Oh to live like Roscommon people

“These are the days of miracles and wonders” — Paul Simon.

“There is a tide in the affairs of man/ which taken at the flood leads on to fortune” — William Shakespeare.

“Sport is the most important of the least important things” — St. John Paul 11, also used by Jurgen Klopp.

It is 8 p.m. on a May evening that has already woven itself into the folklore of Roscommon. The Square in Roscommon Town is doing a passable imitation of Rio de Janeiro at Mardi Gras, complete with Brazilians playing music. Euphoria has settled on the town and you know these scenes are being repeated not just across the county, but in the hearts of Rossies around the world living far from their native place.

Gaelic football has done this — it has been a day of miracle of wonders.

With 10 seconds remaining, pressure from Caelim Keogh forced the great Shane Walsh into a shot that went narrowly wide rather than bring a pulsating, enthralling Connacht final into extra-time. All around us on the terrace people were in ecstasy.

Seconds remained but everyone knew Conor Carroll’s delayed kickout would end the match. Strangers — albeit all in Roscommon colours — hugged, laughed, punched the air and caught their breath after a breathless duel. Football is the least important of the most important things — but this win has unleashed a wellspring of joy.

This extraordinary match put a capstone of what has been a fortnight like no other in Roscommon football. The years of All-Ireland triumphs leave an indelible imprint on Roscommon’s sporting story, but in the context of Connacht football there has never been anything like this.

It is rare for the Rossies to win two provincial titles in the same year (1978, 2010 and 2012 spring to mind) but it is unprecedented for Roscommon to win the Triple Crown of senior, minor and U-20/U-21. Galway and Mayo between them have managed the feat only four times in history before last Sunday.

With eight minutes remaining, history looked set to created, but it was going to be forged by Galway who were on the cusp of winning a fifth successive Nestor Cup for only the second time in their history.

Damien Comer had come on in the 41st minute and had wrought the type of havoc that has been his calling card against Roscommon since the 2015 provincial U-21 final.

Comer walloped a trademark goal to the net to open up a six-point gap. An experienced Galway team looked to have seen off a home team that lost its way after Darragh Heneghan’s second goal, which prompted Comer’s introduction.

Heneghan’s two precise, calm finishes were the signature notes on a superb performance which would deservedly earn the Michael Glaveys forward the Player of the Match award.

When Heneghan’s shot nestled in the net, it looked to be the launch pad for a winning surge by Mark Dowd’s team. Instead, the opposite happened.

Roscommon missed three chances to build on the goal and Galway sniffed blood. Their guile — forged in battles over the last few years — physical power and instinct turned the tide.

As Roscommon waned, Galway waxed. Comer’s goal felt decisive. Paul Carey’s audacious two-pointer was a lifeline, Carroll followed up with a sweetly-struck ‘45. Nonetheless, the Tribesmen still looked the more likely winners.

With four minutes left, right in front of the jam-packed East Terrace, Daire Cregg got on a ball to the left of goal just inside the ‘45. A few minutes earlier Cregg, who came on after 46 minutes, had missed a chance that was straightforward by his standards. Now Cregg had a far more difficult opportunity.

As he swung his left boot the shot sailed towards the right post, every neck was craned. In the last stages of its trajectory, it was clear the kick would land over the bar.

The Hyde shook — as in shook in a way it did long ago when Gerry Lohan drilled his famous winning goal to the net in 2001.

Indeed the Hyde last Sunday was reminiscent of 2001. Expectation had built over the last two weeks, leading to Roscommon fans snapping up tickets to such an extent they probably outnumbered their Galway counterparts 7:1. Our section of the terrace was declared full 50 minutes before throw-in.

Now every Rossie in the full house of over 22,000 believed. The momentum had shifted irrevocably — There is a tide in the affairs of man/ which taken at the flood leads on to fortune From the kickout another influential Boyle sub, Cian McKeon, was fouled. Comer didn’t allow him to release the ball and referee Seán Hurson brought the free forward.

Team captain Dairmuid Murtagh rolled the dice, not that it really is a dice roll for a player of Murtagh’s calibre, and plumped to go for a two-pointer. He lofted the free between the posts and, suddenly, incredibly, Roscommon were ahead.

The grace note too came from Murtagh who, like Enda Smith and Brian Stack, was winning his third Connacht medal.

The St. Faithleach’s forward rounded off a move which encapsulated those momentous closing stages. Three subs — Ruaidhrí Fallon, Shane Cunnane and Cregg were involved — along with Enda Smith and Murtagh.

The impact of Roscommon’s bench was decisive — all those mentioned earlier along with Conor Hand made telling contributions. When their team’s need was greatest, Smith and Murtagh — two of the best footballers ever to play for the county — signposted the way to victory.

Ultimately, the overarching factor was that a magnificent Roscommon team simply refused to lose.

Belief has surged through football in the county. The seniors’ triumph over Mayo inspired the U-20s who in turn inspired the minors — and it all built to a crescendo in the tumultuous final eight minutes last Sunday.

Mark Dowd will be too humble to put himself as others will do on his behalf — what he has achieved in his first season at the helm is remarkable.

Much of the story of this football season remains to be written — and Galway could yet have a leading role to play. Nonetheless, the last two weeks will always hold a special place in the annals of Roscommon sport. Let Rossies everywhere rejoice.