Mohill celebrate after winning the Fenagh Cup last October. Photo by Willie Donnellan
Leitrim's showpiece Senior and Intermediate Club Championship Finals have been fixed for the weekend of October 13 & 14, as Leitrim GAA have released their fixtures master plan for 2018.
Clubs and players will have a bit more clarity in their planning as the Master Fixture List has been revealed which will see Senior and Intermediate teams play 11 League games and five guaranteed Championship games between the weekend of March 31/April 1, and September 9.
With clubs already in action at Division 3 & 4 level, some young players may not see their year finish until the end of the November with the U20 Championship fixed for weekend of November 24/25.
Although the fixtures have been issued, clubs are asked to note that fixtures in May, June and July are dependent on the progress of Leitrim teams in the Senior and U20 Connacht Championships and All-Ireland Qualifiers as well as the Nicky Rackard Cup.
Friday night games are provided for in all five rounds of the club stages of the Senior and Intermediate grades and even the Quarter-Finals with the Championship starting on the weekend of July 27, 28 & 29. The Division 1 & 2 League Finals are also provisionally fixed for the weekend of October 27 & 28.
On the Hurling front, the Senior Final is fixed for either the weekend of October 6 & 7, or Saturday, October 13, some three months after the group stages are down for decision and could also clash with the dates for the Senior, Intermediate and Junior A & B Finals. And given the number of football teams the hurling clubs draw from, a clash looks more than possible.
Certainly with such a tight schedule, Fixture planners will be hoping that the weather for the remainder of the year is better than it has been for the last few years in September and October with the Senior & Intermediate Finals taking place a week later than 2017.
The full list of dates for club and county fixtures is as follows:
CLUB FOOTBALL & HURLING FIXTURES
March 10/11: Division 3 & 4 round 2
March 18/19: Division 3 & 4 round 3
Wednesday March 21: Tain League (Adult)
Saturday, March 24: Tain League (U15)
March 24/25: Division 3 & 4 round 4
Wednesday, March 28 : Tain League (Adult)
Saturday, March 28: Tain League (U15)
March 31/April 1: Division 1 & 2 Round 2
April 7/08: Division 1 & 2 Round 4
Wednesday, April 11: Tain League (Adult)
Saturday, April 14: Tain League (U15)
April 14/15: Division 1 & 2 Round 5
Wednesday, April 18: Tain League (Adult)
Saturday, April 21: Tain League (U15)
April 21/22: Division 3 & 4 Round 5
Wednesday, April 25: Tain League (Adult)
Saturday, April 28: Tain League (U15)
April 28/29: Division 3 & 4 Round 6
Saturday, May 5: Tain League (U15)
May 5, 6 & 7: Make-up games Divisions 1, 2, 3 & 4
May 12/13: Division 1 & 2 Round 6
May 19/20: Division 1 & 2 Round 1 (without county players except Cloone v Melvin Gaels)
May 26/27: Division 2 Cloone v Melvin Gaels; Division 3 Round 8 & 4 Round 7
June 2/3/4: Division 1 & 2 Round 7
June 9/10: Division 3 Round 9, Division 4 Round 8
June 16/17: Division 1 & 2 Round 3 (without county players)
June 23/24: Division 2 Glencar/Manorhamilton v Ballinamore Sean O’Heslin’s; Division 3 Round 10, Division 4 Round 9
Wednesday June 27: Division 2 Round 10 Mohill v Carrigallen; Kiltubrid v Melvin Gaels; Glencar/Manorhamilton v Drumreilly; Annaduff v Ballinamore Sean O’Heslin’s
June 30/July 1: Division 1 & 2 Round 8
Sunday July 1: Senior Hurling Championship Ballinamore v Cluainin
Wednesday July 4: Division 3 Round 11
Saturday July 7: Senior Hurling Championship Ballinamore v Carrick-on-Shannon
July 07/08: Division 3 & 4 Finals; Division 1 & 2 Round 9
Wednesday, July 11: Division 1 Round 10; Division 2 St. Patrick’s Dromahair v Allen Gaels; Cloone v Bornacoola
July 14/15: Division 1 & 2 Round 11
