The 2019 Connacht Gold senior club football championship begins this weekend in Leitrim. Fittingly, county champions Aughawillan open proceedings in Cloone on Friday night when they take on Aughnasheelin in Group 2. Regardless of their league form this year, they remain the team to catch at senior level – as they bid to become the first team since Glencar/Manorhamilton in 2011 to win back-to-back senior championships.
| GROUP 1 | GROUP 2 |
|---|---|
| Gortletteragh | St Pat's Dromahair |
| Drumreilly | Seán O'Heslin's Ballinamore |
| Melvin Gaels | Aughawillan |
| Mohill | Aughnasheelin |
| Fenagh St Caillin's | St Mary's Kiltoghert |
| Glencar/Manorhamilton | Allen Gaels |
The format is, once again, two groups of six with the top four from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals. The number of senior championship clubs is being reduced from 12 to 10 for the 2020 championship – so there will be plenty at stake come the end-of-season relegation play-offs.
Club-by-Club guide
Group 1
Gortletteragh
Manager: Mark Deignan (interim)
Senior titles: 5 (1987)
Last year: Quarter-finalists
After an indifferent league campaign which saw them make the drop to Division 2 next season, Mark Deignan has taken interim charge of the senior team following the depature of Liam Higgins. Getting out of the group would be a fair achievement.
Drumreilly
Manager: Brian Whitney
Senior titles: 1 (1931)
Last year: Finished in bottom 2 in Group 1, won relegation play-off
Drumreilly reached the Division 2 final last weekend and so should go into the championship in a good frame of mind.
Melvin Gaels
Manager: James Phelan
Senior titles: 7 (2012)
Last year: Quarter-finalists
Their division 1 league campaign petered out slightly after a strong start. With a fair sprinkling of last year’s county under 20 championship-winning team involved, Melvin Gaels look like a coming team again. But their opening game is against last year’s county finalists Mohill.
Mohill
Manager: Liam Keenan
Senior titles: 8 (2017)
Last year: Beaten finalists
Beaten finalists in 2018, Mohill will be in the reckoning again this year. Under the guidance for former Longford county player Liam Keenan, Mohill are currently top of Division 1 and on the verge of a league final place. So, they have plenty of momentum going into the championship.
Fenagh St Caillin’s
Manager: Niall Murray
Senior titles: 5 (1932)
Last year: Intermediate championship winners
Relegation from Division 1 may have taken some of the gloss of their 2019 season so far but Fenagh/St Caillin’s have an promising attack, built around county player Ryan O’Rourke. Reaching the quarter-finals would be a signficant achievement in their first year back in the senior championship.
Glencar/Manorhamilton
Managers: Shane Ward & Kieran Fox
Senior titles: 6 (2011)
Last year: Semi-finalists
The club is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. How Glencar/Manor would love to mark those celebrations by lifting the Fenagh Cup. The return of county player Paddy Maguire this year is an obvious plus. But the jury is still out on whether they have the tools to unseat the Aughawillans and the Mohills at the business end of the championship.
Group 1 fixtures this weekend:
Sat July 27th: Fenagh/St Caillin’s v Glencar/Manor (Carrick-on-Shannon, 5:30pm)
Sat July 27th: Melvin Gaels v Mohill (Carrick-on-Shannon, 7pm)
Sat July 27th: Gortletteragh v Drumreilly (Cloone, 7pm).
Group 2
Dromahair
Managers: Alan Harvey and Bing Morrison
Senior titles: None
Last year: Finished bottom of Group 1, won relegation play-off
Dromahair found the going tough in last year’s senior championship and kept their status by winning the relegation play-off against Bornacoola. They can feel unlucky at missing out on a Division 2 league final place this season. Getting some early points in the group stage will be key – but their opening game against an in-form Seán O’Heslin’s looks like being one of their toughest.
Ballinamore Sean O’Heslin’s
Manager: Dominic Corrigan
Senior titles: 20 (1990)
Last year: Quarter-final
Dominic Corrigan’s arrival in Ballinamore this year appears to have had the desired effect so far. A strong Division 1 campaign sees them currently top the table with one game to go. But the real test will be the in the white heat of championship – and the experienced Fermanagh man, who guided the school where he teaches (St Michael’s Enniskillen) to an All-Ireland Hogan Cup title this year, will be all-too aware of that.
Aughawillan (holders)
Manager: Tommy McCormack
Senior titles: 12 (2018)
Last year: Winners
Don’t read too much into their league form. The ‘Willies’ will be an entirely different proposition in the championship. They are the team to beat and persuading manager Tommy McCormack to stay on for another year is an indication of the esteem in which he is held. They should win their opening game against Aughnasheelin in Cloone – and if they build up steam – will take some stopping.
Aughnasheelin
Manager: Ollie Clarke
Senior titles: 1 (1918)
Last year: Finished in bottom 2 in Group 2, won relegation play-off
Relegation from Division 1 this season suggests Aughnasheelin could be up against it in the group stages of the championship. They beat Dromahair in the relegation play-offs 12 months ago to preserve their senior championship status. It looks like they could be facing a similar campaign this time around.
St Mary’s Kiltoghert
Manager: Joseph Flynn
Senior titles: 5 (2013)
Last year: Semi-finalists
It’s a young developing St Mary’s team this year but a strong league showing (which included wins against Aughawillan and Ballinamore) gives plenty of cause for optimism. They will see the county semi-finals as a realistic target this year.
Allen Gaels
Manager: James Wynne
Senior titles: 5 (2002)
Last year: Quarter-finalists
The league campaign was forgettable for the Drumshanbo club. And on paper, they look vunerable in the group stages of the championship. Their opening match is against St Mary’s Kiltoghert, the only Division 1 team they haven’t faced yet this season. Hard to see them getting too many points in the group.
Group 2 fixtures this weekend:
Fri July 26th: Aughawillan v Aughansheelin (Cloone, 8:30pm)
Sat July 27th: Dromahair v Seán O’Heslin’s (Drumchanbo, 7pm)
Sat July 27th: Allen Gaels v St Mary’s Kiltoghert (Ballinamore, 7pm).
