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Leitrim GAA thread

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Moran was right to go. Leitrim won't stay up in Div 3 so why would he want to stay and be part of a relegation season when he can go as part of a promotion season.

Mickey Graham will take the job and i'd suggest someone like Ryan Jones goes in with him.

meathbasedfan (Leitrim) - Posts: 135 - 08/07/2024 11:56:02    2557660

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Replying To lecture250:  "Andy Moran going to Longford, please tell me this is idle gossip."
I doubt it after the slap down they gave him when he was 'supposedly' in contention for the job back in 2021... 'supposedly' in contention after he ran to the media to get them to put the pressure on. The county board put him in his place ... As someone said here, he's probably angling to an 'in' with the Mayo setup for when McStay eventually steps away. Realistically where else is he going to go unless he decides to go down the club route? I very much doubt he's going to do 5hr round trips to Kildare 3 / 4 times a week. The Roscommon gig isn't up for discussion at the moment and lets be honest he wouldn't be in with an ass' roar of that job.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1072 - 08/07/2024 13:12:58    2557687

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Micky harte gone from derry, why not ask the question. Look what he did for louth.

sparkie (Leitrim) - Posts: 77 - 08/07/2024 15:08:27    2557720

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Replying To sparkie:  "Micky harte gone from derry, why not ask the question. Look what he did for louth."
Mickey may call it off now altogether after a fine 20 + years. Not a hope of Andy going to anything less than a Div 2 job now that he has a CV, which includes promotion of Leitrim and 2 TC wins. Don't think many Leitrim football people would have expected much more. Expect to see him as a coach rather than a manager with a top team next season, like Rochford or Cian O'Neill. Have not seen much hear from poster "powerhouse" who is a great one to call things are they really are. Would love to hear this thoughts

martinjoe (Mayo) - Posts: 519 - 08/07/2024 15:54:24    2557734

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Replying To sparkie:  "Micky harte gone from derry, why not ask the question. Look what he did for louth."
Are you looking to completely bankrupt Leitrim GAA?

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1072 - 08/07/2024 16:17:08    2557750

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Replying To Square_B:  "Are you looking to completely bankrupt Leitrim GAA?"
Would cost no more than Andy Moran and the expensive coaches he brought in.

Harte took on Louth who was in Div 4 and left them in Div 2 finished 3rd in his final year.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3509 - 08/07/2024 16:39:43    2557768

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My honest opinion is if we brought in Mikey Harte, Jim McGuiness, Jim Gavin and every other all ireland winning manager from the past 20 years we would still not be much further ahead than where we are now. Even if we had all eleven winning managers on the same coaching ticket there would still be the same outcome.

Senior manager is the least of our worries in Leitrim GAA. Until people in the county and the county board realize that and stop being happy with mediocrity nothing will ever change.

Leitrimforliam (Leitrim) - Posts: 326 - 08/07/2024 16:54:19    2557774

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Replying To Leitrimforliam:  "My honest opinion is if we brought in Mikey Harte, Jim McGuiness, Jim Gavin and every other all ireland winning manager from the past 20 years we would still not be much further ahead than where we are now. Even if we had all eleven winning managers on the same coaching ticket there would still be the same outcome.

Senior manager is the least of our worries in Leitrim GAA. Until people in the county and the county board realize that and stop being happy with mediocrity nothing will ever change."
Agreed. We'd be better served using their knowledge and skill to completely reshape how we run things from under 7s right up to senior. Until we do we'll continue to meet the criteria for insanity.

A "big name" will merely paper over the cracks. They are expected to make silk purses out of sows ears. Therefore, we cannot put all the blame at the managers door. Do I think Andy Moran could have performed better with the players he had? Yes I do but there's only so much he can do from the sideline. The lack of footballing IQ from experienced players is stark. That will be punished severely in Division 3. For an intelligent group it is alarming that they are still lacking the ruthlessness required for this level. It is telling that one of the leaders, Barry McNulty is also one the youngest and least experienced. I'm still flabbergasted that Carlow were able to score a goal with the last play of the game. Under 13s would know what to do in that situation. If we're honest, promotion was by accident rather than design. It fell into our laps.

