Attracta in goal
Benny and Seamus corner backs.
Dec Bohan manning the half back line.
Donât turn your back ffs sake
They picked up all the freeloaders first obviously
The first championship team of the year has been announced and four Leitrim men will make their intercounty debuts in the picturesque setting of Gaelic Park, New York on Sunday.
Brendan Guckian has revealed his starting team for the potentially tricky Connacht SFC quarter-final clash with the Exiles and has drafted in Mohillâs Domhnaill Flynn, Aughawillanâs Mark Plunkett, Gortletteraghâs Jack Heslin and goalkeeper Diarmuid McKiernan (Allen Gaels) for their first championship starts.
The manager is showing great faith in Plunkett and Flynn, who will form an inexperienced midfield axis in the Big Apple. Donal Wrynn will captain the team from centre back, while talismanic attacker Emlyn Mulligan is named on the 40.
Leitrim (Connacht SFC V New York): Diarmuid McKiernan; Paddy Maguire, Micheal McWeeney, OisĂn Madden; James Rooney, Donal Wrynn, Shane Quinn; Mark Plunkett, Domhnaill Flynn; Jack Heslin, Emlyn Mulligan, Ryan OâRourke; Darragh Rooney, Keith Beirne, Brendan Gallagher.
There should be a fair bit of scoring in that forward line
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Domhnaill Flynn at midfield?
Not sure if heâs even ever played there for Mohill.
Iâm happy enough with the team selected in fairness. Domhnaill Flynn isnât as big a surprise as many might think and the inclusion of Jack Heslin whoâs a super talent is to be welcomed.
Iâve moved from mildly optimistic to confident and have a decent cut with those cunts in Paddy Powers.
Leitrim by 8 without coming off the bridle.
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Is he a son of Stephen mate ?
Yes.
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Thatâs a decent team there if we had a good man in charge of them.Some serious talent there but a wee bit light.I think boxty is right we should bate these lads.We need a couple of early points too settle the boys because NY will be tricky.We know who their danger men are,They know fuck all about us which is good.Leitrim by 3/4.
James Glancy doesnât want to think that way, but he is fearful of Leitrimâs trip to New York this weekend. The forward made a couple of visits to the Big Apple during his 12 years playing for the county, and each time they ransacked Gaelic Park in the Bronx with relative ease.
That first game was in 2008, a handy nine-point win for Dessie Dolanâs side when Glancy got a short runout after returning from injury. Five years later, in 2013, the Glencar/Manorhamilton scored three points in a 4-19 to 0-7 win under joint managers Barney Breen and George Dugdale.
In the past couple of seasons, Sligo and Roscommon just about got out of dodge by the skin of their teeth, and those sides are both higher up the food chain based on competitive results over the years.
Leitrim might well be undercooked coming into this game, partly down to the weather meaning they completed just five of their seven league games, while New York have recently feathered their cap with a win over AIB All-Ireland club champions Corofin.
Armagh star Jamie Clarke gave a terrific performance for the Exiles that day, and he is not the only established inter-county star lining out for the hosts this weekend. Neil Collins has in the past starred for Roscommon, while Tom Cunniffe has All-Ireland final experience with Mayo.
"Obviously when youâre a Leitrim person you donât want to think that, but the word in Leitrim is that there is worry down here about this trip,â says Glancy. âYouâve seen some of the clips coming out of Jamie Clarke against Corofin, and he seems to be on fire. All I know is that we prepared diligently for the two trips I had out there.
"We took nothing for granted. Other counties might go out there thinking itâs a soft touch, but we wouldnât because we always went over there knowing they targeted taking our scalp. Players like Clarke and Neil Collins have played against us numerous times, and Donal Ward who is there as well. Tom Cunniffe would know Leitrim well from the Connacht championship, so it is a worry.
âYou would hope that we would have enough on the day, because it could set Leitrim back a long way. The time London beat us in 2013 did have a big effect on us, and I donât think there are too many players are left on the county set up from that day.â
There are obvious parallels in facing London or New York, with both being based overseas. Five years ago, on the back of that win in America, Glancy was eyeing up a first Connacht final appearance with Leitrim. After a replay, and despite a late Glancy goal, London won their semi-final clash to make a first-ever provincial final.
The Glencar/Manorhamilton man explains how galling it was to peak so well for the New York trip, flop so badly after four players had been dropped for disciplinary reasons, and then see the team fall away.
âAfterward, the boys got dropped off to panel for whatever reason,â says Glancy, âand then George and Barney took the fall at the end of the year, and they were treated very badly.
"They should have been kept on but their heads were called for and that was wrong at the time. It was wrong, and consequences weresuffered because of that. They were two good people and they prepared us really well, and the wheels come off the wagon after that.â
All of which means that a lot of the current Leitrim crop will be facing into this foreign trip for the first time. So, what will they be in for?
