A special year for Willie & the Gaels!

The Observer's own Willie Donnellan takes his own unique look back at the 2025 sporting year and no prizes for guessing what features high in his list! Here Willie gives us his highs and lows of a remarkable year!

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

I'd have to say my own club, Leitrim Gaels, winning the senior championship - I never thought I’d see it. Little did anyone think in Leitrim Village when the club was formed in 1997 that we'd win the Fenagh Cup in 2025. It was hard taking photos that day, it was hard to concentrate when everybody else was roaring and shouting but I suppose that's the job, you have to sit back and hope for the best. I don't think they were ever in danger of losing it, they were excellent the whole championship. They won every game handily. Bit disappointed with the Connacht result though but remember, we were missing some great men. We mightn’t have won had we had those players but we’d have given it a better run.

I was also delighted to see Alan Gaels winning the intermediate after what happened the previous year in Ballinamore. They were up for it and they never  looked in danger either. It was great to see Aughavas winning the Junior and, of course, St Clare’s Manorhamilton winning the All-Ireland Schools - they were something else though. That was a powerful display against good teams too.

Fierce credit to Leitrim GAA for the job that was done on the pitch  in Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada, it was a  mighty powerful job. Everybody is talking about it, even the visiting teams. I heard it from Kiltimagh and other teams who said it was a fantastic job. You have to give credit to the county board and Prunty for doing a powerful job  - it's one of the finest pitches around at the moment. 

LOWLIGHT OF THE YEAR

The fiasco with Fermanagh was shocking - it should never have happened but I suppose they had their own reasons for it. We had a very bad start to the year in the league and to go back down to Division Four again was very disappointing. But then, Steven Poacher came in at the deep end with a very young team and you have to admire them for keeping with them and hopefully it'll pay dividends this year.

PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

It's hard to pass Barry McNulty and the displays he gave over the whole year while  Jack Kelly and Bailey McBride with St Clare’s in winning the All-Ireland and Muireann Devaney was very good again.

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Kerry, you have to give it to them. I was disappointed with Donegal in the final but Kerry were Kerry when the pressure was on. And I have to mention my own club, Leitrim Gaels, they have to be up there. I also thought it was a great evening when Drumkeerin won the Intermediate Ladies title in Kiltubrid - it was great to see them winning it after a lot of tough days.

HERO OF THE YEAR

I wouldn't be a big golf man now but you have to mention Rory McIlroy and Troy Parrott with five goals in two games in the World Cup Qualifiers. Locally, I have to pick Mal Guckian who has been a great servant for Leitrim Gaels. He's been there down the years, for the highs and the lows. I was delighted for him to see him winning it, they were under a lot of pressure last year but he got them across the line. 

EVENT THAT MADE ME GO WOW!

The All-Ireland Hurling Final - you have to give it to Tipperary, they were being written off completely and, at halftime, you'd put your house on Cork to win it but Tipperary came out and tore into them - a good friend of mine, a certain Mr O’Grady, was delighted. David Clifford was also outstanding while seeing the Dublin ladies against Leitrim was something else, they were on a different level and, of course, our own woman, Eilish O’Dowd, played very well that day against her own sister and first cousin - that was an unusual day!

ONE THING I’D DO TO MAKE SPORT BETTER IN 2026

They’ll definitely have to look at the timing of  Leitrim Club  Championships, it was played far too late in the year. The County Finals were two weeks later than 2024, pure madness playing a County Final the last week of October - makes no sense with all the good weather in July and August and then playing a county final when it is getting dark and on wet pitches. I’d look at the schedule of games - players shouldn't have to play every week, week in, week out. They should plan it in such a way that we start the championship here and give them breaks through it.

WHAT ARE THE BIG CHALLENGES FACING LEITRIM SPORT IN 2026?

Emigration again - a lot of lads gone and the numbers seem to be in the big towns and the small rural clubs are struggling. You'd hope that we do well in Division Four but it's not going to be handy but when you look at that Leitrim team that played Fermanagh in a challenge recently, a very young team, very inexperienced. But we’re saying it every year, we never seem to keep the same team year in year out in the senior men’s team. The Ladies are different - they seem to stick together but how come every year we're losing men? I wish Steven Poacher the best of luck on you and see what happens. He had a rough year of it and got out of slack and abuse.

ONE TO WATCH IN 2026

There’s a man I hope does well, Niall Morahan in the soccer. The lads from Manorhamilton - Kelly, McBride and McNulty - and Michelle Guckian if she can recover from her injury, Leah Fox and Muireann Devaney. Eanna McNamara is a good player - you’d want to watch him now I’d tell you. Young Senan  McGowan from Drumshanbo is a great man to take a two pointer and Jamie Rynn from Leitrim Gaels who got man of the match in the Senior Final.