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Leitrim GAA thread

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Replying To boxtyburgerbuns:  "I didn't really make a scene about getting to a div 4 final, can you point out where I did, thanks
Again, can you point out specifics about what he has brought to coaching the Monaghan forwards, thanks

Are you being ignored on your own thread, is that why you're here?
We'll see how highly your offensive division scores against Donegal most likely, won't we?"
So sad this is a post from a begrudger , not a typical Leitrim supporter.You are an embarrassment.

For the benefit of Monaghan supporters Andy Moran left of his own accord .He was very popular with most followers and especially the players.Granted you might think otherwise reading this Leitrim Forum, however that is because a few contributors.

joeman123 (Leitrim) - Posts: 542 - 02/04/2025 14:07:23    2600120

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Replying To joeman123:  "So sad this is a post from a begrudger , not a typical Leitrim supporter.You are an embarrassment.

For the benefit of Monaghan supporters Andy Moran left of his own accord .He was very popular with most followers and especially the players.Granted you might think otherwise reading this Leitrim Forum, however that is because a few contributors."
I get you want praise off posters from other counties, some people need that, but surely you can defend the county when you have others coming on here slagging it off. Why don't you?

There's nobody suggesting Moran wasn't popular. If I had a euro for every time you mentioned his name here I'd be able to retire.

boxtyburgerbuns (Leitrim) - Posts: 200 - 02/04/2025 14:57:01    2600129

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Replying To boxtyburgerbuns:  "We probably will moros and we will win as much trophies this year as yee lot i.e. nothing."
Keep the baccy in your pipe bud!

moros (Roscommon) - Posts: 1119 - 02/04/2025 15:05:57    2600132

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Replying To boxtyburgerbuns:  "I get you want praise off posters from other counties, some people need that, but surely you can defend the county when you have others coming on here slagging it off. Why don't you?

There's nobody suggesting Moran wasn't popular. If I had a euro for every time you mentioned his name here I'd be able to retire."
Slow down lad. You will soon meet yourself coming back.

ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 453 - 02/04/2025 19:31:01    2600190

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Another huge beating for our U20's tonight. I honestly thought this was a good group. Again I was mislead. They look and are good in Leitrim GAA circles but once the county boundary has to be breached they are more than average. Our club scene is so poor that our best players look good when playing here only.

The top 3 teams at the end of the national league standings, current minor champ table and current U20 champ table are Mayo, Galway and Roscommon. What are they doing that we aren't?

Unless we can improve the development of players and have a far better club football standard then anyone who we want can manage us- we won't be getting any success as a county. Once our players and teams play outside the county they are bang average. Our clubs take tankings in Connacht year in year out.

Thats 11 games now between senior, minor and U20 played this year and all 11 lost. We could go the entire season losing every game at these 3 grades. Will that be enough to set the alarm bells ringing??

I'll leave you with a hypothetical thought experiment:

Imagine two identical twin boys separated at birth. One grows up in a GAA family in Leitrim another in a GAA family in Roscommon. Both excel in their GAA clubs and make the county minor and/or under 20 teams. When these two boys meet again on the field for opposing sides the boy from Roscommon will be a much better footballer than the boy from Leitrim. Same goes for Mayo and Galway.

That's simply the way things currently are.

leitrim4sam (Leitrim) - Posts: 690 - 02/04/2025 19:53:02    2600198

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Our underage structure appears to have failed again this evening in Castlebar. Who would have thunk it! Its been working well for the last 15 years so I'm mystified as to how we got it so wrong.

**I am not apportioning blame to the players or even the management. It's what they've been reared on. It's reasonable for them to assume that they'll be given the best possible chance and that those in power will do what they're supposed to be doing.**

Anyway, awaiting the brow beating from the loyalists stating that its because of the likes of me we're not performing and I'm too negative.

ThePowerhouse (Leitrim) - Posts: 210 - 02/04/2025 19:53:05    2600199

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Very dispiriting dispiriting result this evening for our under 20s. Future looks very bleak at the minute.