âIâm just going on my two experiences out there and it was very well organised, we didnât want for anything,â says Glancy. âEverything was laid on for us, which was excellent, so you couldnât fault that. Iâm assuming the same preparation has been taken care of this time and that the players will be extremely well looked after.
"We got a daily allowance as well from Leitrim GAA or Croke Park or wherever it came from, because boys were taking time off work and there were students there. I know people ask if there are any side shows but we went over on the Thursday and did a bit of training, and then trained again on Friday and Saturday, so we did a lot in those few days.
âWe had an advantage that way, and we were living out of each otherâs pockets. We were mixing with people who were over there, going for coffees and that, and that wasnât a disadvantage at all. It was good to meet people and it was just really enjoyable. When it came to the game, you felt like a really professional outfit.â
New York are yet to win a single championship match in the 19 years of contesting the provincial championship, and Leitrim are determined to increase that figure to a score. As Glancy explains, Clarke isnât a one-man team, while the visitors have their own marquee forward in Emlyn Mulligan.
"Heâs back playing after a really really difficult few years: three cruciates,â says Glancy, the 2011 county captain. âItâs madness. Heâs a really good guy and a nice fella who loves playing for Leitrim. Thereâs no doubting that because he keeps coming back.
"He played a couple of games for his club Melvin Gaels in the league and he played against Wicklow in the league too. A fast-playing pitch out there will suit him and heâs very intelligent footballer â and a lot of the young players around him will listen to him. From speaking to him, all he wants to do is get a couple of games under his belt, and hopefully stays injury-free now, because if he doesnât itâll be quite difficult for us long-term.â
There were misleading reports earlier this year that Glancy had left his role as games development officer with Leitrim, a job he took up after previously working for Ballymun Kickhams and Round Tower of Clondalkin. So, he is in a good position to judge where his county are in relation to the best. The gap between the All-Ireland champions and a Division 4 side could hardly be wider, and it begs the question of where smaller counties such as his will be in five or ten yearsâ time.
"Iâd be fearful of where we could be in five or ten yearsâ time, unless we can really start moving things forward from a development point of view,â says Glancy. âWhat are the other counties, that are already ahead of us from a developmental point of view, going to be doing? The likes of Dublin are ten or 20 years ahead of other counties.
"By the time we catch up with those ten years, how far more ahead are they going to be progressing? Thereâs such forward-thinking people up there. You see what the likes of Roscommon, Cavan and Tipperary are doing as well.
"The clubs in Leitrim are absolutely fantastic and doing great work. I just hope we arenât left behind. The majority of kids in the county play Gaelic football, so I hope the structures are put in place for them to improve even more. The potential is there, and I really hope that potential isnât lost.â
Who wrote this?Has he left or not.They also fail to mention that NY took us to extra time in 03 and should have bate us.
Shane Stapleton
He never goes back to say wether he actually left.Is stapleton a bit simple
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Is there anyone left in Leitrim ? Just landed in New York . Had a great flight with Aer Lingus on an aircraft that could have been re-named Aer Leitrim !! It was wonderful to meet all these great Leitrim supporters. By the wayâŚItâs about 30 degrees here ! @LeitrimGAA @AerLingus https://t.co/JgywO7nVKW
Martyâs away on a jolly fair play to him
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Jamie Clarke has been picked at centre-forward on the New York team to play Leitrim in Sundayâs Connacht SFC quarter-final at Gaelic Park.
The former Armagh captain joined up with the Exiles earlier this year and will lead a formidable looking attack which also includes former Offaly panellist Luke Kelly, experienced Wexford campaigner Kevin OâGrady and ex-Meath player Dalton McDonagh.
Former Roscommon duo Neil Collins and Donal Ward feature in the full-back line, while Tom Cunniffe anchors the defence from centre-back.
Mayo man Cunniffe, goalkeeper Vinny Cadden and midfield partners David Culhane and Shane Hogan are the only survivors from the starting 15 that lined out against Sligo twelve months ago.
Longford native Enda Williams is another notable inclusion having previously played for Leitrim for two seasons and is also a part of the Exilesâ backroom team as a coach.
Justin OâHalloranâs squad warmed up for the visit of the Green and Golds with a 1-20 to 1-7 challenge match victory over All-Ireland club champions Corofin and will be quietly confident of claiming their first ever championship win (throw-in 7.15pm (2.15pm local time)).
New York (Connacht SFC v Leitrim): Vinny Cadden; Neil Collins, Donal Ward, Colin Keane; Enda Williams, Tom Cunniffe, Matthew Queenan; David Culhane, Shane Hogan; Tony Donnelly, Jamie Clarke, Luke Kelly; Kevin OâGrady, Dalton McDonagh, David Freeman.
Whatâs the New York Times saying mate?
They reckon itâll be tough but they fancy the ridge county to edge it down the home straight by 3 or 4.