Unfortunately there are too many people, including where it matters, that think the right manager will perform miracles. It's fantasy. This is a long term project. The writing was on the wall at least 15 years ago but we ignored it. Very, very little has changed in the meantime. The change that has happened has been at snails pace with very little input from the county board.

I have said continously that we can produce the players but the product we offer them is very poor. The talent we produce is too diluted. We're led to believe that we've too few clubs but the reality is we've too many! The result is that our football is too soft, too slow, too naive and is akin to the type of football played 30 years ago.

Can it change? Absolutely. Sligo are the perfect example. The signs were obvious 6 or 7 years ago with Sligo. A county where the Gaa is playing second fiddle to soccer in Sligo Town. I would argue that rugby is even stronger than Gaa in the town. And yet, with the proper coaching at underage level they are producing strong underage teams. Let's be honest, their senior team is well ahead of ours and that's before the underage talent has started to come through.

There are many examples in sport of teams punching way above their weight. We use our numbers as an excuse to fail. I genuinely believe that the bar has been lowered so much that we are happy to get a patronising pat on the head now and again. We're happy to play the harmless eejits. The reaction before and after our Croke Park debacle was embarrassing. "Sure they're great lads for giving us a day out" Give me strength!

Whoever we do get I hope they pay no heed to the notion of consulting the players. If the players expect to be asked then they're on a different planet. If that is even considered then it speaks volumes.

ThePowerhouse (Leitrim) - Posts: 146 - 08/07/2024 23:17:01    2557891

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Replying To Leitrimforliam:  "My honest opinion is if we brought in Mikey Harte, Jim McGuiness, Jim Gavin and every other all ireland winning manager from the past 20 years we would still not be much further ahead than where we are now. Even if we had all eleven winning managers on the same coaching ticket there would still be the same outcome.

Senior manager is the least of our worries in Leitrim GAA. Until people in the county and the county board realize that and stop being happy with mediocrity nothing will ever change."
Agreed unless we replace the head of underage coaching in Leitrim it will always be rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic when it comes to senior level.

lugdrum (Leitrim) - Posts: 357 - 08/07/2024 23:50:49    2557897

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Replying To ThePowerhouse:  "Agreed. We'd be better served using their knowledge and skill to completely reshape how we run things from under 7s right up to senior. Until we do we'll continue to meet the criteria for insanity.

A "big name" will merely paper over the cracks. They are expected to make silk purses out of sows ears. Therefore, we cannot put all the blame at the managers door. Do I think Andy Moran could have performed better with the players he had? Yes I do but there's only so much he can do from the sideline. The lack of footballing IQ from experienced players is stark. That will be punished severely in Division 3. For an intelligent group it is alarming that they are still lacking the ruthlessness required for this level. It is telling that one of the leaders, Barry McNulty is also one the youngest and least experienced. I'm still flabbergasted that Carlow were able to score a goal with the last play of the game. Under 13s would know what to do in that situation. If we're honest, promotion was by accident rather than design. It fell into our laps.

Unfortunately there are too many people, including where it matters, that think the right manager will perform miracles. It's fantasy. This is a long term project. The writing was on the wall at least 15 years ago but we ignored it. Very, very little has changed in the meantime. The change that has happened has been at snails pace with very little input from the county board.

I have said continously that we can produce the players but the product we offer them is very poor. The talent we produce is too diluted. We're led to believe that we've too few clubs but the reality is we've too many! The result is that our football is too soft, too slow, too naive and is akin to the type of football played 30 years ago.

