Twenty year old Michael Lennon is not just one for the future. He's very much part of Inniskeen's present and helping to guide the Grattans to an U21 title in '07 just added to his star rating. Should we be that surprised by Inniskeen's ongoing gallop up the pecking order ? A jewel among Monaghan's dual clubs, the Farneysiders are model Gaelic games enthusiasts and a growing force to be reckoned with in football and hurling. There's little doubt but that the likes of the late Paddy O'Rourke have left a great legacy behind them with the red and greens positively blooming these days. Take Michael Lennon for instance. Many a club would be delighted to have him given half a chance for he's a player tipped to have a long-term, fruitful career. The GPA hasn't, as yet, mooted a transfer system but if it ever comes to pass in the next ten years, one suspects there'd be plenty of offers flooding in for the Grattans' star. He's been recognised within and outwith the county of Monaghan as a veritable nugget, a real dynamo on both the football and hurling arenas. As far as the big ball game is concerned, Lennon has been touted near and far as an regular starter for Monaghan on the senior inter-county front in the near-future. In January 2006, he was honoured the Ulster GAA Writers Association as their Player of the Month - a singular honour for a club player and an intermediate one at that. "Considering the GAA Writers had the likes of Stephen O'Neill of Tyrone and others involved in the McKenna Cup to pick from, I was surprised that they chose me," says Michael. "I was delighted to get the award though but I saw it as being in recognition of what the team had achieved as much as what I had contributed to the All-Ireland club semi-final win." Playing in midfield, Michael was exceptionally good in the victory over defending intermediate champions Carbery Rangers from Cork and again in the final against Caherlistrane. The heroics of 2006 weren't quite matched in '07. Well how do you follow up an All-Ireland club IFC triumph? But there was silverware nonetheless. "It was good that we won the Under 21 Division Two title because you can't beat a bit of silverware to keep morale and enthusiasm among everyone at the club high," he says. In real terms, Lennon and Co. in the south of the county would likely as not admit that winning the second tier competition was the least result expected from their labours. Inniskeen's finest strolled through the qualifying rounds of the competition before skipping past the challenge of their erstwhile defeated opponents Clones in the county final. "I was always confident that we'd win the Under 21, even from the start of the competition and at no stage in the final itself did I think we'd let things slip. "To be honest, I think all of us knew that we'd have been well able to give the division one campaign a go - we feel we're among the top four under 21 teams in the county. "We found ourselves in division two though and you can only win the league you're competing in which we did and it has given us a good boost as we look towards the seniors now." Those with a keen eye on the underage football scene will scarcely begin to argue with Michael's assessment of Inniskeen's worth at under 21 level as we bid goodbye to 2007. After all the writing was there on the wall in six foot capital letters. It wasn't as if Clones, Corduff et al didn't know what they were coming up against in division two. In recent times, Inniskeen reached the MFC final only to lose out to a Paul McGuigan/Dessie Mone-powered Clontibret side. The club also reached an Under 16 Division One final. In 1999, the eager-beaver Lennon starred on Inniskeen teams that secured the McHugh Cup and the Lee Brothers Cup and he also picked up a U15 hurling league medal to boot. So the stuff has been brewing for quite a while in Inniskeen and if it made for a heady concoction in the 2005/06 season, Michael reckons there's more of that potent mix to come. "When you think about it and who we beat on the way to winning the All-Ireland, it just goes to show what kind of team we have and the potential that's in the side. "We beat Ederney who went on to play in the Fermanagh senior championship final of 2006 and we also beat Cahirlistrane who played in the 2007 Galway senior final. "We were easily the best team at intermediate level in Monaghan in 2005 and we showed everyone enough of what we can do over the last couple of years at senior level. "There's a great, strong squad in place with a full bench of fellas that can come in and do just as good a job as the fellas who start the match. "This current senior team is only going to get better because everyone's keen and determined to build on what we did at intermediate level," the personable 20 year old adds. Standing six foot and weighing in at a fighting fit twelve stone, Michael has the physique to be a real ball-winning, ball-running midfielder 'cum half-forward at the highest level. Friends say he was gravely disappointed at not having made the Monaghan Under 21 county team in 2007, especially given that he was part of Eamon O'Hara's squad in 2006. Those closest to him though believe that he won't allow any such setback deter him from playing to the best of his ability for Inniskeen. "I know there's always room for improvement in a fella's game and I'm no different and I know I have to keep working hard and making myself a better player. "That's why I'm happy to do as much gym work on building myself up over the winter months as I can so that I'm able to give myself every chance of doing well in the coming season." A third year building surveying student at Dundalk Information Technology and brother of fellow senior player Niall (23), Michael would rather put down the '07 season to "experience." He blames a lack of consistency for the failure to make the top four in the senior league and a poor performance against 'blayney in the championship for their downfall there. "It was so tight in the league this year that we were in a bit of trouble down near the bottom near the end of the season but then we had a couple of wins and everthing changed. "I think we could have made the semi-finals had we played better earlier in the season but we're a young team and the experience for the six or seven under 21s will stand to us. "We had our best game in the championship against Carrick but then were poor against 'blayney and didn't really deserve to go through in the end. "It's really early days for the current senior team because of the average age and there's more good young players coming through so the future looks fairly bright." So the crystal ball says what exactly? "Our target must be the winning of the senior championship in the next couple of years," Michael says emphatically. "We may not be quite the sort of mature team that you need to be but that will come with time but as far as ability is concerned, we have no reason to fear any of the top teams. "We beat Latton, Clontibret and Magheracloone in the league in 2007 and we know what we're capable of doing and what is expected of us. "If we can get a good league run going at the start of the new season, that will give us the confidence we need going into the championship and you'd never know what would happen if we get a decent draw." Tweet

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