Archive for category: General

Leitrim GAA scored a major coup last Monday evening when they appointed the highly sought after Mickey Moran as the new Manager of the County Senior team and installed coaching guru John Morrison by his side.

The appointment of the duo was unanimously approved by a special meeting of the County Board in Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada last Monday and County Board Chairman Gerry McGovern was understandably delighted by the appointment of the former Derry, Donegal, Mayo and Sligo Manager to the post vacated by Dessie Dolan.

"Im absolutely delighted to be announcing that the Leitrim team Manager for 2009 will be Mickey Moran, accompanied by John Morrison," Gerry told the Observer. "Mickey was the first choice of our management committee and his pedigree as a team Manager is well known. He is highly respected as a team Manager, probably one of the best in the county.

"John Morrison, on the other hand, is a Master Coach, there are very few of them in the country and we are absolutely delighted to have them on board and they are looking forward to working with Leitrim as well.

"Initially, they have been appointed for a one year term. Well see how one year goes but we know from talking to them that if it works out, I have no doubt that they will be available to us for other years," added Gerry who revealed that both men will be in attendance at the Club Championship games in Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada next Sunday afternoon.

The news that Moran and Morrison were appointed took many by surprise but Gerry revealed that the Ulster pair were impressed by the ambition of the County Board – "We were on the ball, we were first in. It wasnt a case of having to force them to come to the county, they would see Leitrim as having potential.

"Mickey and John were both in charge of Mayo for two years when they came to Carrick-on-Shannon and they said that they never got a fright like it. They would feel there is great potential and they are pretty confident they can improve this team big time.

"They are not coming for the craic, I can assure you. They are coming with the ambition to win a Connacht title, secondly to get promotion from Division Four but they also want to see Leitrim playing in Croke Park."

Gerry also revealed that both men would be heavily involved in a major revamping of the Coaching and Development of football in Leitrim – "Our ambition is to provide the very best for Leitrim players. We are trying to provide the very best training facilities and the best player accommodation and I think it is important that we provide a top quality management team and a coaching system that will improve the skills of the players.

"We have spent a lot of time in developing facilities but I think it is important that we develop the skills of the footballers in the county and this applies from underage up," said Gerry who added that both Moran and Morrison will work with all County teams as well as with club coaches around the county.

Both men will jump straight into the job and Gerry revealed that they visited the County last weekend to inspect training venues and were impressed with the facilities on offer in Cloone. Both men would be attending club games extensively in the coming months and would hope to organise a development panel for back-up players.

"They want to see all club football and if anybody thinks there is somebody in the county who is of the standard required, they want to hear about them," concluded Gerry who added that a Leitrim based selector will be appointed and they hope to start holding trial games in October.

 

 

27-Aug-08 by LeitrimObserver.ie

Youll need a helicopter to keep up with Leitrim teams this Saturday as Croke Park have announced the following fixtures:

Leitrim Hurlers play Fingal on Saturday at 3pm in Parnell Park in the Nicky Rackard Cup quarter finals.  A little later on at 7pm in Ennis the footballers play Clare in the Tommy Murphy Cup 1st round game with the winners progressing to the semi-final.

Full round of fixtures for both competitions will be uploaded later today.

 

 

14-Jul-08 by Brendan Doyle – PRO

It was with deep sadness that Coiste Chontae Liatroma CLG have learned of the passing of George OToole after a short illness in Sligo Hospital.

A native of Annaduff, George served as Uachtarán of Coiste Chontae Liatroma from 1996-1998 and Cathaoirleach of Coiste Chontae Liatroma from 1971-1980.

He represented Leitrim at Connacht level for 20 years and he was also a former Cathaoirleach of Comhairle Connacht from 1988-1990.

Other notable posts include that of being a former Trustee of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael and Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada.

At Club level he captained St. Marys to their first ever Senior championship in 1958 while serving as the clubs chairman at the same time. He played for 16 years with St. Marys.

He was closely associated with Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada as he was a member of the committee that purchased the grounds in 1964 and was chairman of the committee for 34 years until his retirement in 1995.

Pre-deceased by his wife Alma in 1995, he had worked locally inÓgilmartins Cash and Carry from 1943 where he became a Manager and director of the company until his retirement in 1991.

We offer our sincere sympathy to his family and wide circle of friends.

Ar Dheis De go raibh a anam dilis.