Can it change? Absolutely. Sligo are the perfect example. The signs were obvious 6 or 7 years ago with Sligo. A county where the Gaa is playing second fiddle to soccer in Sligo Town. I would argue that rugby is even stronger than Gaa in the town. And yet, with the proper coaching at underage level they are producing strong underage teams. Let's be honest, their senior team is well ahead of ours and that's before the underage talent has started to come through.

There are many examples in sport of teams punching way above their weight. We use our numbers as an excuse to fail. I genuinely believe that the bar has been lowered so much that we are happy to get a patronising pat on the head now and again. We're happy to play the harmless eejits. The reaction before and after our Croke Park debacle was embarrassing. "Sure they're great lads for giving us a day out" Give me strength!

Whoever we do get I hope they pay no heed to the notion of consulting the players. If the players expect to be asked then they're on a different planet. If that is even considered then it speaks volumes."
Agreed 100%. Big change's are needed across the whole county otherwise we will never progress from where we are now.

Leitrimforliam (Leitrim) - Posts: 326 - 09/07/2024 08:26:48    2557925

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Replying To Leitrimforliam:  "Agreed 100%. Big change's are needed across the whole county otherwise we will never progress from where we are now."
Yes, in the 2019 NFL Sligo were the only team through the 4 divisions not to manage a single point. The have turned it around in 3 years, when you take out the covid year when they beat Leitrim in the div 4 shield final! Sligo got a great break last year when the 3 div 1 teams in Connacht were all on the same side of the "draw" . The got to a Connacht final, played very well v Galway, and then had 3 games including v dubs and Kildare. That was the making of them. The proposals included on the link below, will, if adapted, will prevent lop sided games in early rounds such as Galway V London this year, where the visitors had scored 5 goals before the home team had scored 5 points. It seems a third tier is sure to be introduced likely to involve the 12 lowest placed teams in the NFL. It is very difficult for players from the lowest positioned counties to motivate themselves into putting in the same effort and sacrifice as a player on a team with a realistic chance of winning SAM or at least a provincial final. County footballers in Leitrim are by all accounts, are well looked after, and there is no doubt that it brings a certain status. However, when the dust settles on the SAM and TC finals over the next few weeks, the players will be facing the prospect of a long harsh winter of effort and slog. Already it has widely been accepted here that maintaining Div 3 status will take a massive effort. A poor enough reward for what will be required. The third tier cup would be a much more appealing reward and a realistic one for Leitrim.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0709/1458979-cccc-present-championship-format-proposals-to-counties/

martinjoe (Mayo) - Posts: 519 - 09/07/2024 14:43:44    2558051

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So club football is starting to heat up with promotion and relegation battles going to take place in all 3 divisions (promotion in Div 3 only)

Hard to pick out a huge fav for any of the championships but it's a 4 horse race in Senior Mohil, Mary, SOH & Fenagh. I would give the nudge to Mary's with the few younger players they have added and continue to add over the last few seasons.

Intermediate is a minefield apart from Drumreilly and maybe Mary's second team any of the other teams can have a run at it. Even looking at the results in Div 2 all teams are beating each other which includes 2 senior teams in Manor and Gort who haven't had it all their own way. I'm going to say Melvin Geals are maybe slight favs as they are having a strong league campaign and have the experience and incentive to get back to final again this year.

Junior again a few teams like cloone and Bornacoola will be looking to take the title. I feel Glenfaren missed the boat last year when the final was in their grasp but couldn't see the game through. I am going to again go for bornacoola but won't have it all their own way.

lugdrum (Leitrim) - Posts: 357 - 11/07/2024 14:34:26    2558402

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Replying To Leitrimforliam:  "My honest opinion is if we brought in Mikey Harte, Jim McGuiness, Jim Gavin and every other all ireland winning manager from the past 20 years we would still not be much further ahead than where we are now. Even if we had all eleven winning managers on the same coaching ticket there would still be the same outcome.

