Leitrim Gaels & St Mary's Kiltoghert set for derby KC Motors ACL Division 1 Final
Mohill finish with 12 men as key trio dismissed on straight red cards in tempestuous finish
Leitrim Gaels and St Mary’s Kiltoghert will face off in a derby to decide who will win the 2026 KC Motors ACL Division 1 title next weekend after they both secured wins that booked their places in the decider while Mohill are counting the cost of three red cards in their final round loss to Leitrim Gaels.
Going into the final round of games, table toppers Leitrim Gaels needed a point to secure their place in the decider while St Mary’s needed to match the result of both Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins and Fenagh St Caillins who were chasing hard. The Fenagh men, defeated finalists last year, received a walkover from Aughavas while O’Heslins secured a narrow 1-20 to 2-16 victory over Allen Gaels to both finish on 16 points.
However, St Mary’s Kiltoghert finished a point ahead of them thanks to a comfortable 3-11 to 0-8 victory over already relegated Aughawillan, securing their place in the decider for the fifth year in a row as they chase a third Division 1 crown on the trot.
There they will be joined by Leitrim Gaels who are appearing in their first ever Division 1 Final thanks to a 1-19 to 0-11 victory over Mohill at Leitrim Gaels Community Field on Saturday evening, the visitors ending the game with 12 players after straight red cards for Keith Keegan, Conor and Shane Quinn in a tempestuous to a contest that was anything but for long periods.
Playing with the strong wind in the first half, Mohill led 0-9 to 0-4 at the break, Jordan Reynolds leading the way with five points. With Stephen Goldrick leading the way with two two-point frees, Leitrim Gaels drew level 18 minutes into the second half before sub Ryan Jones edged them in front for the first time with just over eight minutes left on the clock.
But Mohill’s challenge fell away after Keith Keegan was handed a red card for a swinging arm that caught Aidan Flynn while both Conor and Shane Quinn were sent off on straight red cards after both teams became embroiled in exchanges shortly after Oisin Curley had finished the ball to the Mohill net.
In other GAA news, next Tuesday’s Cox’s Steakhouse Leitrim U20 Division 1 & 2 Championship Finals are no longer scheduled on the Leitrim GAA website. The Finals were due to feature St Patrick’s Dromahair and St Mary’s Kiltoghert in the Division 1 decider and Glencar Manorhamilton and Mac Cumhaills in the Division 2 Final but the Observer understands that an objection has been lodged by the Glencar Manorhamilton club over a walkover that was awarded to Dromahair.
The U20 Division 3 Final between Drumkeerin and St Joseph’s goes ahead as scheduled in Kiltubrid on Tuesday at 7.30 pm.