Lohan wants CBS to strike while iron is hot
Current Roscommon CBS senior football coach, Gerry Lohan, was on the team defeated by Patrician High School, Carrickmacross, in the 1997 All-Ireland final. Pictures: Gerard O'Loughlin
As soon as it was confirmed that Roscommon CBS and Patrician High School, Carrickmacross, would face off in this year’s Masita GAA All-Ireland Post Primary Schools’ Senior B final, Gerry Lohan knew that the 1997 All-Ireland final would be mentioned.
Lohan isn’t somebody who seeks the limelight nor gets a kick out of recounting old stories about “the good old days”. Instead, his primary focus is on helping the next generation go one better than the Roscommon CBS team of ’97 did.
On April 27th, 1997, CBS were defeated 0-15 to 1-11 by Patrician High School in Croke Park as two late frees from John McDaid consigned Roscommon Town-based school to defeat.
Despite McDaid seeing both of those late placed balls brought forward, which angered Roscommon CBS supporters at the time, or the fact that Lohan kicked seven points in that final, the Kilbride man doesn’t seek to focus on either of those points.
He just remembers the “heartbreaking” nature of the defeat.
“They beat us by a point, with the last kick of the game from a free. It was tough to take. It was heartbreaking. It was in Croke Park, early throw-in on a Sunday. That was my first game in Croke Park, but we came up just short,” he recalled.
As soon as the topic shifts from that final in ’97 to this year’s group of players who are aiming to claim All-Ireland glory, Lohan visibly relaxes.
The former Kilbride and Roscommon forward has enjoyed watching this group develop. Even though this team are young, with the likes of Ivan Bikoi and Sam Hannon lining out in the Connacht Junior A final last December, the group has absorbed the lessons from painful defeats in the provincial junior decider in 2022 and the senior final a year later.
Lohan praises the players’ dedication towards continuous improvement. His main hope for Sunday is not revenge, but rather this group savouring the moment.
“We have a very strong team this year. We are very strong defensively and we have a very good panel up front. We have no weakness as regard 1-24. Anyone can come in and do a job.
“They are very good lads to coach. They are always willing to listen and learn. They are extremely hard workers on the field.
“You have lads there, aged 15 in Third Year, 16 in Transition Year, 17 and 18. The age bracket is 15-18 so you have guys at different ages. It is just unbelievable that they are in the All-Ireland final. But they may never get the chance to play in an All-Ireland final again. That’s the reality,” he concluded.
In other words, time to strike while the iron is hot.
