Bohan hails a year of great developments in final Secretary's report

It was a year of development across a number of spheres of our activities, from an infrastructural point of view, the much anticipated redevelopment of the playing surface at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada which is shaping up nicely, to the signs of green shoots at underage level, with much more competitive outings in the Connacht Minor and Under 20 Championships. 

This was trumped by a first triumph in 34 years with the capturing of the prestigious U 16 Fr. Manning Cup in August. In hurling we entered an U20 team for the first time in many years and these lads delivered an All-Ireland C title in May. 

Of course it all started with another trip to Croke Park for the Allianz League Division 4 Final in March as our Senior Footballers gained promotion to Division 3 which was a great achievement in itself. 

However, it’s fair to say the highlight of the year in Leitrim in Gaelic games centred around the Leitrim LGFA Senior Footballers who blazed a trail to take the Mary Quinn Cup as All-Ireland Intermediate Champions amid a frenzy of excitement on the first Sunday of August. In doing so, they brought great honour to the country and the various accolades that have continued to flow since have been most deserved. 

ALLIANZ NFL DIVISION 4

We were now with our backs against the wall, facing a trip to an in-form and promotion bound Laois. It was here that we really discovered ourselves again and with as good a performance as has been seen in years we deservedly earned a late one-point victory. We had gained promotion back to Division 3 and had earned another trip to Croke Park for the Allianz League Final, only the sixth ever visit to HQ for a Leitrim Senior Football team. 

LEITRIM SECRETARY REFLECTS ON THE YEAR OF THREE LEITRIM MANAGERS

However, the Laois lads had learned their lesson and turned on the style to take the title easily. Nonetheless, it was gratifying to have at last delivered on promotion after the previous two seasons had seen us pipped on the last weekend of these respective campaigns. A just league reward for a group of players who had remained loyal to the cause over the term of Andy Moran’s management. 

CONNACHT SFC

Sligo in Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada awaited the week after the league final. Carrying a few injuries from our outing in Croke Park, and saving two players to allow them to remain eligible for a Connacht U20 Championship match the following Wednesday, meant it was a rather changed line up for the joust with Sligo. 

It proved a bridge too far and the Yeatsmen comfortably carried the day to progress in the Connacht Championship.

It was the correct decision to save the U20 players for their own grade. This scenario should be avoidable in the future with a rule in place for 2025 that players can be eligible to play both championship grades once the starting times of the respective games are separated by at least 60 hours. 

HURLING

The Lory Meagher exit brought down the curtain on Olcan Conway’s five-year tenure in charge of the Leitrim Senior Hurlers. We wish to acknowledge the hard work undertaken by Olcan and indeed all those who assisted him along the way. There were challenging times all across the era, starting out in Covid and when you are responsible for the preparation of the team from among a very limited playing pool, it can indeed be at times an onerous task. 

However, the team was always game for any challenge and there are bright shoots ahead with the U20 ahead, and signs of early life for the ancient game beyond the twin bases of Manorhamilton and Carrick-on-Shannon.  

COUNTY U20 HURLING

Am innovation this year was to introduce a C Grade for the U20 Hurlers of the less developed counties at the lower end of the scale. Our youngsters prepared very well for this edition and under the wise eyes of James Keane and Olcan Conway they proved their point, having urged for a competition like this for a considerable time. 

The final was particularly pleasing and exciting, going all the way through extra time to the dreaded penalty shoot-out. These lads etched their place in history as they came out on the right side of the verdict. Since this manner of deciding deadlock has been introduced, Leitrim Senior Footballers have been on the wrong side of fate three times. Thanks to these young lads, perhaps our luck is changing!

COUNTY U20 FOOTBALL

Under the watchful eye of the Senior Management Team led by Andy Moran and with the addition of Ryan Jones to supplement the side line effort, there were some great performances throughout the series, the highlight being the victory over Mayo in Ballinamore, a first at the grade since 1998. 

While the effort fizzled out towards the end, the lads were in with a shout right to the final day of the round robin, in a most finely balanced competition. Any three of the five teams could have made it to the KO stages. It wasn’t to be for us and we had to settle for a Philly McGuinness Cup Final with Mayo in Mohill on April 27th where the away team reversed the earlier result to bring home the trophy and our race was run.

The competition served a most useful purpose, with a number of these young lads added to the Tailteann Cup panel and they all saw game time at a later stage of the Senior Championship Season.   

COUNTY U17 FOOTBALL

Suffice it say the developmental aspect of the inter-county game is still evolving, offering a route to all teams to play at a stage beyond the provincial boundary. A far cry from the ‘one day out’ experience that many generations of young players had to endure at minor grade. 

Leitrim Minor Footballers played seven championship games in 2024, which has to be a record for any Leitrim Team in the history of the championship. Certain adjustments in the competition structures would probably be welcome in the future, particularly beyond the province, and maybe even within it, but there are many who will not agree with me on this. 

FR MANNING CUP

Over all these years Leitrim had only ever managed three previous victories, 1975, 1987 and 1990. History has been updated following a campaign which brought these talented youngsters to the final for the second year in succession in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park where the efforts of a determined and talented Galway City West was not enough to deny our boys their day of glory on final scoreline of Leitrim 2-12 Galway City West 2-9. 

We look forward to a bright future for these young players at both club and county level. They have created a bond and a treasure trove of future memories for themselves that should last a lifetime.     

ADULT CLUB FOOTBALL

For the third time in four years, the eyes of the nation were afforded a glimpse at Leitrim Club Football as GAA Beo transmitted the final live on TG4. It was a magnificent showpiece event which ended level at full-time and the replay was set for the following Saturday. 

