Leitrim GAA appoint Enda Lyons as new County U20 football manager

Leitrim GAA County Board have announced that former Carrigallen and Leitrim keeper Enda Lyons has been appointed as the new manager of the County U20 Football team for the 2026 season.

Lyons succeeds former Leitrim star and senior team selector Barry McWeeney who guided the County U20 side this year to a first ever victory in the Philly McGuinness Cup in the Connacht U20 Shield Final, the Green & Gold going down to eventual All-Ireland B Champions Westmeath in the All-Ireland Final.

A long time goalkeeper with both club and county, Enda has tasted success with Leitrim teams in the past, coaching the Minor team to the Connacht Minor League title in 2014, the last time Leitrim won the now discontinued competition, before going on to coach the Leitrim team who won the Connacht Junior Football Championship in 2017, the last time Leitrim won the also now discontinued competition for second string selections from certain counties and Junior and intermediate club footballers.

Lyons has also worked extensively with clubs in Leitrim and the surrounding area while he also served for a number of years as the Strength & Conditioning coach for the Leitrim Senior Hurling team under Olcan Conway. The former Leitrim star is also the new Sports Coordinator for the Leitrim Sports Partnership, having taken on the full-time role last May.

Lyons brings with him a very experienced management team with former Leitrim Minor team manager Adrian Dockery one of his coaches and selectors. Current Leitrim Games Development Co-ordinator and former Galway Minor team keeper Cormac Haslam will serve as goalkeeping coach with former Leitrim GAA GDO Sean Gallagher also on board as a coach and selector.

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The selector team is completed by former Leitrim GAA County Board Coaching officer Hughie Clinton from St Patrick's Dormahair. Also on board the management team is the highly rated Darragh Finn who is serving as the Strength & Conditioning Coach for Leitrim teams for the past three years while Paddy Beirne completes the line-up with the Stats team.

In a statement released on their website, Leitrim GAA said "Following last night’s Management Committee meeting, Leitrim GAA confirms approval for the appointment of Enda Lyons as U20 Football Team Manager for 2026, subject to ratification at the next meeting of Leitrim GAA County Committee.

Enda brings a wealth of experience to the role as a former Leitrim Senior Goalkeeper from Carrigallen GAA Club and was a long-serving member of our Coaching & Games team as a GDA.

He previously managed Leitrim Minor Squads and Development Squads and led the Management Team that won the Connacht Minor League in 2014. He has also worked alongside previous Leitrim Football Senior Management Teams.

Enda will be assisted by the following experienced backroom team:

• Adrian Dockery (Selector/Coach)
• Seán Gallagher (Selector/Skills Coach)
• Hughie Clinton (Selector)
• Cormac Haslam (Goalkeeping Coach)
• Darragh Finn (S & C)
• Paddy Beirne (Stats)

Leitrim GAA extends its thanks to all who expressed interest in the role and looks forward to working with Enda and this new management team over the term of their stewardship and wishes them the very best of luck for the 2026 season."