New Leitrim Schools team a fantastic development for Leitrim football says Stenson

A new combined schools team comprised entirely of Leitrim footballers competing in the Connacht Post Primary Senior A Championship is a fabulous development for football in Leitrim according to County Board Chairman Enda Stenson.

The news that Leitrim players from Post Primary Schools in Leitrim will come together to compete against the giants of schools football on a two year trial basis at Senior level  in the Province is a potential game changer for Leitrim football  in the years ahead.

Connacht GAA approved the ambitious new project at their meeting last week when addressed by Leitrim Games Manager Thomas Keenan and Connacht Council delegate Martin McGowan following on a lot of behind the scenes work from the Leitrim Post Primary Schools committee headed by chairman Shane Ward and secretary Kevin Nolan and the Leitrim Games & Coaching committee. 

Stenson hails new combined Leitrim Post Primary Schools team for Connacht Senior A Championships

Welcoming the news, Leitrim GAA County Board Chairman Enda Stenson reflected the reaction to the development by saying “I have to say this is probably one of the most exciting developments for underage football in a long time. It is a huge development, I don’t think words can put this into its proper contest.

“This is going to bring our footballers at that level to the very top, they won’t be going in as minors raw looking at these great Galway and Mayo footballers - everybody now will be playing at that level and I think it is great, fabulous.”

Leitrim pupils from Carrick-on-Shannon and Ballinamore Community Schools, St Clare’s Comprehensive in Manorhamilton; Mohill Community College and the Vocational Schools in Drumshanbo, Carrigallen and Lough Allen (Drumkeerin) will be eligible for the team which means pupils attending those schools from Roscommon, Sligo or Cavan will not be eligible.

The all Leitrim feature was an absolute non-negotiable according to Enda: “It had to be like that - it is for the development of Leitrim players, that is what we wanted. We didn’t want it willy-nilly across the board, it had to be for the development of Leitrim players. That is what it is for and that is what it will achieve and I just think it is fabulous for Leitrim football.”

The news of the combined Schools team comes after the reorganisation of the structures of underage football in the county with the fruits beginning to be seen on the football field and  Enda Stenson has urged clubs to get behind the new project: “I’ve been talking to a lot of people since the news broke and everybody is excited, nobody more so than the young fellows who are going to be involved. It may be easy to say this but I think it is an exciting time for Leitrim football, particularly at underage. 

“The work that has been put in and there has been great work put in by GDAs, contrary to what some people might say, there is wonderful work being done on the ground and that has been shown this year in the Humphrey Kelleher Cup, the Fr Manning Cup and this is another level for our players to get to and I think it has to be onwards and upwards.

“It is up to everyone involved, every coach with every club, to get their best players and put them forward for this and the schools in particular. I know our schools in particular are thrilled with this.”

The County Board Chairman thanked those who brought the idea to fruition: “This has been mooted for many years as the way to go and I so want to thank the people involved for bringing it this far. Martin McGowan and his team along with John Prenty who have brought this to the table and got it over the line. 

“There was total support from the other counties and I just have to say that John Prenty was fantastic, he was very receptive, happy that this would be good for Leitrim football and that it was the way to go, particularly that we were confining it to Leitrim players.   I have no doubt with the people involved, it will be run properly, structured properly and everybody will be in with a fair shout -  it is a fantastic achievement and wonderful for Leitrim football.”

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The Leitrim team will find themselves against some of the powerhouses of schools’ football. Last year's competition was divided into two groups of four with Summerhill Sligo topping Group 1 ahead of Colaiste Bhaile Chlair of Claregalway, St Gerard's Castlebar and Westport's Rice College. In Group 1, St Colman's of Claremorris were top ahead of Ballinrobe Community School and Galway giants St Jarlath's and St Joseph's. 

Carrick-on-Shannon CS were Leitrim's only representative in the B championship with St Clare's Manorhamilton, Ballinamore CS and Mohill CC competing in the C championship with Ballinamore reaching the Connacht Final. Drumshanbo and Carrigallen VS competed in the D championship while Lough Allen College topped their group in the Senior E grade before losing to Elphin VS in the Final.