Senior manager is the least of our worries in Leitrim GAA. Until people in the county and the county board realize that and stop being happy with mediocrity nothing will ever change."
Not be much further ahead than where we are now? Of course they would! The eleven All-Ireland winning coaches from this century could take the players in two-hour shifts:

10:00 am - 12:00 pm: Joe Kernan
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Mickey Harte
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Jack O'Connor
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Pat O'Shea
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Conor Counihan
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm: Pat Gilroy
10:00 pm - 12:00 am: Jim McGuinness
12:00 am - 2:00 am: Jim Gavin
2:00 am - 4:00 am: Éamonn Fitzmaurice
4:00 am - 6:00 am: Dessie Farrell
6:00 am - 8:00 am: Feargal Logan & Brian Dooher
8:00 am - 10:00 am: rest

With that training regime in place six days a week, if they played the Connacht championship this October the lads would win it at a canter.

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1126 - 11/07/2024 18:45:52    2558435

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Replying To sparkie:  "Micky harte gone from derry, why not ask the question. Look what he did for louth."
An interesting suggestion and one that could work.

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1126 - 11/07/2024 18:51:15    2558436

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Replying To Tacaí Liatroma:  "Not be much further ahead than where we are now? Of course they would! The eleven All-Ireland winning coaches from this century could take the players in two-hour shifts:

10:00 am - 12:00 pm: Joe Kernan
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Mickey Harte
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Jack O'Connor
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Pat O'Shea
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Conor Counihan
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm: Pat Gilroy
10:00 pm - 12:00 am: Jim McGuinness
12:00 am - 2:00 am: Jim Gavin
2:00 am - 4:00 am: Éamonn Fitzmaurice
4:00 am - 6:00 am: Dessie Farrell
6:00 am - 8:00 am: Feargal Logan & Brian Dooher
8:00 am - 10:00 am: rest

With that training regime in place six days a week, if they played the Connacht championship this October the lads would win it at a canter."
All those big names managers would be working with the same players as any other manager we could put in place. Players who come from and are developed from our club scene.

Players who are brought up with a standard of football that is very poor. Players that have the football intelligence which is way behind other counties. Players incapable of playing any better.

It's like what happened with Steven Kenny and Ireland. Bring in Pep Guardiola to Ireland - he ain't winning F all.

If we want to improve our fortunes for the future then don't hire a big name manager costing a fortune- improve the quality of player coming through and our club scene

leitrim4sam (Leitrim) - Posts: 674 - 12/07/2024 09:24:56    2558491

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Replying To leitrim4sam:  "All those big names managers would be working with the same players as any other manager we could put in place. Players who come from and are developed from our club scene.

Players who are brought up with a standard of football that is very poor. Players that have the football intelligence which is way behind other counties. Players incapable of playing any better.

It's like what happened with Steven Kenny and Ireland. Bring in Pep Guardiola to Ireland - he ain't winning F all.

If we want to improve our fortunes for the future then don't hire a big name manager costing a fortune- improve the quality of player coming through and our club scene"
agree 100%

TJH (Sligo) - Posts: 61 - 12/07/2024 09:50:38    2558493

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Think Leitrim County Board need to be paying attention to happenings closer to home. There is only 4 teams really at senior level actually competing for the league and let's face it those 4 teams will make up the semi's in the championship, and everyone knows it either Mohill, Fenagh Ballinamore or Carrick are gonna win the championship this year. You only have to look at the results of Friday the 21st of June to see the isn't just a gap, it's an absolute canyon. The closest game in that round of fixtures was 20 points. Years of substandard / old fashioned coaching, (I am certainly not having a go at coaches who volunteered their time to coach young lads/Girls, but the county have put clubs in such a position they rely on people with little or no coaching experience and training a team based off how they played) and farcical amalgamations probably have attributed the absolute ****show of a club set up.

