National Forum

Leitrim GAA thread

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Agree with previous posts , the problem we seem to have is retaining players and who's to know how many of the younger lads that have come on the panel will decide to go travelling and step away next year or year after, it's been happening for years and I'm not blaming players as they have a life outside football to lead but until we can retain a core panel for at least 4 ot 5 years we'll be constantly in the cycle we're in , rebuilding and whenever we do get promoted straight back down because a raft of lads step away at the one time just like last year. Take each game as it comes starting in London Sunday week and if we can get out full team out we are at least capable of being in the mix

JimmyNail (Leitrim) - Posts: 322 - 03/02/2026 15:34:46    2654809

Link

Replying To Sligoman1234:  "Sligo have the same points as Leitrim. Yet yer saying yer up for promotion and we are up for relegation. Ya need to take things in perspective, beating the worst ranked team from 2025 league is hardly hang up the bunting territory. I wouldn't even think about promotion until ya get close to round 5. Each game as it comes. London is massive for Leitrim and tbh do Leitrim really want to be promoted again with such a limited panel at present. I think they would be best served with a rebuilding period and if finished top 3/4 would be a good start from the disaster of 2025."
Sligo have enough of their own issues to sort thanks so much for agreeing. They struggled to put away a woefully poor Fermanagh team on Sunday last please and you come on here pretending to know about Leitrim football please. We don't have any "look at me please thanks so much" players anymore thank you. They seemed to have moved on yet again to coaching other teams thanks very much. But we are all the better for it. Thank you.

bláthach (Leitrim) - Posts: 424 - 03/02/2026 19:49:14    2654862

Link

Replying To JimmyNail:  "Agree with previous posts , the problem we seem to have is retaining players and who's to know how many of the younger lads that have come on the panel will decide to go travelling and step away next year or year after, it's been happening for years and I'm not blaming players as they have a life outside football to lead but until we can retain a core panel for at least 4 ot 5 years we'll be constantly in the cycle we're in , rebuilding and whenever we do get promoted straight back down because a raft of lads step away at the one time just like last year. Take each game as it comes starting in London Sunday week and if we can get out full team out we are at least capable of being in the mix"
I think ambition might have been a problem. If a team's ambition is to get promoted from division 4. Do they have the hunger or ambition to play in Div3. From hearing what Poacher has had to say, he wants to build a squad of players who want to be in the top 50% of teams in the country I.e. play in division 2.
While this might not seem realistic at the minute. At least promotion isn't the end of the team's ambition but our mindset when promoted will be to compete in division three.
I believe this is part of the reason why why have failed to hold onto players and given very poor showing in Division 3.
I am old enough to remember when we were relegated to Division 4 in the 90s and a lot of the players at time didn't have the appetite to play at division 4 level. We have been witnessing a generation of players who didn't have the appetite to play above Division 4.
I believe that Poacher is trying to change that mindset.

Backheel (Leitrim) - Posts: 231 - 03/02/2026 19:53:48    2654863

Link

A few feathers ruffled I see and thankfully a few heads that can see some logic in what I was saying. Promotion is great when it happens but when ya end up getting walloped back down the following year it's not a sign of progress. The same posters that are sledging Sligo and saying they're in bother and supposedly heading for relegation were swiping at the Rossies for being a team that get promoted then relegated the following year, which isn't always the case for Ros. Leitrim were not fit for Division 3 last year and I would say that in hindsight would have sooner they weren't promoted in 2024 which was with the help of a huge refereeing decision against Wexford if I'm not mistaken. A huge chunk of that starting team who gained promotion didn't hang around for the test of Div 3. And look how Wexford have gone since, probably one win away from being safe in Div 3. For Leitrim to be considered to have made real progress they need to hold their own in Div 3 for a few years, but you need the right panel to do that. And by the way I'd say the same for Sligo if they were in Div 2, which I'm not expecting to happen after this campaign. Not much point going up to get slapped back down again.

And as for the smart comment thanks very much about Sligo struggling to beat Fermanagh, it was won by 7 points, need I remind the same poster how the game between Leitrim and Fermanagh went last year? At the rate Fermanagh are going if they don't turn things around and pretty soon there's a strong likelihood you'll be playing them next year.

Sligoman1234 (Sligo) - Posts: 638 - 03/02/2026 22:16:07    2654881

Link

Replying To Sligoman1234:  "Sligo have the same points as Leitrim. Yet yer saying yer up for promotion and we are up for relegation. Ya need to take things in perspective, beating the worst ranked team from 2025 league is hardly hang up the bunting territory. I wouldn't even think about promotion until ya get close to round 5. Each game as it comes. London is massive for Leitrim and tbh do Leitrim really want to be promoted again with such a limited panel at present. I think they would be best served with a rebuilding period and if finished top 3/4 would be a good start from the disaster of 2025."
There's a difference between having 2pts in div 4 and having 2pts in div 3 at this stage, I can't simplify why for you. Who is hanging up the bunting? Maybe you've seen some in areas up near your part of the world but it isn't up at the other end. Why do you think Leitrim panel is limited more so than say ...Sligo?

alalalalalum (USA) - Posts: 253 - 04/02/2026 01:00:56    2654894

Link

Replying To Sligoman1234:  "A few feathers ruffled I see and thankfully a few heads that can see some logic in what I was saying. Promotion is great when it happens but when ya end up getting walloped back down the following year it's not a sign of progress. The same posters that are sledging Sligo and saying they're in bother and supposedly heading for relegation were swiping at the Rossies for being a team that get promoted then relegated the following year, which isn't always the case for Ros. Leitrim were not fit for Division 3 last year and I would say that in hindsight would have sooner they weren't promoted in 2024 which was with the help of a huge refereeing decision against Wexford if I'm not mistaken. A huge chunk of that starting team who gained promotion didn't hang around for the test of Div 3. And look how Wexford have gone since, probably one win away from being safe in Div 3. For Leitrim to be considered to have made real progress they need to hold their own in Div 3 for a few years, but you need the right panel to do that. And by the way I'd say the same for Sligo if they were in Div 2, which I'm not expecting to happen after this campaign. Not much point going up to get slapped back down again.

And as for the smart comment thanks very much about Sligo struggling to beat Fermanagh, it was won by 7 points, need I remind the same poster how the game between Leitrim and Fermanagh went last year? At the rate Fermanagh are going if they don't turn things around and pretty soon there's a strong likelihood you'll be playing them next year."
Is there nothing going on over on the Sligo thread these days?

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1747 - 04/02/2026 08:33:07    2654905

Link

Replying To leitrimabu1:  "He's Michael Walsh midfield Ballybode/St Enda's who has been training with Leitrimbut due to thigh strain has been in recovery. Mother comes from Annaduff & might be in contention for London or home game against Antrim."
I was checking a few of Ballybodens team sheets over the last few years. Is it Mark or Michael? Theres a Mark Walsh on their panel who never seems to get played.

southleitrim_mafia (Leitrim) - Posts: 167 - 04/02/2026 08:37:26    2654906

Link