IT’S a big ask but one last year’s Intermediate Championship and Division Two double-winning side, Enniskillen, are looking forward to. Three teams have opted to play in a newly formed Fermanagh Senior Championship with Derrygonnelly and Kinawley fulfilling the other two spots.
Kinawley are hot favourites to take the honours but Derrygonnelly will not be fazed by the current Ulster Intermediate champions having brought them to a replay in last year’s hotly contested championship.
The Gaels meanwhile are a team in the ascendancy, there’s no doubt about that. Their underage structures have been building towards this and their manager, Fiachra O’Donnell says they will embrace the challenge;
“We have nothing to lose, a couple of points in the league and we’ve another run at the championship. We’re going to be up against it, but that’s okay, we can do that.”
This Saturday night’s game between Enniskillen and Derrygonnelly, like all the senior championship fixtures, will double up as a league and championship match because of the fixtures congestion. O’Donnell is anticipating a tough encounter with the Harps;
“We feel it’s going to be a big challenge for us, even moving up into Division One this year. We did well last year but we’ve lost a few of the older, more established players but we’ve a nice blend of young players starting to come through. It’s going to be a whole new experience for them but we’ll give it our best.”
Having lost some of their more seasoned players like Aoife Corrigan to Australia and Emma Nolan who is in Barcelona, O’Donnell was dealt a further blow a few weeks ago when wing half back Kathryn (Kathy) Dane suffered a ACL injury which rules her out.