 

 

 

 

 

25-Jun-08 by Brendan Doyle – PRO

The following is an article by Tommy Moran published in this weeks Leitrim Observer Match Supplement. Many thanks to Tommy and the Observer for the kind permission to use this amusing piece here. Further match related stories available here: Leitrim Observer – Sport

Salthill is no Coney Island and the roads through Williamstown and Dunmore are not just as appealing as the Van Wyck Expressway, but Leitrim are going West again anyway.
Some weeks ago, we worried about the currency exchange, would the dollar hold good for another while. We went on-line or to Bradys Travel or to relations looking for the cheapest flights and most central hotels.

We contacted the Christmas card relations to let them know we were making the trip they have encouraged us to make for years – would they be as happy with the news when they heard that not only were we coming ourselves but that the whole gang was on the march?

Bags were packed. They were too bloody heavy, out came the luxuries. Sure we could buy toothpaste, socks and underpants in New York if we were stuck. In went the Leitrim jersey, the adapter, the Leitrim t-shirt and all the caps, badges, flags and colours we had invested in in 1994.

7th Avenue would be swarming not only with Masonite but with McGovern Bros, Jimmys of Dromod, City Recovery, and Gandon Securities – plus every possible green and gold combination, together with a cacophany of club colours from the Black and Amber of the Bors down to the Blue and White of Melvin Gaels.

The Singing Cowboy in the centre of Manhattan surely had a multicoloured audience. Reports had it that some Leitrim jerseys were spotted in the darkened corners of the Gentlemans Club on 7th Avenue, parting with their crisp $50 notes for a private lapdance or to see a less than over-dressed blonde shimmying up a pole.

How Tom Guckian wished he had got $50 every time he went up and down a pole in his days with the ESB around Carrick. If he had, he could clear the debt in Páirc Sean – and on his own Páirc Tom.

There used to be a lap dancing club in Salthill – but it had closed down from lack of business. They mustnt have been fixing enough matches in Pearse Stadium to keep the place going. Either that or people are getting a bit of wit.

No, were not going to New York for the Galway match, but well still be in the nearest county grounds to Gaelic Park. So the game should nearly have the same "getaway" appeal as our last outing.

For that one many returned to the fold, Rosaleen Joyce, Catherine McTague Maura Sweeney and Damien OBrien to name but a few from Ballinamore alone. RosaleenÓgot really caught up in the excitement – roaring at John McKeon that he was kicking the ball the wrong way in the second half.

Then someone told her that teams change sides at half time. She still cant understand it – she says she never saw a golfer playing the ball from the hole back to a tee, even after a break. But she was one better than Maura Sweeney.

Maura made the journey to New York but never made it to Gaelic Park. She spent the time in Macys on 34th Street, probably trying to get a few bargains before Olivia and the professional shoppers hit it on the Monday. Damien OBrien swears hell never miss a Leitrim match again. Well, at least any time they play in New York.

Just like going to the Big Apple some will head off to Galway inÓgood time to soak up the atmosphere.No doubt my own lads Garrett and Eamon will be linking up with Conor Mahon, Mark Dolan, Barry Doyle and a host of others around Eyre Square on Saturday night – just to make sure poor old Padraig OConaire wont be lonely there on his own.

Padraigs main claim to fame is through his book "Masal beag dubh". No doubt he has noticed that the 4x4s and the Space Wagons have replaced the asal for family transport.

But no doubt he still hears plenty of asals roaring around Eyre Square, especially at weekends when the chipper follows the disco on the Saturday night schedule.

Padraig OConaire could write. A pity he cant talk, hed be better than any CCTV for the Guards. Not many will head from Leitrim to Galway for the game in the ass and cart, but theyll come in all modes of transport — Micras, Passats, Mercs, Octavias, while many will opt for the local minibus or coach and have no hassle about been bagged.

Our well travelled Dublin contingent will opt for Iarnród Éireann — and hope that the train makes it the whole way this time.

Hats, flags and colours will be set up at every vantage point, as well as the gourmet hot dogs, hamburgers and plastic chicken sandwiches. And, of course, the lucky, lucky ice-cream. Everyone is out to make a buck – a GAA game in any town does no harm to the local economy. Some people refer to the GAA as the grab all association, but dont mind making use of it to grab a bit for themselves.

The first Galway-Leitrim clash in Pearse Stadium was back in 1957. We went by bus from Ballinamore that day and I remember we had lost Mary Ann Keegan and Mary Ann McAllister when we were ready to head back home. We lost the match too — and weve lost out to Galway a few times since.

