Electric Ireland Connacht Minor Championship - www.leitrimgaa.ie/2024/04/electric-ireland-connacht-minor-championship/
Leitrim v Sligo
19th April
6-45pm
Markievicz Park Sligo
Tickets can only be purchased through the link, there will be No Tickets on sale at the ground on matchday
universe.com/events/electric-ireland-connacht-minor-football-round-2-sligo-v-leitrim-tickets-9B74C1…
#ConnachtGAA
Leitrim County Minor 2024 Joint Captains Oran Foley Allen Gaels and Luke Farrell Glencar Manorhamilton.
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Click link for full details
www.leitrimgaa.ie/2024/04/electric-ireland-connacht-minor-championship/
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Ballinamore Football Country
Connacht U-20 Championship- Leitrim v Roscommon Ballinamore
This is it. Knockout .Win and you progress to the semi-final, lose and you are out. The venue is Ballinamore.
When it comes to Leitrim GAA and in particular senior club champions, Ballinamore are top of the list and the Kings with twenty one (21) senior club championships. Just out the road from Ballinamore is Aughawillan who are next on the list with twelve (12) senior titles. Out of the total (116) senior club championship between the two clubs they have won thirty three (33) or an astonishing 28% of all championships. There is no doubt this is football country. Go into Gay Priors pub in Ballinamore and you are walking into a photo gallery of successful Ballinamore teams down the years.
Both clubs had their star footballers. Some players I never saw playing, some I played with, and some I saw playing. One player I never saw playing was Columba Cryan the holder of two Railway Cup medals (1957 & 1958) with Connacht. Historian and author Fr. Dan Gallogly writing in 1984 in the Ballinamore Sean O'Heslin's GAA Centenary Book. "It is true to say that from 1950 to 1960 Columba Cryan was the outstanding Ballinamore player. Few players in the county could match him. He gave dedicated and loyal service to both his club and his county and will always rank as one of Sean O'Heslin's best players".
Played full forward for Leitrim in the Connacht Finals of 1957, 1958 and right full forward in the 1959 & 1960 Connacht Finals.
His last game with Leitrim was in 1962 after a defeat by Meath in the All Ireland Junior Championship.
Ballinamore’s period of dominance in winning senior championships was the 60’s and 70’s when they won 8, with Aughawillan’s dominance in the 80’s and 90’s winning 6 in that period. Ballinamore’s last senior championship was 2021 with Aughawillan’s in 2018.
When Leitrim won the Connacht Championship in 1994 Ballinamore had three players on the team, Joey Honeyman, Paul Kieran, and Liam Conlon with Brian Breen and , Ciaran Mahon in the subs, Aughawillan had three players on the team, Gerry Flanagan, Declan Darcy and Mickey Quinn, with Martin Prior and Thomas Quinn in the subs, a massive contribution by the two clubs.
Noel Crossan, Ollie Honeyman, and Paddy Dolan from Ballinamore and All Star Mickey Quinn (Aughawillan) were all selected on the Leitrim GAA Team Of The Millennium and without doubt they were a class apart. Ollie was ‘ A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma’. He wasn’t the fastest but he always ended up with the ball. As a player Ollie was a favourite with the supporters and his status as a Leitrim great was enhanced as a team selector in 1994 alongside Joe Reynolds with team manager John O Mahony .
On the U-20 team v Sligo last week three Ballinamore players lined out, Paul Moran, Michael McBrien, and Paul Honeyman, with Killian Maguire and Naoise McManus in the subs. That is a big representation for a club and is hugely positive for Ballinamore’s future. Tom Plunkett is the sole Aughawillan player on the U-20 team. Paul Honeyman is Joey’s son, football is in his genes and they are not Wrangler.
The Ballinamore grounds are compact and with so many local players you expect it to be an advantage.
Match
When Roscommon came out on the field they looked bigger and stronger than Leitrim.
Roscommom opened impressively and led 0-2 to 0-0 and looked the better team. Ben Guckian broke through the Roscommon defense to rattle the onion bag followed by a Paul Honeyman point to put Leitrim in the lead 1-1 to 0-2. Roscommon dominated and scored 0-4 without reply. Leitrim kept in touch with 0-2 to tie up the game at 1-3 to 0-6. Roscommon followed with 2-1 to put them into a commanding lead 2-7 to 1-3
Roscommon started the second half well and scored the first two points . Roscommon were in total control and when Leitrims Darren Cox was red carded Leitrims task became impossible. Rosommons Bobby Nugent (2-3) and Shane McGinley (0-7) were a class apart. I cannot finish without a special mention of Jack Foley, Barry McNulty and Ben Guckian who gave everything they had and could give nothing more. On the night Roscommon were bigger stronger and by far the better team . No arguments about the result only disappointment we didn't do better. Final Score Roscommon 3-16 Leitrim 2-6
Eamonn Duignan.
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