In recent years the Intermediate Championship had been intriguing and probably the most competitive of the championships in Fermanagh with all eight teams taking part feeling that they were in with a shout of coming out as champions.

And while Enniskillen Gaels will start out this year as favourites, there is no doubt that a number of other teams will fancy their chances of lifting the silverware when the final whistle is blown on Sunday September 27.

It is the county town though who are fancied to come out on top when the dust settles on this year’s competition.

John Reihill’s side have made a good start to the season, winning four of their five league games to leave them joint top of Division One and leaving them the highest placed team entering into the championship.

However, in the last three years they have only managed one win in the Intermediate Championship although they will point out that in each of those years they have lost to the eventual winners.

This is a very youthful side which is backboned by the Ulster Minor Club winning team and it is those players and the experienced Richard O’Callaghan that they will look to.

In Jonny Cassidy, Brandon Horan, Eoin Beacom, John Reihill, Callum Jones and Conor Love they have an exciting core and if they play well they will be hard to beat.

They did though receive one of the toughest draws they could have got when being paired with fellow Division One side Irvinestown in the quarter final.

The St. Molaise men have had a disappointing league campaign to date, taking one point from five games although they did push the Gaels to a point in the opening round.

They have had a number of key players missing during the league and suffered a couple of heavy defeats in their last two games which will not have helped confidence.

However, this is championship and they will be looking to put their league woes behind them and spring a surprise.

They certainly have quality in their ranks if they have everybody out and a forward line that on their day can give any team trouble. Josh Largo Elis is growing into a wonderful footballer while they will also look to the likes of Kevin McDonnell, Stephen Sheridan and Gary Maguire. It is going to take a massive performance though if Paddy O’Brien’s side are to get over this first hurdle.

The third of the trio of Division One teams competing in this year’s championship are Devenish and they will be hoping for a quick return to senior after being relegated last year.

As others have found though, the Intermediate Championship is a difficult one to get out of and the Garrison men have a big job on their hands of they are to finish up as champions.

Indeed, their task has been made even more difficult by injuries to key players in recent weeks with Joe O’Brien and goalkeeper Tom Treacy having been ruled out of the campaign.

Devenish will need big performances from the likes of Barry Mulrone, Chris O’Brien and Jason Love if they are to succeed.

They will be favourites to progress from their quarter final but they will be coming up against an Aghadrumsee side who will not be short on confidence after a good start to their league campaign which has saw them record three wins and a draw from their five games in Division Two.

The likes of Eddie Courtney, John Joe Strain and Darrin Kearns are big players for the Magpies.

Pat Cadden has the side moving well and they will cause problems for a Devenish side who have conceded heavily at times in the league. This promises to be a closely contested encounter.

The meeting of Belcoo and Lisnaskea has the look of an intriguing and tight tussle and whoever comes through this game will believe that they have every chance of going the whole way.

Neither though will be looking any further ahead than this quarter final tie.

Shane McCabe, who is in his first year in the post after two years as part of Rory Gallagher’s management team with Fermanagh, has his side motoring well so far in Division Two with the O’Rahillys unbeaten from their five games played which included a 2-10 to 0-10 win over their quarter final opposition.

County men James McGrath and Eoin Shiels are obviously big players for McCabe who will also look to the likes of Ciaran Flaherty, Paul McGrath and Brian Cox.

Lisnaskea may have struggled in the early rounds of the league but they finished with two wins so will enter the championship in confidence.

Clarke, who is coming up against his former side when he takes on Belcoo, has history with Lisnaskea in the Intermediate Championship, leading them to the All Ireland ten years ago.

He admits that the team is currently in transition but he still has a number of his All Ireland winners available to him in the likes of Niall McElroy and Stephen Carters while Tom Clarke and Joe McDade have the makings of a formidable midfield partnership.

The final quarter final is a derby tussle and another that could go either way.

St. Patrick’s, with Sean Donnelly at the helm this year, have flitted between divisions in recent years and have had a mixed start to their Division Two programme.

The experienced Eamon Maguire is still a key player for the Donagh men while they will also look to Cameron McBrien, Dara O’Reilly and Pat Grue for big performances.

Maguiresbridge have been aided by the fact that they have no hurling commitments to deal with and are a dangerous opposition.

Obviously, county men Ciaran Corrigan and Danny Teague are vital to their hopes while Matthew Teague and Ryan Hyde are also important players.

This too has the makings of a close contest and again the winner will feel that they will be able to push on further in the latter stages of the competition.