Fermanagh’s finest: The Erne County championships winners

Shaun Casey takes a look back at the teams that have ruled the roost in Fermanagh over the course of the last 20 years ahead of this season’s senior final showdown

Erne Gaels Belleek (2024)

ERNE Gaels ended a 43-year wait for the Fermanagh SFC title last season when they edged past Enniskillen Gaels after a replay, with four-points splitting the teams eventually. Declan Bonner’s men are hoping to go back-to-back for the first time in the club’s history and win just their fourth ever senior crown. Ultan Kelm top scored with 0-5 in last year’s rematch while Michael Óg McGarrigle palmed home the all-important three-pointer that secured the win for the Belleek men.

Derrygonnelly (2009, 2015-19, 2021, 2023)

THE Harps have been the team to beat for so long in the Erne County and they’re chasing an 11th title, 30 years on from their very first. In the last 10 of those years, the Harps have held the New York Gold Cup seven times, completing five in a row from 2015-2019. Their most recent triumph came in 2023 when they proved too strong for Erne Gaels in a repeat of this season’s showpiece. Goals from Gary McKenna and captain Shane McGullion opened up a five-point winning margin by the end of proceedings.

Enniskillen Gaels (2006, 2022)

HAVING lost the county final in 2021 against kingpins Derrygonnelly, only scoring five points on the day, Enniskillen Gaels came back bigger and better in 2022. They guaranteed that they wouldn’t leave this one behind them and throttled Erne Gaels with a ten-point hammering to claim their first county title since 2006. Three goals, two of which arrived inside the opening 30 minutes of action, gave them a good foothold in the game with Conor Love bagging two, one either side of the break, while Conor McShea also raised a green flag in their 3-12 to 0-11 victory.

Ederney (2020)

EDERNEY created history in the crazy year of 2020 by getting their hands on the New York Gold Cup for the first time since 1968 and only the second time ever. Not only that, but they halted Derrygonnelly’s drive for six in succession. The Harps defeated Ederney to win five on the trot in 2019, but Ederney came back with a vengeance in 2020 and put the record straight. Mark McCauley bagged a first-half penalty while Sean Cassidy claimed a goal after the break. Former Fermanagh All-Star and 39-year-old Marty McGrath was the man of the match with a heroic effort.

Roslea (2010-11, 2013-14)

ROSLEA dominated the club scene in Fermanagh for a couple of years, winning four titles in five seasons and reaching six deciders in seven. They ended a 24-year famine in 2010, sitting on the throne for the first time since 1986, bouncing back from their 2009 final defeat to Derrygonnelly by beating Donagh in the final. They backed it up in 2011 when they saw off Teemore Shamrocks in the decider and didn’t get back to the final until 2013 when they completed another two-in-a-row, beating Belcoo in ’13 and Teemore again in 2014. Roslea were back in the final in 2015 but lost to Derrygonnelly. They were back in 2019 against the same opposition, which ended with the same result.

St Patrick’s, Donagh (2008)

DONAGH won their first ever senior championship title in 2008, beating Derrygonnelly by the narrowest of margins in the final. The club had been in five previous county finals, including back-to-back appearances in 2002 and 2003, and lost them all, so 2008 was a long time coming. Pat Cadden, who missed a first-half penalty for the St Patrick’s men, finished as their top scorer with 0-3 as they saw out a 0-11 to 0-10 win. They were back in the decider the following season, but surrendered their crown to Roslea.

Newtownbutler (2007)

NEWTOWNBUTLER are seventh on the Fermanagh roll of honour but 2007 is the only one of their nine county titles that came after the millennium. They had contested finals in 2000 and 2005 but came up short on both occasions, so they were determined to get back on top when they made the 2007 showpiece. Newtownbutler cruised to an emphatic 2-5 to 0-3 victory with a first-half goal from corner-back Daniel O’Keefe helping them on their way. They were reduced to 14 men when midfielder Barry Connolly received a second yellow card but another goal from Frank Mulligan sealed the deal.

Teemore Shamrocks (2005)

NO club has won more county titles than Teemore Shamrocks and they top the list with 21 in their history. 2005 is their only recent one however, and that was their first triumph since the ‘80s. They had lost deciders in 1999 and 2001, both at the hands of Enniskillen Gaels, before getting back on top in 2005. Ciaran O’Reilly was on song for the Shamrocks and his haul of 0-5 saw them collect the crown with a 0-11 to 0-9 win.