Confidence flows through Garrity & Leitrim ahead of Lidl LGFA NFL Division 4 Final

Never one to indulge in hyperbole, when Jonny Garrity professes his confidence ahead of next Sunday’s Lidl LGFA NFL Division 4 Final against Carlow in Birr’s Grant Heating St Brendan’s Park (2pm throw-in), one tends to pay attention to the Leitrim manager.

Most managers downplay their confidence ahead of a big game, mixing a blend of ‘we’re going to win it’ and the ‘opposition are favourites’ to downplay any hype but Garrity displays a welcome assurance in his team’s ability and their ability to deliver on the big occasion.

“We're always going to be confident and that goes for every single match that we'll play this year,” Garrity told the Observer ahead of next Sunday’s clash with Carlow, “We're privileged to see the girls' training week in, week out, and we know the quality that they possess, and the level of performance that they've got within them. 

“Because of that, of course, we're confident. We know at the same time that Carlow are a very, very strong team and it's going to be a tough encounter. But if we can play to the levels that we're capable of, we're going to be very, very confident, and confident in any match this year.”

Events in Elphin may have commanded the most attention but you can be sure that Garrity has done his homework on Carlow’s 4-11 to 2-8 victory over Offaly in the other semi-final: “Carlow got their lead up with the wind and when Offaly were coming at them in the second half, they probably got a few big scores at big moments to keep their noses in front.

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“It was a really good victory for them but certainly not a surprising one given how well they've been going. We know that it's going to be a really big challenge for us coming up against such a good team, well-drilled and with momentum.

“But it's one that we really relish because we feel as though the last time out we probably didn't show the best version of ourselves. There's certainly an incentive there to go out and perform to the highest level of our ability, and if we do, I think that they'll see that it'll be a very different game.”

That game, in the last game of the League phase, saw Leitrim surrender their unbeaten run in 2026 as Carlow scored an impressive 2-7 to 0-11 victory, turning around a six point halftime deficit in Heartland Credit Union Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada. 

Against the wind, Carlow adopted a possession based approach, holding onto the ball at one stage for the guts of ten minutes before going more attack orientated in the second and Garrity expects a very different encounter in Birr: “I would expect so, and as much as it was frustrating for us, I think they'd come out of that first half realising that that didn't work very much for them either. 

“They'd come out of the first half 7-1 down - we were content enough with the scoreline but certainly frustrated with the shape of the game. They got much more joy in the second half, and we would look to the second half as certainly an area to improve upon.

“We would expect to see that they'll be much more ambitious this time round, and hopefully it'll make for a good game.”

That game wasn’t an attractive one of supporters but Garrity admits that enjoyment is not really a factor for players when it comes to preparing for any game, let alone a Final: “I don't think you can turn around to players and say enjoy it, because it's something that you enjoy with the benefit of hindsight if you're looking at it. 

“In the moment, it is very much trying to implement our game plan and if we can do that effectively, we know we are going to have a good chance. That would be my message to them, let our training and tactical gameplan, which is so well embedded, be our pathway, let that be our road to, hopefully, success.”

Leitrim head into the Final with almost a clean bill of health despite the exertions of extra time in the semi-final victory over Sligo: “We've been quite fortunate. Even one or two injuries that we have had seem to be clearing up a little bit, so at the moment there's no fresh injury concerns, and we'll be going in with a full panel as things stand.”

It gives the Leitrim manager some selection headaches ahead of the final as he underlined the impact of the substitutions against Sligo: “Massive impact, not only with the intensity which you were hoping for, you would hope for that  infusion of energy, but also with the quality they brought. 

“I think that's really important and it is what every manager would love from their bench, something we’ve got in abundance. Regardless of what combination of players start the game, we know that we're going to have real quality to come in to finish it, so that's something that we're very well aware of.

“Our approach is always that the girls who are lucky enough to start should give us the footing in the match to be as competitive as possible and as intense as possible, for as long as possible. That will then, by extension, give those finishers the best chance to come in and make their mark as well. We're blessed with the panel we've got, and we're going to need them all.”

For all that, the increasing strength in depth is making selecting the team that bit harder for Garrity and his backroom team: “Definitely not easier, harder if anything because when you give girls a chance, be it to start or finish and they take the chance, and everybody, by and large, is playing well and putting in a huge effort at training and in games so it is extremely difficult to choose. 

“All we can do is pick the team that we think is the right team for that opposition and that day. The girls are honest enough, and they're understanding enough to know that we've got a tough job as management. We make the choices for the right reasons and everybody's completely united on that.”

One cloud on the horizon is the clash of fixtures with Leitrim Men’s Connacht SFC clash in Markievicz Park, a clash made all the more frustrating by the decision to reschedule the LGFA Division 3 Final to Saturday, a move that could have allowed far more Leitrim fans take in both games.

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But it is a discussion, one senses, that has left Garrity weary from repetition over the years: “It seems to be a discussion that you have most years, really, that there's a fixture clash somewhere along the line. I'm not going to waste my time thinking about it. We're going to be focused on the things that we've got any element of control over, and that's not one of them at the moment. 

“These are the hallmarks of associations not being integrated, and maybe communications between the associations not being where they should be, and maybe a lack of common sense somewhere along the line.”

Whatever about the repetitiveness of fixture clashes, Garrity would be quite happy to endure another repeat of the exciting finale of the League Semi-Final or Leitrim’s run to the All-Ireland Intermediate title in 2024 next Sunday if it means Leitrim lifting another piece of silverware on Garrity’s watch!

“It would be lovely to have a comfortable victory, but at the same time, we'll take it any way it comes. One sure thing over the years, the girls have certainly given the supporters their value for money and some amazing memories and fantastic matches over the course. Sligo was a game that'll fall into that category and the Carlow match could well be one of them as well.”