Long serving Offaly GAA dual stalwart transfers to Louth club

A POWERFUL dual club stalwart has drawn a line under his long career in Offaly by transferring to a Louth club.

Despite having a lot of mileage on the clock, the departure of Leon Fox is a blow to the Senior Hurling and Football Championship prospects of both Belmont and Ferbane – in his early 30s, he would still be more than able to contribute powerfully to both sides.

A member of the Belmont club, Fox's transfer to Dreadnots in Clogherhead, Louth was rubber stamped by Leinster Council this week. A garda based in Drogheda in recent years, the travel to training in Belmont and Ferbane each week had begun to take a toll on Fox and his decision to transfer is not a big surprise, though both Belmont hurlers and Ferbane footballers would have been very keen to retain his services for another year.

A member of the Offaly senior hurling panel that won the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2024, he got permission to hurl with Louth in the Nicky Rackard Cup this year, impressing observers with his performances.

Hurling was his preference but he was also an excellent, physically strong, teak tough, versatile footballer who gave great service to Ferbane for several years. He is on the list of Offaly's senior dual players by virtue of two league and one championship appearance for Offaly senior footballers win 2016 and 2017.

It was in hurling, however, that he really made his mark as a county player. He established himself on the Offaly senior hurling team as the county began the long climb from the doldrums after relegation to the third tier Christy Ring Cup in 2019. He made 24 league and championship appearances for Offaly senior hurlers from 2020 to 2024, mainly at midfield – playing well as they won the Christy Ring Cup in 2021.

He played in most games that year, getting a few scores, missed 2023 with injury and returned in 2024, playing in both the league and the Joe McDonagh Cup.

With injuries and a body that has taken plenty of punishment, Fox's Offaly hurling career came to its natural end after 2024 – with an outstanding array of young talent emerging and him advancing into his 30s, he threw in his county lot with Louth for 2025, anchoring the defence in Division 4 of the National Hurling League and Nicky Rackard Cup.

The Belmont man made a huge impact on the club scene in Offaly for well over a decade. A member of the Gallen Community School, Ferbane side that won the All-Ireland Vocational Schools Senior Football Championship in 2011, he was a real leader in both codes, a man who always emptied the tank on the field.

Unfortunately success was in short supply and he suffered a series of devastating defeats in big games. He was a key member of the Ferbane side that ended a long twenty five year famine when winning the Senior Football Championship in 2019 but despite perennially knocking on the door since then, they have been unable to add a second one.

In recent years, they have emerged as the big contenders to a rejuvenated Tullamore but suffered agonisingly narrow defeats in the 2023 and 2024 finals – they also endured heartbreaking penalty shootout losses to Tullamore and Rhode in the 2022 and 2020 semi-finals. Ferbane lost to Rhode in the 2016 and 2018 finals before getting the better of them in 2019 amid scenes of wild jubilation.

Fox ended up as a central figure in last year's 0-15 to 0-14 final defeat by Tullamore. Ferbane were two points up with five minutes left and were still clinging to a one point lead when Fox was hand tripped by Cillian Bourke as he tore out of defence but was instead penalised for over carrying – Harry Plunkett slotted over the equaliser and Tullamore fell across the line in injury time with a furious Ferbane protesting at the decisions that went against them.

It was a similar story with Belmont, who tried desperately to make the breakthrough in the Senior Hurling Championship in recent years. They suffered some very hard defeats in semi-finals, within touching distance of making the final but just able to get there. They record an important success when winning their first senior hurling title, the Division 1 Hurling League last year, but slipped backwards in the championship and are now at a cross-roads.

Both Ferbane and Belmont will miss his influence and toughness. He played his football and hurling on the edge but rarely crossed the line, though he did pick up cards and missed action as a result, and he was a huge inspirational performer in both codes.

Ferbane are second favourites for the Senior Football Championship at the moment but could also be down Joe Maher and Ronan McGuire as well – they didn't feature in Tuesday's Division 1 Football League semi-final defeat by Tullamore and may not play this year.

Ferbane will still be there or there abouts and have as good a chance as anyone of unseating Tullamore. There is more uncertainty about Belmont's prospects – with Kilcormac-Killoughey and Ballinamere clear front runners, they are in the second tier of teams along with Shinrone, St Rynagh's and possibly Birr but they face a big challenge to get back up to the level they reached for much of the 2020s.

Fox spoke about Belmont's hard luck story before last year's senior football final, grimacing: “I think everyone who has beaten us has gone on to win the final. It shows how close we are. We come back every year. We are a small village club and we haven't the numbers. We have to keep at it and hopefully we will get there eventually.”

He also outlined the commitment it took to live and work in Louth and play in Offaly. “I come down for every training session. It takes two hours 15 minutes which is a four and a half hour round trip. People ask me why I do it and I say I won't be doing it forever. I missed out on a lot this year from injuries.”

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Fox is also a keen rugby player and has played with Tullamore in the All-Ireland League Division 2C during the GAA off-season and it now looks like he will wind down his club GAA career in Louth.