Sam Maguire, not Tailteann Cup, is Keith Beirne's main target for Leitrim in 2023

If Leitrim want to improve, they’ve got to play the big teams and the best way of doing that is competing for the Sam Maguire rather than the Tailteann Cup according Allianz League top scorer and Leitrim star Keith Beirne as the Green & Gold prepare to take on New York next Saturday.

Leitrim’s focus may be on ensuring that they don’t endure a hiccup in Gaelic Park on Saturday, where they’ve twice been taken to extra time by the Exiles in the last 20 years, but their scoring talisman is very much looking ahead to the future

With one team from Leitrim, New York, Sligo or London guaranteed a place in the Connacht Final and in the battle for the Sam Maguire, Keith pours cold water on any suggestions that Andy Moran’s side might be better off if they stayed in the Tailteann Cup, the Mohill man setting his sights on the big boys!

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“We want to be in the Sam Maguire,” is Keith’s bold assertion, adding “We want to play at the top level, we want to get better and for us to get better we need a Connacht Final appearance, lads deserve that day out for all the work they’ve put in - Connacht Finals don’t come around too often.

“So to say we’d prefer to go to the Tailteann is just a silly excuse, we want to get into the Sam Maguire - we wanted to be seeded first or second and hopefully bring a crowd of ten or 12,000 here against a Division 2 team and get a win.”

To do that, first Leitrim must endure their own rumble in the Bronx on Saturday April 8, when they take on the unknown challenge of New York and Keith agrees it is a tricky challenge, particularly with the game being played on an artificial surface.

“It is tricky with the New York trip because of the lack of astro time we’ve had,” admits the Leitrim freetaker, “When we went over in 2018 we were over in Ballyhaunis and up in Cavan, training on astros so we had five or six weeks prep for the surface. We have only a week and a half really to get ready for that surface so it is going to be tricky.”

Yet the tighter schedule of League and championship games may prove to be a blessing because Leitrim have had clashes with Laois, Wicklow and Sligo that were played at real championship intensity while New York haven’t had the same opportunity: “It is one we won’t be complaining about because these games in the League are all played like championship games. We’re coming off championship prep playing all these games whereas hopefully New York hasn't got as much match practice.”

Keith’s incredible scoring feats in the Green & Gold in 2023 which saw him end the Allianz Leagues as the competition’s top scorer across all four divisions, has led to greater recognition among the GAA public nationally but rather than see the attention is a hindrance, he only see the positives.

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“To be honest, I’m loving it because we’re getting more recognition when people see the standard we have here in Leitrim and we’re well able to put it up to very good teams. Look at Fermanagh in the Division 3 Final and we played that Fermanagh team in January and drew with them in a challenge right before playing League so there is nothing between any Division 3 and Division 4 teams.”

And Keith is quick to share the credit around for his scoring tallies: “When I’m getting a bit of coverage nationally, the team is getting a bit of coverage. To be honest, I can do nothing out there by myself - you see two lads pulling out of me, I need lads to make runs, makes lines, win handy frees for me so it is all a team effort but it is nice to see that if I get a bit of recognition nationally, the team gets it, we all deserve it.”

Right now, the target is New York with an exodus of Leitrim fans from Irish shores from the game but for Keith and his teammates, the emphasis is on securing a win and getting ready for a Connacht Semi-Final against Sligo or London: “It is going to be a massive build up and there is going to be a lot over there, there is very little room for error because the games roll one week into the next. 

“If we beat New York, all going well, we’re playing two weeks later and it is a Saturday so you need to get bodies right, get bodies back - you have a week of travelling there so you really only have a week of prep so it is just trying to keep sharp and keep lads on the pitch.”