JimmyNail (Leitrim) - Posts: 278 - 02/04/2025 20:50:49    2600209

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Replying To leitrim4sam:  "Another huge beating for our U20's tonight. I honestly thought this was a good group. Again I was mislead. They look and are good in Leitrim GAA circles but once the county boundary has to be breached they are more than average. Our club scene is so poor that our best players look good when playing here only.

The top 3 teams at the end of the national league standings, current minor champ table and current U20 champ table are Mayo, Galway and Roscommon. What are they doing that we aren't?

Unless we can improve the development of players and have a far better club football standard then anyone who we want can manage us- we won't be getting any success as a county. Once our players and teams play outside the county they are bang average. Our clubs take tankings in Connacht year in year out.

Thats 11 games now between senior, minor and U20 played this year and all 11 lost. We could go the entire season losing every game at these 3 grades. Will that be enough to set the alarm bells ringing??

I'll leave you with a hypothetical thought experiment:

Imagine two identical twin boys separated at birth. One grows up in a GAA family in Leitrim another in a GAA family in Roscommon. Both excel in their GAA clubs and make the county minor and/or under 20 teams. When these two boys meet again on the field for opposing sides the boy from Roscommon will be a much better footballer than the boy from Leitrim. Same goes for Mayo and Galway.

That's simply the way things currently are."
The analogy of the twins doesn't work. Just because you're a twin doesn't mean you'll have the exact same skills and intelligence as your sibling. They are to state the obvious two different people no matter what conditions they live in. And that might mean the Leitrim twin is far more talented than the other one.

You can apply that thought to brothers a few years apart playing with the same team. The older or younger can be far more talented than the other. Similar training, similar setup.

As I alluded to before here, there's unreasonable expectations on our young teams on this forum. Every year. And next year like clockwork someone will post this is the best minor or u20 team we've ever had. You can put money on it. And it starts all over again.

The whole talk here seems to be players need s&c, there's never a comment saying can they kick well off both feet etc etc

boxtyburgerbuns (Leitrim) - Posts: 200 - 02/04/2025 22:00:43    2600221

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Replying To leitrim4sam:  "Another huge beating for our U20's tonight. I honestly thought this was a good group. Again I was mislead. They look and are good in Leitrim GAA circles but once the county boundary has to be breached they are more than average. Our club scene is so poor that our best players look good when playing here only.

The top 3 teams at the end of the national league standings, current minor champ table and current U20 champ table are Mayo, Galway and Roscommon. What are they doing that we aren't?

Unless we can improve the development of players and have a far better club football standard then anyone who we want can manage us- we won't be getting any success as a county. Once our players and teams play outside the county they are bang average. Our clubs take tankings in Connacht year in year out.

Thats 11 games now between senior, minor and U20 played this year and all 11 lost. We could go the entire season losing every game at these 3 grades. Will that be enough to set the alarm bells ringing??

I'll leave you with a hypothetical thought experiment:

Imagine two identical twin boys separated at birth. One grows up in a GAA family in Leitrim another in a GAA family in Roscommon. Both excel in their GAA clubs and make the county minor and/or under 20 teams. When these two boys meet again on the field for opposing sides the boy from Roscommon will be a much better footballer than the boy from Leitrim. Same goes for Mayo and Galway.

That's simply the way things currently are."
Very accurate. The scenario you paint regarding the twins is also accurate. The blindly loyal and the smart Alecs will try and rubbish this but they're not what's needed now in Leitrim football.

A lad playing poor quality football against similar opposition will inevitably suffer. It does not matter how naturally talented they are. Their fitness, their technique, their football IQ, their speed of thought, their skills all regress. The naturally talented footballer does not have to hone these traits because they've loads of time and space playing in Leitrim. There are enough people with their heads buried in the sand to tell them they're great. It compounds the problem. We put talented footballers up on a pedestal and convince ourselves that we've a great minor/u20 team this year. Rinse and repeat ad nauseum.

You could liken our underage structures to someone doing the leaving cert. For the last 15 years we've been the kid that hasn't done a tap all year and they're hoping they can wing the exam. Doesn't work. We used to be able to get away with cramming. Doesn't work. The only way to improve your chances of success is to put the work in. More often than not you get your reward.

