Fermanagh Ladies manager Johnny Garrity is targeting a top two spot and a semi-final place after this year’s league groupings were revealed on Tuesday evening.

The league will start on May 23 and run for three consecutive weeks before semi-finals and finals take place.

The divisions, like the men’s league, have been split into two regionalised sections, and each side will play three group games.

Last year’s All Ireland Junior champions, Fermanagh, will play in Division 3A were they will come up against Down, Roscommon and Sligo with the top two in the section qualifying for the semi-finals.

“The top two go into the semi-final and we are very much focussing on a top two spot,” said Fermanagh boss Garrity.

“We would think that if we can get off to a good start there is no reason why we can’t aim for a place in the semi-finals as a first aim.”

He does acknowledge that it is a tough section but is optimistic of Fermanagh’s chances.

“It is a tough group but it is always going to be tough when you are up a level.

“We showed last year that we could live with teams of that ability and we are well matched so it is very exciting, we have the opportunity to go toe to toe with teams like that and there is nothing to fear for us.

“We never played Sligo last year as the league was called off before that fixture and we wouldn’t have played them competitively in a long time but Down and Roscommon we would know having played them in the league last year.

“There wasn’t a whole lot between us when we played Roscommon and especially Down and we are keen to show the level of progression we have made over the last number of months and we are optimistic going into the group.”

Inter-county training is set to resume on April 19 and with dates now in hand, Garrity says that everybody is looking forward to getting started.

“Probably the hardest thing throughout lockdown was the not knowing but now we know the dates for training resuming and the first game and we can really put a plan in action and we are very much looking forward to getting out on the field and getting ready for that first date,” he added.

And he states that they will be working towards hitting the ground running on May 23.

“We have five weeks now and we know exactly what we are going in to do.

“We believe we got it right going into the All Ireland last year after the lockdown so we will look to replicate that and be ready to show the best version of ourselves when the first match comes.”

Meanwhile, Garrity has a number of players who have returned to the squad for the season ahead while he is also keeping an eye on a number of others as he puts his panel together although he has lost a couple from last year.

“We have welcomed a few back who were unavailable due to Covid last year.

“We have the likes of Eimear Keenan, Niamh McManus, Ciara Clarke and Farrah McCloskey who are back in and then we have added Dearbhla Duffy from Derrygonnelly to the panel.

“We also have a development group that we are taking an extended look at and we may add a few of them.

“Cadhla Bogue is unavailable to us this year and Roisin Gleeson has retired but apart from that we also have everybody back from last season,” he said.