And so the pundits, the experts, the commentators and the bookies will be giving about the same chance of a Leitrim win on Sunday as a return of Our Lady to Knock. Liam Sammon will be trying to tell his players otherwise, but at the back of their minds Padraig Joyce and the rest will really be having on eye on the Connacht Final.

Well leave the team tactics and pep-talks in the capable hands of Dessie, Barney, Pat, Noel and George who well know how to motivate and prepare Leitrim.

Our job is to go and support. There can Scórcely be anything more disheartening for a player than to see his neighbours and so-called supporters arses disappearing into the tunnel and heading for the gates with 20 minutes still to go, just because the team is a few points behind.

If theres any early exit from Pearse Stadium, let it be a Galway one – let them out to the slot-machines to try to win something, because theyre not going to win the match. Leitrim people dont intend to go through the horrors of crawling through Claregalway and then having to park out near Connemara just to put up a good show.

At half time the RTE panel will be trying to analyse whats wrong. Galway werent supposed to be behind and struggling badly.

Joe Brolly will be laughing anyway, but still talking about a Galway resurrection. Colm ORourke will probably say the referee is too small, that hes not letting any hard marking, that Emlyn Mulligan is getting too many handy frees.

Poor Michael Lyster will be speechless — his native Galway on the back-foot in Salthill!

P.S. A bit of good news for Colm. InÓgaelic Park I saw Jackie McTague with a referees whistle —- now theres the solution. Give Jackie the Meath County Final and let the two teams at each other. She wouldnt bother about red cards or yellow cards or even the black book.

And another thing you could be sure of — thered be no dissent. Jackie might evenÓget the All Ireland. But hopefully she wont be in line for it, because Leitrim take another step to Croke Park next Sunday.

 

 

 

 

11-Jun-08 by Tommy Moran / LM Observer

Two promising Under-21 footballers – Emlyn Mulligan of Leitrim and Mayos Tom Cunniffe – have been honoured in the Connacht GAA Writers Personality of the Month awards scheme.

Mulligan, the free-Scóring star of Leitrims Connacht senior champions victory over New York, has been named as the award winner for May. He kicked 0-11, 0-10 from play, in the Gaelic Park clash that saw 2,500 Leitrim fans make the long journey across the Atlantic.

The Melvin Gaels man lined out for Leitrim in the Connacht U21 championship earlier this season, where they were beaten by a Mayo team that added the scalp of Roscommon in the Connacht final.

Centre half-back Tom Cunniffe (Castlebar Mitchels) was one of the Mayo stars of that provincial triumph, and he followed it up with a powerful display against Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final. After a great comeback, Mayo lost by just two points to the eventual champions, 1-9 to 1-7. Cunniffe picks up the April award.

The monthly award winners will receive their presentations at a special function in the TF Royal Theatre and Hotel, Castlebar, after the season is over. The winner of the Michael McDonnell Award for the Personality of the Year will be announced on this night.

The monthly winners to date in 2008 are Michael Meehan, Galway (January); Joe Canning, Portumna (February); and Andy Smith, Portumna (March.)

 

 

10-Jun-08 by ConnachtGAA.ie

The Player Injury Scheme has had many issues over the years particularly in relation to been in a position of settling claims within a reasonable period of time, however in general this has been cause by the claims form not been completed correctly or the absence of the back up information. What hasnt helped is the late notification of claims. Late reporting of claims can give rise to many more questions which further delays any settlement.

In this regard I set out hereunder a report requested from Coyle Hamilton Willis regarding the reporting of claims over the 2005- 2007 period:

Approximately 31% – 35% of claims are submitted within 60 days of incident date

Approximately 20% – 24% of claims are submitted within 60-90 days of incident date

Approximately 24% – 27% of claims are submitted within 90 – 180 days of incident date

Approximately 18% – 21 % of claims are submitted in excess of 180 days

If we are to continue to operate a scheme successfully we all have to be more efficient in reporting and submitting claims and in this regard we propose applying the 60 day reporting condition which is and has been on the brochure for many years.

It is our intention to apply this condition with effect from 1st July 2008 and clubs need to be advised to submit any old claims immediately. We do accept that over time there will be the odd exception which will be dealt with on an individual basis but in general there should not be any excuse for late notification.

 

Is mise,

Ruairí Mac Lannchaidh
Bainisteoir,
Riosca agus Árachais
Cumann Lúthchleas Gael

 

 

20-May-08 by PJ Meehan