We have no choice now. Our brand is toxic. We are a laughing stock. The Fermanagh debacle moved us from sympathy to derision. We have to build from the ground up. Our "academies" are a shambles. Our standards are a shambles. Have the people that are responsible for this ever been asked to explain the inexcusable? Why are they left in place? In other counties they'd have been ran out of the place. Not here though, we're too nice and too passive.

ThePowerhouse (Leitrim) - Posts: 210 - 02/04/2025 22:03:26    2600224

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Replying To ThePowerhouse:  "Our underage structure appears to have failed again this evening in Castlebar. Who would have thunk it! Its been working well for the last 15 years so I'm mystified as to how we got it so wrong.

**I am not apportioning blame to the players or even the management. It's what they've been reared on. It's reasonable for them to assume that they'll be given the best possible chance and that those in power will do what they're supposed to be doing.**

Anyway, awaiting the brow beating from the loyalists stating that its because of the likes of me we're not performing and I'm too negative."
i would say team selection is wrong, i don;t believe the best team started tonight, i think all our hopes for the year were based on the quality of Cox, Honeyman, Guckian and Kelly, but we lack in every other area bar McNamara.

maybe also the U20 performances last year gave us a false hope for this year, but last year was a better balanced team.

why also do we constantly release false team lineups before the games, it seems to be a byproduct of the Andy Moran era, do the management believe it gives us some kinda edge and we get one up on our opponents, i'm afraid it doesn't.

meathbasedfan (Leitrim) - Posts: 159 - 02/04/2025 22:05:01    2600225

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I guess we can finally see the (it's been like this for 15 years btw) the state of Leitrim football. It's miles off where it could be. It's time to call the county board out they've failed the sponsors players and supporters. They've pumped endless money in senior set ups but that's like building a hotel on a bog with no foundations. They've forgotten about the underage set up for years and were reaping the rewards of this now. When was the last Connaught Final appearance at any age level for us, not being in a senior one for 24 years is mad. When you think of the province were in where winning 1 game some years could get you their. Granted Mayo,Galway and Roscommon are streets ahead of us but now sligo have started working from the bottom up and let's be honest it would be 50/50 if we'd beat New York or London at present standing. There is supremely talented ballers in Leitrim no doubt but the physique of those players unfortunately aren't geared for inter county. I will say to another poster on here that we fail to compete when our senior champions head into Connaught. Ballinamore should've bested westport in a Connaught final, (westport won intermediate allireland same year) Ballinamore also should've beaten Mountbellew in Connaught Senior aswell only few years ago). Mohill took Bridgits to the wire two years ago and Bridgits were the kick of the ball from beating Glen in the All Ireland Final. So we can compete, but the moral of it all is we need the best players in the county on the field at the moment we don't have that, there's 3 years of proper s and c from the Andy Moran tenure gone down the swanny and the new group are at scratch. But County Board need to talk to the players and see why they left Poachers set up.
Proper foundations in underage starting with matches for our club players. We have I think it was u15u17s last year if you got to a final you got 6 games in the year if you didn't make the final you got 5. 5 games in 12 months, mayo have up towards the 30, same in Galway. That's just a basic one, more games will mean higher standards. So many problems to fix its just disappointing.

