10 June 2018; Carlow selector Steven Poacher during the Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Carlow and Laois at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Down native Stephen Poacher has been announced as the new manager of the Leitrim senior football team, succeeding Mickey Graham who stepped away from the role after only two months due to “circumstances beyond his control”.
Poacher’s arrival was revealed in a statement from Leitrim county board on its website today.
“Steven is a coach of very high standing in the game and was previously involved at the inter-county level with both Carlow and Roscommon, in addition to coaching and managing at all underage inter-county levels with his native county,” read the statement.
Before Graham’s shock departure, Andy Moran had been Leitrim manager for three years, leaving in June after guiding Leitrim to promotion to Division 3 in the national league.
Poacher is head of PE in St Joseph’s Newry. Aside from spells coaching Carlow and Roscommon, he has also worked with his own county Down at every level from under 15 to under 21.
Donegal native Anthony McGrath will join the Leitrim backroom team as performance coach and selector. McGrath, a former Donegal senior player, has coached Donegal at minor, under 21 and senior level, winning an Anglo Celt Cup.
He has also been a Sigerson manager at Queen’s University and been involved in successful club campaigns in Ballybay and Slaughtneil.
Daniel St Ledger joins the backroom team as coach. A former Carlow senior footballer, he has represented Leinster in the Inter-Provincial series, and has been St Sylvester’s manager in Dublin for the last three years.
The management team also includes Ryan Jones, Leitrim Gaels senior football coach this year and a former Fermanagh senior football captain with over 150 appearances. Ryan was also last year’s Leitrim under 20 coach. He will act as coach and selector.
Since leaving Leitrim, Graham has since linked up with Padraic Joyce’s management team in Galway.
Barry McWeeney will take charge of the Leitrim under 20 team and will be a direct link between the under 20s and the seniors.
Danny Beck and Ciaran Kennedy will take joint charge of the county Under 17s,
