Fermanagh Football & Hurling

[FermPundit]

It's amazing what a good, respected manager can do.

Is your own club's (ex) Manager not a good, respected, manager FP 

A matter of opinion, Caid!

[ExiledGael]

Exiled, what age are the O'Brien brothers? They're probably far too young to even consider for inter county football?

I don't think any of them are over 20. Certainly not the younger two who look the real talents, Joe and Chris I think. For a while on Sunday there were three of them in the Devenish full-forward line. Remember them playing McRory last year or two. They are all very small though, but in time they should make the county squad.

Has a McKenna Cup squad been released?

[FermPundit]

Exiled, what age are the O'Brien brothers? They're probably far too young to even consider for inter county football?

I don't think any of them are over 20. Certainly not the younger two who look the real talents, Joe and Chris I think. For a while on Sunday there were three of them in the Devenish full-forward line. Remember them playing McRory last year or two. They are all very small though, but in time they should make the county squad.

Has a McKenna Cup squad been released?

Not that I know of. I don't even know if a date has been set for the squad to be announced. Maybe Caid knows?

[ExiledGael]

2-3 for Rory today playing for St Gall's against Clontibret in Ulster semi, he's in some form.

[FermGael]

Taken fromwww.impartialreporter.com

Owens suffers further injury woe
by Editorial Department
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Barry Owens.<<
Fermanagh manager Malachy O'Rourke has confirmed that two time All Star full back Barry Owens has suffered a second cruciate knee ligament injury with the Teemore Shamrocks man set to undergo an operation this week.

Owens is believed to have sustained the injury playing for his club towards the end of their league campaign and the news is a massive blow for both the player and O'Rourke.

Owens has been beset with injuries over the past couple of years. He went through heart surgery in January 2008 and had just fought his way back to fitness when he was hit by a cruciate knee ligament injury during the Ulster Final replay defeat to Armagh in July 2008.

"Barry has done his cruciate again and it is the same knee as the last time," confirmed O'Rourke. "He has just gone through a long period of rehabilitation after his last injury and he was looking forward to getting a good winter of training behind him and get ready for the National League. Barry has worked really hard to get back playing so this is a big set back for him but in fairness to Barry, he wants the operation as quick as possible and thankfully he will be going for it this week."

O'Rourke continued: "That is more or less two years that Barry has lost through injury and he has had enough set backs so hopefully after this he will get a good run away from injury.

"Unfortunately, he knows only too well the routine that lies ahead now at this stage but hopefully if all goes well around May time he will be ready to go again."

Owens won the first of his All Stars following Fermanagh's wonderful run to the 2004 All Ireland semi-final producing some awesome displays as the side went within a whisker of reaching the All Ireland final.

And his performances were again recognised in 2006 as he was once more named at full back on the Vodafone All Star side.

However, the player has seen very little action since O'Rourke took over the manager's job in 2008. Heart surgery ruled him out of the league that year although his return was the stuff of fairytales as within minutes of coming on as a substitute against Derry he punched home what proved to be the winning goal in the Ulster semi-final.

He then came on in the drawn replay as Fermanagh clawed their way back to secure a second bite of the cherry against Armagh, but after being again called from the bench in the second game, he sustained his first cruciate injury.

The player showed great determination to fight back from this, and came on as substitute in the defeat to Cavan in the Ulster Championship last year before making his first start in a Fermanagh jersey since the qualifier defeat to Meath in July 2007 in the loss to Wicklow as Fermanagh season came to an end.

Had heard rumours about this but hoped they were not true.
A diaster for Barry.  Must be awful hard to take.

[Caid]

Mark Henry, Vice Principal at St Michaels Enniskillen, has been announced as the nes Fermanagh Minor manager

[FermPundit]

Mark Henry, Vice Principal at St Michaels Enniskillen, has been announced as the nes Fermanagh Minor manager

Good appointment but I think Fermanagh have a weak minor squad this year. Nevertheless, it's about player development and I reckon he'll do a good job.

Didn't Henry manage Aghyaran for a couple of seasons?

[Caid]

Mark Henry - a Derry man, from Greenlough near Kilrea. Appointed in charge of Aghyaran in 2007 with the club being in Tyrone Division 1A.  I think they just avoided relegation this year and going by this table (pulled of the Tyrone thread from Oct 07) it seems they were probably in a similar position under Henry.  Not sure if he was there in 08 as well?

1A League table,
Carrickmore 18=30
Coalisland   18=29
Donaghmore18=25
Dromore18=25
E-Ciaran  18=25
Galbally  19=19
Ardboe19=18
Killyclogher19=14
Cookstown18=13
Aygharan 19=12
Omagh  17=7
Killeeshill19=3

Won the Rannafast with St Michaels in 2006 (?) and think he may have been involved in the Fermanagh Development Squad at one stage also

[sammymaguire]

http://fermanagh.gaa.ie/plugins/newsfeed.cgi?rm=content&plugin_data_id=29297 looks good

[haranguerer]

Looks very good, I'm impressed. Thanks be to f**k no more of that gaelic gear shite anyway!!

[FermPundit]

http://fermanagh.gaa.ie/plugins/newsfeed.cgi?rm=content&plugin_data_id=29297 looks good

I really like the new jersey. Nice and simple.

[unitedireland]

Fermanagh will be in good shape come championship time. Noises from the camp suggest there is a lot of hurt after last year. I expect a big year!

In terms of the club scene in D1 I think that Roslea will continue to improve but without seamus quigley they are not the same team. Tempo are bound to come good some time they have a very talented squad but i hear there are problems already with management. Ederney may push on especially if McGrath & Ferris regain fitness considering they are there best players yet they stayed up with them injured. Derrygonnely for a fall poor shooting affected them(missing 13M frees) in a couple of league game and they had a relapse in Ulster championship. The promoted teams will be no walk over.

In D2 Coa will be near the top but will not have the squad to win. Gaels and St Pats will battle it out to win. Irvinestown have to show something as they were very poor last year. Hopefully the bridge will do well on their return to senior football.

Last year was a good year for football in Fermanagh, the leagues were well competed in but the championships were poor. This may be related to the small number of clubs ie. 3 games to win senior championship.

Wishes for the year
Mark Little returns to play for his club
Leagues are competitive
Championships produce competitive teams for the Ulster championship
Attendances rise at games
Fermanagh win Ulster and have believe in the all ireland championship remember they got to an all ireland semi final yet seemed to give up other years

[Emmett]

Speaking to a few of the Fermanagh panel leads me to believe that things are being done in a very professional manner this year. One thing for sure is that we will not be beaten for fitness or character. On paper we will have a very potent full forward line which could consist of Seamie Quigley (attitude permitting), Ryan Carson and Rory Gallagher - 3 excellent free takers as well  . A ball winning midfielder and a return to full fitness for Barry Owens are essential to our season.

On the club scene Division 1 should be very close and I feel Devenish or Roslea will again be battling it out for the league. It will be interesting to see how commited some of the Enniskillen Gaels players will be when it comes to lining out in Division 2. Hopefully the championship will serve up more exciting games this year, perhaps a "champions league" format would help with this  .

[haranguerer]

Dunno if you could play the three of them together in the ff line, but still, it'd be nice to see a bit of size up there

[unitedireland]

Quigley is gone already!