Taytofoley83 (Leitrim) - Posts: 38 - 03/04/2025 10:00:10    2600281

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Replying To Taytofoley83:  "I guess we can finally see the (it's been like this for 15 years btw) the state of Leitrim football. It's miles off where it could be. It's time to call the county board out they've failed the sponsors players and supporters. They've pumped endless money in senior set ups but that's like building a hotel on a bog with no foundations. They've forgotten about the underage set up for years and were reaping the rewards of this now. When was the last Connaught Final appearance at any age level for us, not being in a senior one for 24 years is mad. When you think of the province were in where winning 1 game some years could get you their. Granted Mayo,Galway and Roscommon are streets ahead of us but now sligo have started working from the bottom up and let's be honest it would be 50/50 if we'd beat New York or London at present standing. There is supremely talented ballers in Leitrim no doubt but the physique of those players unfortunately aren't geared for inter county. I will say to another poster on here that we fail to compete when our senior champions head into Connaught. Ballinamore should've bested westport in a Connaught final, (westport won intermediate allireland same year) Ballinamore also should've beaten Mountbellew in Connaught Senior aswell only few years ago). Mohill took Bridgits to the wire two years ago and Bridgits were the kick of the ball from beating Glen in the All Ireland Final. So we can compete, but the moral of it all is we need the best players in the county on the field at the moment we don't have that, there's 3 years of proper s and c from the Andy Moran tenure gone down the swanny and the new group are at scratch. But County Board need to talk to the players and see why they left Poachers set up.
Proper foundations in underage starting with matches for our club players. We have I think it was u15u17s last year if you got to a final you got 6 games in the year if you didn't make the final you got 5. 5 games in 12 months, mayo have up towards the 30, same in Galway. That's just a basic one, more games will mean higher standards. So many problems to fix its just disappointing."
We have so many examples close at hand of counties performing at their optimum. They're not necessarily following the same blueprint as each other. They've applied the right plan to their own challenges.

Sligo is one example. It was evident 7 or 8 years ago that Sligo were investing in proper coaching at underage level. Their record at underage in recent years speaks for itself. They're building towards sustainable success at senior level. Sligo GAA has to compete with soccer and rugby for players. They've met these challenges head on and are reaping the rewards.

We don't have a plan. If there is a malaise regarding the "effort" made by Leitrim Gaa to instill proper coaching standards that's understandable. They've had lots of time to implement a plan but have failed miserably. There's a lack of confidence in them. It's seen as a box ticking exercise.

ThePowerhouse (Leitrim) - Posts: 210 - 03/04/2025 11:08:01    2600294

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Replying To ThePowerhouse:  "Our underage structure appears to have failed again this evening in Castlebar. Who would have thunk it! Its been working well for the last 15 years so I'm mystified as to how we got it so wrong.

**I am not apportioning blame to the players or even the management. It's what they've been reared on. It's reasonable for them to assume that they'll be given the best possible chance and that those in power will do what they're supposed to be doing.**

Anyway, awaiting the brow beating from the loyalists stating that its because of the likes of me we're not performing and I'm too negative."
So it's not the managements fault that there was no defensive structure, trying to go man to man against Galway and Mayo?
It's not the managements fault that there wasn't a hint of kick out strategy?
It's not the managements fault that the players were told to play direct long passes straight down the middle or into the corners?

Yes club football at underage is poor, but as I said before most clubs don't want to do the work and then the CB take the blame.

Not the CBs fault that clubs won't commit to regionals, what can be done to ensure that regionals go ahead???

Genuine question

anon3 (Mayo) - Posts: 20 - 03/04/2025 11:08:08    2600295

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Replying To anon3:  "So it's not the managements fault that there was no defensive structure, trying to go man to man against Galway and Mayo?
It's not the managements fault that there wasn't a hint of kick out strategy?
It's not the managements fault that the players were told to play direct long passes straight down the middle or into the corners?

Yes club football at underage is poor, but as I said before most clubs don't want to do the work and then the CB take the blame.

Not the CBs fault that clubs won't commit to regionals, what can be done to ensure that regionals go ahead???

Genuine question"
The standard of coaching is a symptom of all the problems that have been allowed to accumulate over the years. The issues you highlight regarding tactics are the same virtually every year. At this stage I could write the reports in the observer.

If the County board couldn't have foreseen these problems then they're not fit for purpose. There is a complete breakdown in trust between the clubs and the county board. Its even more prevalent where you have clubs that are being run properly and they're looking at how the County is being run. That's understandable but doesn't mean that it's a positive.

Not only do some clubs see how unprofessional it is, at underage level both parents and players can see it. It's glaringly obvious if you spend any time at a particular place on the N4.

With regard to the regional competitions, make them the only show in town. Invite players to join the regional teams. Make it explicitly clear that you/your child is deemed good enough to be considered at that level. Trust me, mammy and daddy will bring them! Of course that would mean attending the relevant club games on a regular basis in order to identify the talent. Inform players that they're being assessed on a regular basis with a view to being called into a regional team. Other sports have a set criteria for identifying talent.

