Erne Gaels End 43-Year Wait for Fermanagh Title

Erne Gaels secured their inaugural Fermanagh Football title in 43 years, overcoming Enniskillen Gaels with a score of 1-13 to 1-9 in Saturday’s final replay held at Brewster Park. Enniskillen initially appeared dominant, capitalizing on Shane Rooney’s black card to establish a 1-4 to 0-2 advantage by the 14th minute, with Conor Love scoring their goal. Nevertheless, Declan Bonner’s team reversed the momentum in the second quarter, outscoring Enniskillen 1-4 to 0-1. Ryan Lyons’ goal, scored four minutes into first-half injury-time, propelled Erne Gaels to a 1-6 to 0-5 lead at halftime. Ultan Kelm, who was named man of the match, contributed 0-3 in the first half, including two points from open play. His brothers, Aogan and Oisin, also registered scores within the initial thirty minutes. Following the break, Fermanagh midfielder Brandon Horan scored Enniskillen’s first point, maintaining their proximity on the scoreboard. However, his black card at 39 minutes was swiftly succeeded by the sending off of his teammate, Richard O’Callaghan. Despite playing with two fewer players, Enniskillen managed to prevent Erne Gaels from scoring for a six-minute interval until Ultan Kelm’s fifth point of the match advanced the Belleek team to a 1-9 to 1-7 lead. John Reihill’s point in the 50th minute temporarily reduced Erne Gaels’ lead to a single point. Nevertheless, a score from Barry McCann two minutes later initiated a sequence of four consecutive points for the Belleek club. Shane Rooney compensated for his earlier black card by contributing two of Erne Gaels’ last three points, sandwiching a score from Seamus Ryder. Callum Jones registered the final score of the game for Enniskillen. Soon after, Erne Gaels celebrated their third Fermanagh title, which qualifies them for an Ulster Club fixture against Monaghan champions Scotstown next weekend. Former Donegal manager Declan Bonner is currently in his inaugural season leading the Belleek club. Following their 1981 victory, Erne Gaels waited 35 years to participate in another Fermanagh final, where they were narrowly defeated by Derrygonnelly by a single point. The Belleek club also experienced losses in the 2022 and 2023 deciders against Enniskillen Gaels and Derrygonnelly, respectively.