Sunday July 15: Senior Hurling Championship Carrick-on-Shannon v Cluainin; Division 3 Final possible
July 20, 21 & 22: Make-up games Division 1, 2, 3 & 4
July 27, 28 & 29: Senior, Intermediate & Junior A Championship Round 1
August 3, 4, 5 7 6: Senior & Intermediate Championship Round 2, Junior B Championship Round 1
August 10, 11 & 12: Senior & Intermediate Championship Round 3, Junior A Championship Round 2
Saturday, August 18: Junior A Championship Round 3, Junior B Championship Round 2
August 24, 25 & 26: Senior & Intermediate Championship Round 4, Junior B Championship Round 3
September 1/02: Junior A Championship Quarter-Finals
September 7/8/9: Senior & Intermediate Championship Round 5, Junior A Championship Quarter-Finals
September 14/15/16: Senior & Intermediate Championship Quarter Finals
September 21/22/23: Possible replays, Junior A & B Championship Semi-Finals, Relegation Semi-Finals
September 28, 29 & 30: Senior & Intermediate Championship Semi-Finals
October 6/07: Hurling Final (if possible); Possible Senior & Intermediate replays, Junior A & B Championship Finals, Relegation Finals
Saturday October 13: Hurling Final (if possible)
October 13/14: Senior & Intermediate Championship FInals
October 20/21: Junior A & B Finals, Senior Hurling Final, County Final replays
October 27/28: County Finals replays, Division 1 & 2 League Finals
Monday October 29: Connacht Junior Hurling Semi-Final Leitrim v Sligo
Saturday November 3: Connacht Intermediate & Junior Club Championship (Leitrim v Sligo)
Sunday November 4: Connacht Junior Hurling Final
Saturday November 10: Connacht Intermediate & Junior Club Championship (Roscommon v Leitrim/Sligo)
Sunday November 11: Connacht Senior Club Championship (Leitrim v Sligo/Mayo)
Saturday November 17: Make up games Division 1 & 2 League Finals
November 24/25: U20 Championship
COUNTY MEN & LADIES FIXTURES
Sunday March 4: Allianz NHL Division 3B Leitrim v Cavan in Ballinamore 2.30; Ladies NFL Division 3 Leitrim v Down
Sunday, March 18: Allianz NFL Division 4 Waterford v Leitrim
Saturday March 24: Ladies NFL Division 3 Roscommon v Leitrim
Sunday, March 25: Allianz NFL Division 4 Leitrim v Wicklow
Saturday, March 31: Allianz NFL Division 4 London v Leitrim
Sunday April 1: Ladies NFL Division 3 Leitrim v Longford
Friday May 4: Connacht MFC Mayo v Leitrim
Saturday May 5: Ladies NFL Division 3 Final
Sunday May 6: Connacht SFC: New York v Leitrim in Gaelic Park
Wednesday May 9: Connacht Junior FC Leitrim v Mayo/Roscommon
Sunday May 13: Connacht Junior FC Final
Saturday May 19: Nicky Rackard Cup Donegal v Leitrim
Saturday May 26: Connacht SFC: New York/Leitrim v Roscommon
Saturday June 2: Nicky Rackard Cup Leitrim v Tyrone
June 2-3: All-Ireland SFC Preliminary Round (if required)
Saturday June 9: All-Ireland SFC Round 1; Connacht U20 FC Mayo v Leitrim; Nicky Rackard Cup Semi-Final
Sunday June 17: Connacht SFC & U20 Final
Saturday June 23: All-Ireland SFC Round 2; Connacht MFC Leitrim v Roscommon; Nicky Rackard Cup Final
Friday June 29: Connacht MFC Sligo v Leitrim
Saturday June 30: All-Ireland SFC Round 3
Friday July 6: Connacht MFC Leitrim v Galway
July 7-8: All-Ireland SFC Round 4; All-Ireland Junior FC Semi-Finals
Friday, July 13: Connacht MFC Final
July 14/15: All-Ireland SFC Quarter-Finals Phase 1; All-Ireland U20 FC Semi-Finals
July 21/22: All-Ireland SFC Quarter Finals Phase 2; All-Ireland Junior FC Final
July 28/29: All-Ireland MFC Quarter Finals
August 4/5/6: All-Ireland SFC Quarter Finals Phase 3; All-Ireland U20 FC Final
Saturday August 11 & 12: All-Ireland SFC & MFC Semi-Finals (Replays August 18/19)
Sunday August 19: All-Ireland SHC Final (Replay Saturday September 8)
Sunday September 2: All-Ireland SFC Final (Replay Saturday September 15)
Sunday September 16: Ladies All-Ireland Finals
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