After the success of 2015, Fermanagh hurlers will be looking to build upon their Lory Meagher championship win this year. 
Joint managers Seamus McCusker and Sean Duffy announced a 29-man panel last week and the mood in the camp is upbeat with only a month to go until the league commences;
McCusker said: “We’re happy, well, managers are never totally happy but we’ve a decent size panel and I think the boys’ fitness levels are a lot better than they were this time last year. A lot of the boys were playing club football right up until Christmas this year, so that has helped. We’ve a lot to look forward to.”
This year, there is a new strength and conditioning coach in place. The outgoing Ryan Hanna has joined Fermanagh’s senior men’s team in turn presenting an opportunity for Irvinestown’s Aidan Ormsby;
“We’ve been back training a month and we’ve been lucky to get our hands on Aidan Ormsby as our strength and conditioning coach. The boys are really enjoying training and they are in good shape,” says McCusker.
The team have been doing one strength and conditioning session during the week, a session in Lisnaskea on Friday night and another Fermanagh based training session on Sunday mornings. 
The team haven’t played any challenge games yet but McCusker is hoping to get one arranged with Tyrone in the next couple of weeks.
The Erne men have been strengthened by the return of some key players this season. Ryan Bogue was in Australia last year but he is back to give Fermanagh that added impetus in the centre of the park. Francie McBrien is back from a long term injury to bolster midfield and Rory Porteous had been living in England but is now back working in Derry and offers another option up front.
Karl Kehoe is the only retirement from last year’s championship winning team but McCusker acknowledges players like Kevin McGarry and Fergus Bannon may be rested for some of the league matches to give the younger players a run out. Furthermore, there are a number of dual players such as Ciaran Corrigan and Daniel Teague who have county football commitments as well but at this stage McCusker says they should relish it;
He said: “It’s not often you get the chance to play both codes for your county. It’s a privileged position to be in, so you have to enjoy it but I know it’s not easy for the boys too.”
Fermanagh’s first league game on March 6 is against Sligo in a repeat of the 2015 Lory Meagher final. Next month, they will reacquaint themselves with the Yeat’s men when they travel to Markievicz Park in Sligo.

“The immediate goal is to get promotion in the league," McCusker said.
"I think it’s fairly realistic but it’s a tight enough division and if you make a mistake you could find yourself in trouble. We need to get up to Division 3A because that way we’ll be playing more games next year.”
Ultimately though, all eyes are on the Nicky Rackard competition.
“Our first outing in the Nicky Rackard is on the 23rd April. If we could get a win there that would really set us up. It’s at home too but there’s a lot of hurling and training to done before that,” says McCusker.