Leitrim to face Laois in Croke in Allianz NFL Division 4 Final

Leitrim will take on Laois in this year's Allianz NFL Division 4 Final in Croke Park next Easter Saturday, March 30, at 5pm after Andy Moran's side sealed promotion and a place in the final.

However, there was heartbreak for Leitrim Ladies when Limerick hit a goal seven minutes into injury time in Woodmount on Sunday in the Lidl LGFA Division 4 Semi-Final to end the dreams of Jonny Garrity's side of a Leitrim promotion double, consigning the Green & Gold Ladies to another year in Division 4.

Croke Park have confirmed that Leitrim's game against Laois will be the curtain raiser on Saturday for the Division 3 Final between Down and Westmeath (7.15 pm throw-in). Leitrim's game will throw-in at 5pm with the teams battling it out for the Division 4 title.

It means an incredibly busy few weeks for Leitrim with the Connacht Senior Championship clash with Sligo confirmed for Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon just eight days later on Sunday April 7 (3pm throw-in) but that will bother few Green & Gold fans after Leitrim won promotion back to Division 3 for the first time since 2020.

It means that Leitrim will two derby clashes in 2025 in Division 3 with Fermanagh (relegated from Division 2) and Sligo among Leitrim's potential opponents next year along with Laois, Offaly, Antrim, Clare and Kildare.

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However, for Leitrim Ladies, there was a dramatic and heartbreak finish to Sunday's Lidl LGFA Division 4 Semi-Final with Limerick. Muireann Devaney's goal six minutes into added time seemed to have stolen victory from Limerick's grasp after the Treaty women led from start to finish but when Leitrim won the resulting kickout but then lost possession, Limerick struck for a game winning goal from Iris Kennelly.

It is the second time Leitrim have lost out in semi-finals in the past four years, the other two years Leitrim suffered defeats in the finals and exposes a flaw in the Division 4 structure this year as table toppers Fermanagh also suffered a 2-8 to 1-10 defeat at the hands of Carlow.

It means that the top two teams after seven games in Division 4 have both missed out on promotion with Division 4 the only Division to have semi-finals - had the same format being used in Division 4, both Fermanagh and Leitrim, who lost and drew one game between them, have now missed out on promotion at the hands of Limerick and Carlow who lost two games each and drew two more.