Archive for category: Club Football

This afternoon in Pairc Seán Mac Diarmada

Two teams

One winner

Throw in 4.30pm

(e.t. if necessary)

Nothing beats being there

18-Oct-14 by Leitrim GAA

08-Oct-14 by Colette Fox – PRO

John Lynch from Shannonside – analysis and interviews with players from both camps ahead of Sundays eagerly awaited Connacht Gold Leitrim Senior Football Final between Aughawillan and St Marys in Páirc Seán MacDiarmada.

27-Sep-14 by Leitrim GAA

Come up for the Match

Leitrim’s big day is on Sunday, the annual pilgrimage to Páirc Seán MacDiarmada for the Minor and Connacht Gold Senior Football Finals.

What club in the county would not want to be part of it all? Who would not want to play in a Senior Championship Final? Is there a young footballer anywhere that would not jump at the opportunity to slip on a club jersey in a county Minor Final?

Last Sunday Croke Park did not have a vacant seat. Supporters of both counties and GAA followers from every county filled the stands and the terraces. But many had come from afar. When a county makes it to the All Ireland, a fever grips every corner, every household, every townland, every native. Flights are booked at short notice and Gaels pay top dollar to fly home from all corners, be they near or far – Australia, the States, South America, Europe, Liverpool or mainland Europe; sun holidays are abandoned; the phone calls home tell the relations to beg, borrow or steal tickets. Then, of course, there are GAA enthusiasts who fly in every year, irrespective of who makes it to the final, the few bob is put aside for this weekend, year after year. The wonder is, where do all the tickets manÓge to come from?

The good news for Sunday is that the games in Carrick are not all ticket, like the mobiles it’s pay as you go. And do you know, there will be as much excitement, or more, than there was with Kerry and Donegal in Croker. The rebirth of Aughawillan, a club whose password is passion, coming up against the reigning champions, St. Mary’s. There will be more at Mass in Carrick Church on Sunday morning than live in the whole parish of Aughawillan. But it’s not the dog in the fight that counts, it’s the fight in the dog. So be there.

Get there in time for the Minor game, with St. Manchan’s – Mohill, Eslin and Cloone – taking on St. Felim’s, the Ballinamore/Aughavas combination. Each side contains stars in their own right, who have played Minor for Leitrim and Senior for their own clubs. This will be a close one.

On your way in, make sure you get the Match Programme. It’s top class and chock full of info on the four clubs, the teams, the match officials, the youngsters from Annaduff, Aughnasheelin, Leitrim Gaels and Drumkeerin who line out in the exhibitionÓgames, together with memories and memorabilia and super, super photographs. It could be a lucky programme for you too – each one is numbered and a draw will be held at half time in the Senior game for a prize sponsored by Championship sponsors, Connacht Gold.

As well as all that you get the chance to honour stars of the past, when the Jubilee Team, the 1964 Senior Champions, Ballinamore, are introduced on the field. Throw in the harmonious music from the Kiltubrid Pipe Band, who will lead the pre-match parade. What more could you want?

Don’t be one of those saying on Monday “I heard the County Final was great, I should have gone”.

Have no regrets, be in Páirc Seán on Sunday.

25-Sep-14 by Leitrim GAA

There was a time when clubs had one chance in the Championship, just the one bite at the cherry. Their only hope in defeat was to manufacture some sort of an objection inside three days, usually about some opposition player having been drafted in for the day. Indeed, several retired players now boast of having won several championships in different counties in the same year under a variety of names.

Such days are no more. More detailed newspaper reporting and photography, local radio, a more travelled population, attendance at third level colleges and what have you. Within a county, everybody in the GAA knows almost everybody, so a club would be chancing its arm very much with an import. Anyway social media would be hopping about the emergence of a brand new star.

The round robins and back doors are the new championship format, so clubs are no longer training for just one shot at success. The knock-out comes in the Quarter Finals and so we have four teams through for the Intermediate and Senior Semi Finals this weekend, with a few surprise packets included. This is what the Championship is all about.

The CCC has wisely fixed double headers for Saturday and Sunday so that clubs and supporters can watch the full action. The semi-finalists come from a broad geographical range, which should add greatly to the attendances.

It is a little contrary to history to have Ballinamore Sean O’Heslin’s in a fight to regain senior championship status and they will find nothing easy against a rejuvenated Ballinaglera, buoyed after their victory over favourites Eslin, while neighbours Drumkeerin and Dromahair will be anxious to get one over on the other, so there will be plenty of banter around Killargue in the run up to Sunday.

Aughawillan, a club that can always get the very best out of every team member, will be confident of just pipping surprise packet Allen Gaels, but only just. Most focus will be on the clash of the current county senior champions St. Mary’s against the power-house of the last decade or so, Glencar-Manorhamilton.

Last weekend’s All Ireland Semi-Finals showed what can happen in the heat of championship battle, so get along to PáircSeán Mac Diarmada on both Saturday and Sunday evenings and enjoy the action that will enfold. The weather is promised good, the sides are evenly balanced, so where else would you want to be?

Coiste Chontae Liatroma is very pleased at the championship attendances to date this year and appreciates the support shown by the followers of all the teams and by the public in general  and looks forward to another exciting footballing weekend.

04-Sep-14 by Leitrim GAA

PYRAMID BOOKMAKERS Junior A Football Championship 2014.

Relegation semi final

Melvin Gaels v Bornacoola

Drumkeerin v Annaduff

Quarter Finals

St. Marys v Ballinamore SOH

Kiltubrid v Carrigallen

Gortletteragh v Dromahair

Aughavas v Allen Gaels 

Dates Times and Venues to issue following Leitrim CCC meeting.

09-Aug-14 by Leitrim GAA