Stenson vows never to return to New York's Gaelic Park after "horrible, horrible experience"

Leitrim GAA County Board Chairman Enda Stenson has vowed never to return to New York’s Gaelic Park for any match after what he described a situation he described as “horrible, horrible” for the Green & Gold’s dramatic exit from the Connacht Senior Football Championship last April.

Stenson, who enters his final year as chairman of the County Board, made his surprising remarks at Thursday’s Leitrim GAA Convention, recalling the shock defeat on penalties to New York as the “biggest disappointment and heartbreak” of the year.

Refusing to elaborate on specific details, the Leitrim chairman said he will never be back in Gaelic Park with any Leitrim team or any team after what happened that night: “All I can say is that I have to say I was a bit disappointed with the year for us. The biggest disappointment was and the biggest heartbreak was Gaelic Park in New York and it probably was from my point of view, having anything to do with the GAA, one of the lowest points. 

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“I will never ever forget that Holy Saturday night at midnight in Gaelic Park. While I didn’t see the penalties, I saw no penalties being taken that night, it was just horrible, horrible. I was just disappointed at everything, and I’m not going to go into the details into what happened and whatever but a lot of things rowed against us.

“You would have to think that some of that was deliberate or whatever, it was ‘hit the weakest link’. I can safely say that, for myself, I will never be back with any Leitrim team or any team ever in Gaelic Park because of what happened that night. It was so, so disappointing and it took a long time for everybody to get over.”

Despite that, the Leitrim chairman believes that the Green & Gold are due for a breakthrough: “I am hugely optimistic about our senior team going forward for this year -I haven’t managed to be at as much training sessions as I would like to be but it is a phenomenal effort that is being put in. The enthusiasm of the players and the management leave nothing at this stake to chance.

“All I can say is that I am so looking forward to the year ahead. This will be my last year as chair and I am fully confident that this is our year, something is going to happen this year. I am so looking forward to 2024, with the right attitude by everybody and everybody pulling together, this is where we belong.”

Stenson also praised the development of the Leitrim schools team, saying that it will take a while to bed in but has huge potential for Leitrim football: “There was also a development this year with the Leitrim Schools team. I know it is hard to get off the ground, it is difficult but I want to thank Martin McGowan and Thomas Keenan for the work they have put in on this, they put in a lot of work and I think it is great for our players of that age to be involved with this. I know it is not easy the first year but a structure is in place for years going forward.”