‘Unbelievable, no words’: Young Rynn takes Man of the Match award in Leitrim final  

“Unbelievable, no words,” was Jamie Rynn’s reaction to winning Man of the Match after his club’s first-ever Connacht Gold Leitrim Senior Football Final win.

One of the youngest players on the field, at just nineteen years old, Rynn’s marauding runs forward helped the team to victory as they overtook Ballinamore in the final third of the game.

“We always thought that if we stuck to our system and played our game we would get over the line, it was very tight at half time obviously.”

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The Gaels man was happily surprised to have taken the Man of the Match award following the game. “I thought I played well enough, but I didn’t know I was going to get this now, so it is obviously an added bonus, it was all a team effort at the end of the day.”

This marked the first year the Leitrim final was played on the newly resurfaced Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, and it was a pleasure to step out and play on it, says Rynn.

“It felt good, Páirc Seán is in some nic, it was like a carpet out there, the ball was moving well off it.”

The fans in the stadium added to the occasion, and there was a significant din in the air during the game. Blocking out the noise was one element of the final, and another was getting up to speed with the physicality, says Rynn.

“It was intense now from start to finish, there were hits going in, I thought it was fairly intense for the whole way through, Eamon did a good job keeping it maintained.”

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The significance of the day was not lost on Rynn, but he acknowledged the length of time some members of Leitrim Gaels, like Aiden Flynn, Conor Guckian, and the management, had been working for this result.

“It is so much more special for those boys, but it is still fairly special for me I am going to enjoy myself now for the next couple of days, I suppose.”

“I am only nineteen now, everyone says they don’t come around too often, but hopefully now I will be in a few more of them before I finish up.” Adding, “A while away yet, but it is good to get one done this early.”

More uncharted territory awaits this Leitrim Gaels team as they head into Connacht. It is not clear who they will face yet, though it isn’t even on their minds just yet.

“Sure, look it, we haven't really thought that far ahead yet,” he says. “Whoever we get we will just prep well and hopefully give it a good bash too and do ourselves proud on that stage too.”