of history. Leitrim had prepared well this time. The Dublin based players trained at UCD with the Dublin based Kerry players under the watchful eye of the Master, Micheal  O Muircheartaigh. The Leitrim team were flying.

Forty years ago it was  a novelty flying to any match. The travel arrangements were published in the Leitrim Observer. The Leitrim panel departed Dublin Airport at 11.15 am on Saturday morning and were met at Heathrow Airport by members of the Leitrim Peoples Association and members of the London County Board.  From the airport we travelled to Ruislip for a light training session followed by a lunch organised by the London Board. After the lunch the team travelled to their hotel, the Tara Hotel , where the team would relax and watch television. There was great excitement in the lobby when Jimmy White the well known snooker player  appeared  and signed a few autographs for Leitrim people  on the back of Carrolls cigarette boxes. On Sunday the team left the hotel at 1.00pm for Ruislip . After the match the team were the guests of honour at a function jointly organised by the Leitrim Peoples Association and the London Co Board in the Irish Centre in Camden town.

At the time Big Tom was the King of Country Music in Ireland. On the Saturday evening some of the  music heads in the team went to a concert by the other King, BB King. They just got back in time for the roll call .

Before we left the TARA HOTEL for the match we posed for a photo taken by Willie Donnellan. We were joined in the photo by Tony Ward the former rugby star who played with Munster Leinster Ireland and the British Irish Lions and was also European Rugby player of the year in 1979.  Tony was over in London for the FA Cup Final. Leitrim were moving up in the sporting world.

On match day the teams paraded around the pitch led by London Irish Girls Pipers Band.  A member of that band had big Leitrim connections, Susan McGarty ,daughter of Willie McGarty and niece  of Packie Mc Garty. Susan moved to Leitrim many years ago and  now lives in Mohill. The Leitrim team showed one change from the match programme. Tom Reilly (Glenfarne) picked up an injury and Pat Flynn (Gortletteragh) replaced him at left corner back. Michael Oates in the Observer stated, Sean Creamer and Gerry Logan qualify for the joint title of ‘surprise omissions’. It was an exceptional Leitrim team built on the U-21 success of 1977 and included five players who were selected on the Leitrim team of the Millennium, Noel Crossan, Mickey Quinn, Ollie Honeyman, Mickey Martin and Frank Holohan. The team were good enough to win a Connacht Championship, it was a great shame that they didn’t.

The attendance was 3,000 and the match report stated ‘Leitrim overcame the feeble challenge of an outclassed London side. The final score was Leitrim 1-13 London 0-5 .Frank Smith was the pick of the Leitrim attack with five points all from play. Mickey Martin showed his class with a polished performance at centre half forward. He was the games outstanding player and hardly put a foot wrong the whole afternoon. Leitrim’s goal was scored by Seamus Mulhern’.

The Leitrim team celebrated well into Sunday night and a few lads just about made the plane home on Monday.

Leitrim played Mayo next on 13th June in Carrick on Shannon without their top scorer Frank Smith(injured)  and lost on a score-line of  2-7 to 1-7.  Losing by three points after shooting 20 wides (Mayo had eight) the Irish Press headline was’ Leitrim footballers literally kicked Mayo into the Connacht final by their own inability to put the ball between the posts’.

The Leitrim team of the 80’s  was the springboard for setting up the Leitrim Supporters Club to help finance the preparations of county teams and the Supporters Club is still going strong.

Forty years later Leitrim go to play London next Sunday.  London beat Leitrim in this years National Football League. London are a lot better organised than all those years ago but Leitrim should be good enough to win and qualify to play either Mayo or Galway in the next round.  Should Leitrim win and Mayo beat Galway then history will be repeated and Leitrim will take on Mayo again as they did almost 40 years ago.

Eamonn Duignan

The 2022 Connacht SFC commences on Sunday, April 17, in Ruislip as Leitrim and London battle go head to head for a place in the Connacht SFC semi-final. The match ticket details have been published and are as follows:

Stand Tickets €30

Terrace Tickets €25

Student/OAP rates are the same as for Adults 

Juveniles Under 16 are free of charge on the terrace only. Juveniles in the stand must have a ticket and pay the adult rate. 

Tickets may be purchased here

Please Note Change Of Venue.

Philly Mc Guiness Cup Group 2 -Under 20 Football Development League

Saturday 26th February 2022

Longford v Leitrim

Venue: Abbeylara

Throw In: 2-30pm