By all means keep the club competitions. Play the lads in the normal club competitions. Stop wrapping them in cotton wool. Give them plenty of games. Its almost 6 months since some of these lads have played football.

If there's a kid that's aggrieved that they're not being picked then it's up to them to do what they need to do. That's called resilience. They either make it or they don't. That is sport. Kids want to win. The club competitions are still there for them if they just want to play football. That's just as important as catering for the elite player. Right now, we don't cater for the elite player. Our system has a higher risk of lads walking away from football because they can see how poor it is. Its broken and it needs fixing.

The tail has been wagging the dog for too long. The job of the club is to win. Player development is not their job. Thats how the clubs think. Its the job of the County board to ensure that player development is looked after.

The new amalgamations are done with a view to winning as opposed to player development. Ironically it may improve the standard but this is by accident rather than design.

Where will the best player in most clubs play? Midfield more often than not. We can't have 15 midfielders. They might end up at corner forward playing County. With regional teams the best players are in their best positions.

Take the power away from the clubs by offering the players this competition. The clubs will still exist and will have their competitions but we're acknowledging that elite players need a better standard. With regard to aggrieved parents, that's an easy fix. It shouldn't be another excuse to avoid doing this.
Take advantage of the fact that people are competive and a lot of us want to test ourselves at the highest possible level. Right now our players, regardless of ability, can only play what's put in front of them.

ThePowerhouse (Leitrim) - Posts: 210 - 03/04/2025 12:11:39    2600311

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This is not a comment but a genuine question?
What person is responsible for the "big picture" decisions in Leitrim GAA? For example, appointments of u13, u15, u17 Leitrim coaches, and deciding the formats underage club competitions!
Is it the Leitrim games manager?

Leitrim2024 (Leitrim) - Posts: 62 - 03/04/2025 12:18:48    2600312

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Replying To anon3:  "So it's not the managements fault that there was no defensive structure, trying to go man to man against Galway and Mayo?
It's not the managements fault that there wasn't a hint of kick out strategy?
It's not the managements fault that the players were told to play direct long passes straight down the middle or into the corners?

Yes club football at underage is poor, but as I said before most clubs don't want to do the work and then the CB take the blame.

Not the CBs fault that clubs won't commit to regionals, what can be done to ensure that regionals go ahead???

Genuine question"
It's not the managers fault ehen players yesterday couldn't accurately pass the ball how many examples did we see yesterday in Castlebar of kicks in over the heads of the forwards, missing easy frees, players forcing it. Incase you hadn't realised it's alot harder to implement a defensive set up with the new rules, alot of mayo scores came from turnovers where nothing can be set up. Very hard to go short in the new game, Mayo seen that in League final Sunday. What I'm saying is we csnt blame management the players there working with aren't fast enough, strong enough or technically good enough at inter county level. That's solely down to them not being coached right from a younger age. I wouldn't blame the management team yesterday what could they do differently. We as a missed 2 goal chances and had 11 wides. Conversation was miles off mayo and at the end of the day you have to take all your chances to take out a top team

Taytofoley83 (Leitrim) - Posts: 38 - 03/04/2025 12:52:17    2600326

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Question needs to be asked of the management team, these young lads have been training for 6 months plus. People blowing up James Glancy for being this great coach, I don't see it.
Is this the best they could get out of the team over 6 months plus.

williesboy (Leitrim) - Posts: 482 - 03/04/2025 13:31:35    2600340

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The definition of stupidly is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

It's a crisis at this stage.

I think we need to think outside the box. I don't believe we can fix it ourselves, we will need outside help.

We need to employ experts to do a root and branch review of everything from our county teams to club structures etc. It should be an easy fix (with the right people driving it), it's not Rocket science.

I don't think we can fix the problem ourselves. I don't what to run down the county board or club delegates they are doing their best, but what they are doing is not working.

In my opinion it would be money well spent. And Croke Park should help out.