We laugh at hurling in leitrim, two team championship, football ain't no better and will be in that position soon.

straightred (Leitrim) - Posts: 56 - 12/07/2024 11:54:30    2558532

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Coming to the business end of the league, and there's some important games this weekend.
Div 1 is almost decided. Baring some shock results, SOH and Mary's should contest the final.

Predictions
Fenagh v Mohill
This game will be interesting. Rumour has it Keith Beirne has returned early from the US. Without Beirne and Reynolds, Mohill might struggle for scores.
Fenagh by 5.

Carrigallen v SOH
Big ask for Carrigallen here. SOH by 10

Leitrim Gaels v Aughawillian
2 teams struggling for form. A win for either team would be a boost heading into the championship.
Leitrim Gaels by 3.

Division 2
Gortletteragh v Aughnasheelin
Both teams have been badly affected by emigration. Gortletteragh's young team, though, should be confident after a good win over Manor.
Gortletteragh by 4

Annaduff v Manor
It's an all senior game. I heard that Darren Cox and Barry McNulty were both in the US. Their presence or absence, if true, will be key. Manor needs the win to secure promotion.
Manor by 3

Melvin Gaels v Drumkeerin
A win for Drumkeerin would leapfrog them into 2nd. Home advantage should swing it.
Melvin by 4.

Division 3
Eslin v Glenfarne
Both clubs are struggling at the moment. If Conor Beirne is fit, Eslin should shade.
Eslin by 2.

Dromahair v Bornacoola
A winner takes all decider. A loss for Dromahair would be a disaster heading into the senior championship.
Dromahair by 7.

Leitrim2024 (Leitrim) - Posts: 61 - 13/07/2024 14:06:17    2558683

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I think 10 different clubs have won the senior championship this century. In fairness that isn't bad going for competitiveness in a county with 23/24 clubs. And consider the other clubs who were close to winning one this century, from top of my head Bornacoola, Fenagh, Gortletteragh, Carrigallen so it ain't all doom and gloom.

Check other counties and see if they have a similar statistic. You'll find many don't have that many winners. Longford has 9 I think for example, Galway 7, Sligo about 6 or 7 etc etc

The next Leitrim manager should be locally based or if not in the neighbouring counties who'd have an idea of what is going on here. Perfect candidate there already in Mickey. We want Mickey!

eslinchickenmaryland (Leitrim) - Posts: 274 - 13/07/2024 14:10:28    2558685

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Replying To Leitrim2024:  "Coming to the business end of the league, and there's some important games this weekend.
Div 1 is almost decided. Baring some shock results, SOH and Mary's should contest the final.

Predictions
Fenagh v Mohill
This game will be interesting. Rumour has it Keith Beirne has returned early from the US. Without Beirne and Reynolds, Mohill might struggle for scores.
Fenagh by 5.

Carrigallen v SOH
Big ask for Carrigallen here. SOH by 10

Leitrim Gaels v Aughawillian
2 teams struggling for form. A win for either team would be a boost heading into the championship.
Leitrim Gaels by 3.

Division 2
Gortletteragh v Aughnasheelin
Both teams have been badly affected by emigration. Gortletteragh's young team, though, should be confident after a good win over Manor.
Gortletteragh by 4

Annaduff v Manor
It's an all senior game. I heard that Darren Cox and Barry McNulty were both in the US. Their presence or absence, if true, will be key. Manor needs the win to secure promotion.
Manor by 3

Melvin Gaels v Drumkeerin
A win for Drumkeerin would leapfrog them into 2nd. Home advantage should swing it.
Melvin by 4.

Division 3
Eslin v Glenfarne
Both clubs are struggling at the moment. If Conor Beirne is fit, Eslin should shade.
Eslin by 2.

Dromahair v Bornacoola
A winner takes all decider. A loss for Dromahair would be a disaster heading into the senior championship.
Dromahair by 7."
Beirne hasn't returned. Don't believe everything you hear

williesboy (Leitrim) - Posts: 440 - 13/07/2024 17:22:14    2558712

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