Steps taken to ensure repeat of Fermanagh NFL concession does not happen again promises Leitrim GAA Chairman

Leitrim GAA County Board Chairman Declan Bohan has promised that lessons have been learned from the fallout over the County's decision to concede a walkover to Fermanagh in the 2025 Allianz NFL Division 3 campaign, acknowledging that the decision caused a lot of anger but the Green & Gold Senior team were in an impossible position.

Addressing delegates in his first address as chairman to the Leitrim County Board Convention in The Bush Hotel, Declan addressed the controversial decision not to field a team for the March 16, clash in Ballinamore: "It would be remiss of me not to address the low point of the season, the concession of an Allianz League game with Fermanagh in March.

"This brought a lot of pain and unwanted attention our direction but the facts of the time were very clear, we simply did not have enough fit players to take the field, due to an injury crisis and the demands of an U20 campaign that was about to begin," Declan explained.

The long serving Leitrim GAA official added that lessons had been learned and steps taken to avoid a repeat in the future: "Valuable lessons have been learned from this episode that caused a degree of anger, an offering of many solutions at the time, some that were frankly absurd in addition to just not being possible to realise, given the short time-frame at our disposal.

"Suffice it to say, we regret the entire episode, acknowledge it could have perhaps been handled better, but positive steps have been taken to ensure that something like this does not happen again in the future."

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Looking over a tumultous season for Steven Poacher's Senior team, Declan stressed the youth of the team and the positive signs for the future: "It proved to be a mixed 2026. A very young Leitrim Senior Football panel, possibly one of the youngest ever to represent the county, was shorn of experience due to the unavailability of many of the players who had contributed to the promotion run of 2025.

"Nonetheless they prepared diligently for the Allianz Football League but they found the going tough. It was beyond them as it turned out and our stay in Division 3 proved to be a short one as we were relegated back to Division 4. There was, however, great experience garnered which stood them in good stead as performances improved greatly throughout the championship, with mostly competitive outings.

"It was a relief to finally win a game in 2026, albeit in the final Tailteann Cup game of the season, but not insignificantly it was a positive end to the season.