An intercounty team conceding an national league game should have raised enough alarm bells. All to hold lads back for an under 20 championship where we have already received two trashings.

Was it worth the embarrassment?

3rdmidfielder (Australia) - Posts: 398 - 03/04/2025 14:00:50    2600346

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Replying To 3rdmidfielder:  "The definition of stupidly is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

It's a crisis at this stage.

I think we need to think outside the box. I don't believe we can fix it ourselves, we will need outside help.

We need to employ experts to do a root and branch review of everything from our county teams to club structures etc. It should be an easy fix (with the right people driving it), it's not Rocket science.

I don't think we can fix the problem ourselves. I don't what to run down the county board or club delegates they are doing their best, but what they are doing is not working.

In my opinion it would be money well spent. And Croke Park should help out.

An intercounty team conceding an national league game should have raised enough alarm bells. All to hold lads back for an under 20 championship where we have already received two trashings.

Was it worth the embarrassment?"
All great ideas... except if you did a clear out of coaches and CB officials deemed apathetic or not up to scratch to do their appointed role, you would badly struggle to fill those positions, no one would be lining up to take them.
Am i right or wrong? Any willing and able personnel should be directed towards underage structures, adult is a cesspool of wasted money and resources for the next 5 years at least.
Plenty of other counties are not and will not win any titles in the near future but when you are falling behind the likes on London and NY in terms of panel strength we may throw our hat into the AI junior championship with Kilkenny, we might get a win or two there

gaelsboy (Leitrim) - Posts: 608 - 03/04/2025 14:25:49    2600355

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Replying To ThePowerhouse:  "The standard of coaching is a symptom of all the problems that have been allowed to accumulate over the years. The issues you highlight regarding tactics are the same virtually every year. At this stage I could write the reports in the observer.

If the County board couldn't have foreseen these problems then they're not fit for purpose. There is a complete breakdown in trust between the clubs and the county board. Its even more prevalent where you have clubs that are being run properly and they're looking at how the County is being run. That's understandable but doesn't mean that it's a positive.

Not only do some clubs see how unprofessional it is, at underage level both parents and players can see it. It's glaringly obvious if you spend any time at a particular place on the N4.

With regard to the regional competitions, make them the only show in town. Invite players to join the regional teams. Make it explicitly clear that you/your child is deemed good enough to be considered at that level. Trust me, mammy and daddy will bring them! Of course that would mean attending the relevant club games on a regular basis in order to identify the talent. Inform players that they're being assessed on a regular basis with a view to being called into a regional team. Other sports have a set criteria for identifying talent.

By all means keep the club competitions. Play the lads in the normal club competitions. Stop wrapping them in cotton wool. Give them plenty of games. Its almost 6 months since some of these lads have played football.

If there's a kid that's aggrieved that they're not being picked then it's up to them to do what they need to do. That's called resilience. They either make it or they don't. That is sport. Kids want to win. The club competitions are still there for them if they just want to play football. That's just as important as catering for the elite player. Right now, we don't cater for the elite player. Our system has a higher risk of lads walking away from football because they can see how poor it is. Its broken and it needs fixing.

The tail has been wagging the dog for too long. The job of the club is to win. Player development is not their job. Thats how the clubs think. Its the job of the County board to ensure that player development is looked after.

The new amalgamations are done with a view to winning as opposed to player development. Ironically it may improve the standard but this is by accident rather than design.

Where will the best player in most clubs play? Midfield more often than not. We can't have 15 midfielders. They might end up at corner forward playing County. With regional teams the best players are in their best positions.

Take the power away from the clubs by offering the players this competition. The clubs will still exist and will have their competitions but we're acknowledging that elite players need a better standard. With regard to aggrieved parents, that's an easy fix. It shouldn't be another excuse to avoid doing this.
Take advantage of the fact that people are competive and a lot of us want to test ourselves at the highest possible level. Right now our players, regardless of ability, can only play what's put in front of them."
We had someone on here before from Roscommon saying their attempt at regional teams didn't work

boxtyburgerbuns (Leitrim) - Posts: 200 - 03/04/2025 14:34:59    2600362

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