A lot of the time, replays fail to live up to expectations. Not this one, it had a bit of everything! Mohill and Ballinamore couldn’t be separated at full-time, not at the end of extra time and the destination of the Fenagh Cup was decided by a penalty shoot-out. With nerves of steel, the Mohill men prevailed to put back to back titles together for the first time in their illustrious history in what was their fifth successive final.

BOHAN QUESTIONS HOW LONG INTER-COUNTY SPEND CAN BE SUSTAINED

These players have served Mohill GAA Club handsomely over the past decade, taking the title five times over this period and doubling their tally of titles to ten, fourth place overall on the Roll of Honour. Spare a thought for the young me of Ballinamore who gave it their all in pursuit of glory. It just wasn’t to be for them on this occasion. 

INTERMEDIATE FINAL

The emotion of both clubs couldn’t be more contrasting. Both sets of players seemed to be in a state of disbelief. It was in itself a remarkable triumph for Melvin Gaels, one can only feel sympathy for lads from Drumshanbo on the manner of their loss. 

The only stain on this occasion, and it was a significant one, was the incident that took place just after the final whistle involving a mentor from the winning team and a match official. 

It has no place on the football field or elsewhere and if events on the field of play defied belief this did also. It was dealt with swiftly and appropriately by CCC Liatroma in the aftermath.

To the credit of the Melvin Gaels Club, they moved with equal pace to deal with it internally also which is to be commended. 

UNDERAGE CLUB FOOTBALL

Underage club football is facing a number of challenges going forward. A recent study into the demographics of the county has laid this bare. It is currently under review and a number of meetings have been held to highlight the future issues. Coming up with a workable solution that incorporates all in a meaningful way is going to be challenging in the New Year but we have to find some workable solution that will provide meaningful completion for all our participants. 

REFEREES

Our thanks to all clubs who have supplied referees over the past season. The same old problems pertaining to supply and demand remain! At the risk of being accused of being ageist, the age profile has increased also, we can’t control that one but if some of our more chronologically challenged officials, after many years in charge of fixture, decided to take a well-earned break we would be in more trouble than we currently are. 

That is not to say that we didn’t attract new referees this past year, we did and they performed admirably and regularly which is most positive. In fact, one such referee informed me that he covered almost 90 matches in 2024 which is a credit to him but also a strain on any one individual.

Perhaps the new experimental rules will be the magic wand to attract new officials. I doubt it, in fact they may make the job even more challenging at club level in 2025. But it is what it is.     

SCHOOLS FOOTBALL

This year has seen a new departure with a combined Leitrim Secondary Schools team participating in the Connacht Colleges A Competition. Last year I penned that “While in its very infancy at this time with the 2023/24 competitions just after commencing it is an interesting development that will afford our young players additional exposure to the highest level of schools’ competition which can only have positive benefits. It has no doubt logistical challenges that stand alone schools wouldn’t have to contemplate, but the advantages may outweigh the disadvantages. We will wait and see without rushing to judgment.” 

It turned out that the maiden voyage provided a steep learning curve. This would not be a simple operation. The learnings in its first year have been utilised wisely and if the evidence of the first game of this year’s campaign is to be used as a gauge, a victory over the famed St. Jarlath’s nursery in Galway, then it definitely has a future worth pursuing. 

SAFETY AND FACILITIES

The headline act here is the ongoing project of works at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada which has progressed nicely over the latter half of the year. It has greened up very healthily and will no doubt be well worth the wait. It’s most unlikely to be available for any Allianz League matches this year, a possible Connacht SFC match in April would be a more realistic target. Time will pass and we are confident we will have a playing surface to be proud of that will place us in a much more stable position in hosting games. 

LGFA

It was a most memorable year for Leitrim LGFA. Bouncing back from the sheer devastation of a league semi-final defeat that was against the run of play they saved their best form for the championship. A seven match winning streak that yielded the Connacht IFC title and ultimately the Mary Quinn Cup as All-Ireland Champions had the county spellbound over the summer months. 

Yes, indeed there were a few scary moments along the way but the belief instilled in the girls by an excellent Management team ensured that they refused to countenance defeat at any stage and the quality of attacking football exhibited in Croke Park on August 4th was noted far and wide. There was great excitement generated along the way and it reached a crescendo with the taking of a National Championship title. 

The awards that have been gathered since have been well deserved and the flow of such awards may not be quite complete. Beyond the awards and the successes, the girls have proved themselves to be tremendous role models and indeed proud ambassadors for our small county. 

Behind the team is an excellent management structure and a hardworking committee which deserve to share in all the plaudits received. We look forward to their continued progress at senior level in 2025, it will be a challenge but one that will be determined to embrace. 

COUNTY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

2025 will bring change as another five-year period seems to have vanished in the blink of an eye. Cathaoirleach Enda Stenson bows out as do Leas Rúnaí Attracta O’Reilly, PRO Barbara Loughlin Byrne and yours truly as Rúnaí. I thank all for their huge dedication to duty over the past five years. It has been a strange five years as we inherited an impending global pandemic which led to an unprecedented period of decision making which involved all facets of life. It overshadowed the first two years of this era, but we managed to help keep the ship afloat. 

While we have managed to find nominations for all outgoing positions, it is a concern that the position of Rúnaí remains vacant at this Convention. This is not without precedent as similar occurred with that of Treasurer heading into 2017. It is a concern going forward and probably indicative of the expectation and workload that is involved in taking on the role of a county officer these days. A re-nomination process has begun and we are nonetheless confident that the role will be filled early in the New Year.