Roscommon senior hurling joint captains aiming to seize the moment

For Roscommon senior hurling joint captains, Conor Cosgrove and Conor Mulry, this Saturday’s Nickey Rackard Cup final is a moment to savour.

The pair have experienced their fair share of near misses and disappointments but now the duo are keen to help Roscommon upset the odds when they face Mayo.

Roscommon’s last appearance in the Nickey Rackard Cup final in 2022 left both men desperate to reach GAA headquarters once more. Three years ago, Cosgrove started at wing-back on the Roscommon team that were blown away by Tyrone, losing 1-27 to 0-19.

The defender admits that his side didn’t handle the pressure on that occasion.

“You would hope that experience would stand to us the next day. The last day, a lot of us were playing in Croke Park for the first time. It was probably a bit daunting. The day just passed us by and, before we knew it, we were beaten, so hopefully that experience will stand to us the next day and we will handle the occasion that bit better.

“It is a big occasion, and some of our guys haven’t played there before. It is a matter of managing that expectation around the whole day and the actual match itself,” Cosgrove stated.

For Mulry, 2022 was a frustrating year. After suffering a cruciate ligament injury at the tail end of the previous season, the Four Roads clubman was forced to watch on from afar as Roscommon went unbeaten in the round robin phase.

He admits missing out on playing in Croke Park and being powerless as the final slipped away from Roscommon were bitter pills to swallow.

“I have actually been involved since ’19. The only year I have missed was when they got to Croke Park. I did my cruciate the year before playing football. I was involved that year throwing out water and helping out with the camera. But it was sickening. There’s no doubt about it.

“When you are growing up as a young lad, the place you want to be is Croke Park. You are watching the Liam MacCarthy teams, and you are out at half time pucking a ball in the garden as a young lad expecting to be there some day.

“It is great to be there now. It is a lifelong dream,” stated Four Roads man stated.

Cosgrove’s first year on the panel was in 2022. In any player’s inaugural season, a trip to Croke Park to play an All- Ireland final is a rare feat.

The harsh reality is that trips to Dublin 2 don’t come around every year for Roscommon, something that Cosgrove has discovered the hard way.

“Back then, we had a good team and obviously we probably thought we would get to Croke Park every year, but it didn’t work out that way. It was coming towards the end of some lads’ careers (in 2022). In fairness, in the past few years, we’ve had to rebuild completely and strip it right back.

“There are probably only five or six lads who are involved with that panel who are involved this year. It was just a matter of rebuilding and getting those young lads experienced now. Hopefully the core of experience will stand to us this year,” Cosgrove stated.

Cosgrove comes from the Ardrahan club in Galway. He admits playing intercounty hurling with Roscommon was a step into the unknown. But it’s a journey he is glad to be a part of.

“The lads have been great. I have made great friends and made great memories over the years. When I first got involved, I didn’t realise exactly what I was getting myself involved in, but I have loved it, and the lads have been great to me. I have made friends for life and hopefully when we are going out the next day we can finish the job,” he noted.

Although it is common in modern GAA to play down the role of a captain, Cosgrove states it will be a huge honour to lead the team this Saturday.

“It will be a proud moment for myself, my family and my club. Especially as a joint captain, no better man than Conor (Mulry) to have here with me. I am delighted and very proud to represent the lads. They’re good bunch and hopefully we will drive them on.

“In fairness, there are leaders in the group and it’s not just us. Different lads show their leadership in different ways. It is not all about talking. It is about doing it on the field, so there is no better men than them to do that. It is not just about us at all, but it is about the group.

Meanwhile, Mulry believes that Roscommon cannot stand back and admire a Mayo side who have beaten them twice already this year. He knows the challenge will be difficult but feels Roscommon need to be brave if they are to upset the odds.

“I’m well used to looking at these Tooreen lads and Ballyhaunis lads because we have played them with Four Roads. We would know them, and they would know us very well. We wouldn’t believe we are that far away from them at all.

“In last year’s championship, we drew with them in the last round, which sent them through to the final, and we missed a late free. Mayo are a great team and we have seen the success Tooreen have had over the last couple of years. It probably is great for hurling in the west, so it will be a massive challenge for us.

“On any given day especially in a final, and especially in an All-Ireland final, not every player is going to play well. That is a given, so it is about everyone working as hard as possible and picking up dirty ball and breaks. The gameplan, whatever we do, everyone just has to buy in and go for it. On the day, just go for the jugular and hope for the best,” Mulry concluded.