"It's just waiting and hoping that we get a performance in every game we play"

by Daire Walsh

It isn’t every day that you come up against your former inter-county colleague, but that is set to be the case for Leah Fox and a host of her Leitrim team-mates this afternoon.

Back in the early months of 2020 – before the competition was ultimately cancelled owing to the Covid-19 pandemic – Glencar Manorhamilton attacker Fox played alongside Eilish O’Dowd in three of Leitrim’s games in Division 4 of the Lidl National Football League. O’Dowd’s older sister Laura also featured for the O’Rourke County during this period, but they will now find themselves in opposite camps for today’s TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship Group 4 clash between Dublin and Leitrim at Parnell Park (throw-in 2pm).

After completing an inter-county transfer to Dublin in January 2023, Eilish helped the Jackies to claim the top-tier Brendan Martin Cup with a superb final victory over Kerry at Croke Park in August of the same year. The elder O’Dowd, Fox, team skipper Michelle Guckian and a host of others from her time in the Leitrim set-up went on to win a TG4 All-Ireland intermediate football championship title 12 months later, which helped to make today’s group meeting with Dublin possible.

“I suppose it will be a unique experience for Laura and Eilish. Two great players and I’m sure hopefully they’ll both be going as hard as they can, and whichever team plays best is going to win. Definitely it’s a special occasion for Laura and Eilish, and their whole family. It’s just unique. Something that they’ll look back on in years to come,” Fox acknowledged.

“She [Eilish] was there for the first year I joined. She’s an unbelievable player, a serious athlete and she’s absolutely thriving up in Dublin now. We’ll have our work cut out to keep tabs on her, along with the rest of the Dublin girls. It will be something different and a good occasion.”

Whereas Dublin kick-started their All-Ireland campaign for 2025 with a draw (1-13 apiece) against Waterford in Dungarvan last Sunday, today’s game will see Leitrim beginning their Brendan Martin Cup odyssey in earnest. A home encounter with the Deise is also pencilled in for June 21 at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon as the O’Rourke women embark on their first season in the All-Ireland senior championship since 2010.

The Jackies ended that year by winning the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time in their history and with six crowns now to their name, they have established themselves as one of the top ladies football sides in the country. A third place finish in Division 1 of the Lidl NFL and a TG4 Munster senior football championship final appearance has also shown that Waterford mean business in 2025, but Fox is extremely optimistic Leitrim can leave their imprint on this year’s competition.

“Dublin are a serious team, they’re always there or thereabouts. They’ve got very good players all across the pitch. It will be nice to test yourself against one of the top two or three. I suppose we just need to focus on our own performance, we’ve our own goals.

“We have a tough group, Waterford and Dublin. Especially Waterford are going really well this year, but I think we can hurt a few teams in the championship. It’s just waiting and hoping that we get a performance in every game we play. There is no reason why we can’t pick up a win or two.”

While Fox has started the last five games Leitrim have played this year – including TG4 Connacht senior football championship duels with Mayo and Galway – injury curtailed her involvement to a certain extent in 2024. After registering an outstanding haul of 9-13 in eight games during the county’s NFL Division 4 campaign, a knee issue restricted Fox to a substitutes’ role in their TG4 Connacht intermediate football championship final success over Roscommon in May.

She later missed All-Ireland group stage games against Tyrone and Wicklow, before returning to score a goal off the bench when Leitrim defeated Roscommon for a second time in an All-Ireland intermediate quarter-final. Fox was then used as a substitute when Jonny Garrity’s side overcame Wexford at the penultimate phase of the competition at Parnell Park and she played the final 23 minutes when Leitrim secured the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup with an outstanding 3-11 to 3-10 win over Tyrone at Croke Park on August 4, 2024.

“It was such an amazing day. I got injured last year after the league semi-final and I missed most of the championship. It was really special, but just really grateful that I could play some part in it. It wasn’t looking like I could for a lot of the year.

“I was only four I think when they won it last [2007], but it gives you people to look up to. When you’ve the likes of Michelle Guckian and Charlene Tyrrell on our team, Clare Owens. All these younger girls now are looking up to them and hopefully it won’t be too long until Leitrim are back in Croke Park again.”

Even leaving aside her achievements with Leitrim, Fox has become accustomed to success in recent years. In addition to winning five senior county championship titles on the bounce with Glencar Manorhamilton (2020-2024), she also won the 2020 Connacht intermediate championship title with her club – albeit their final victory against Geevagh actually took place in June 2021.

Fox has also been part of some memorable triumphs at colleges level with DCU Dochas Eireann, winning three AIG O’Connor Cup titles in succession from 2023 to 2025. Although she has now finished up in DCU (where she was studying secondary school teaching), she reflects fondly on her time in the capital-based institution.

“I’ve four years done in DCU, but it’s a time I really look back on with fond memories. It’s an amazing college with really good people involved in the GAA sector of it. They look after you really well and it was amazing. Never mind win three in-a-row, but one O’Connor Cup was so special,” Fox added.

“It’s just such a unique opportunity, college football, and you make so many great friends. I had a great few years in DCU and definitely three O’Connor Cups is something that is very special.”