St. Croan’s championship success was for the community
St. Croan's wing-back Richie Thompson converted a booming two-point free into the wind against Ballimameen on Saturday last. Picture: Bernie O'Farrell
Just a couple of weeks after the untimely passing of its Joint President, St. Croan’s delivered the ultimate tribute to Michael Keane.
The man who captained the club to its first intermediate championship title in 1978 was remembered with a performance that had control at its epicentre.
As the celebrations began to take flight following last weekend's 1-13 to 0-7 Junior A football final triumph, Roscommon GAA Chairperson Brian Carroll made a lovely gesture by giving the honour to Secretary Brian Mullin and his daughter Fiadh of presenting the Junior A Cup to St. Croan’s captain, Ger Connaughton.
Mullin, after being persuaded by manager Vinnie Egan, had come out of retirement to provide a voice of reason and experience in the dressing room. It showed that St. Croan’s had left no stone unturned in their desire to return to the intermediate ranks.
That point was reinforced by St. Croan’s defender Richie Thompson, who converted a booming two-point free into the wind in the opening half, as he reflected on his club’s deserved nine-point success.
“This has been on our shoulders since the game (intermediate relegation final) in Ballinameen last year. But it was never guaranteed. We knew that Ballinameen were waiting for us.
“Everyone has committed to this, going to Athlone two or three nights a week for the last number of weeks. It wasn’t just the 15 that started. There must have been around 55 people involved — from my mother and Tommy Grogan making tea to everything else. This isn’t just about the St. Croan’s panel, this is for the community.
Given the mantle of favouritism bestowed on them beforehand, Thompson revealed that St. Croan’s took nothing for granted ahead of the decider.
“Ballinameen were losing in three of their games going into injury time, and they ended up winning the three of them. We knew that they were never going to die. Derek Connellan is a serious operator, he had them well-tuned. Their day will come,” he predicted.
“The young lads were a breath of fresh air. Youth is what drives the rest of us on. It puts the older lads under pressure. No one’s position was guaranteed on the team for the first time in a long time. It’s great for them to get off to a winning start,” he continued.
When asked about the reality that St. Croan’s should be operating at a higher level, Thompson replied that there was never a sense of looking too far down the tracks — which, after Saturday’s success, will be an upcoming Connacht club championship quarter-final at home against Sligo champions, Cloonacool, in three weeks’ time.
“You have to deal with it. You take it one game at a time. When we started off in Kilteevan against St. Joseph’s, we just played what was in front of us. We got over the line in every game.
“Our goal at the start of the year was to be an intermediate club. We’ve achieved that. For the first time in a good while, the goal we set out in January was achieved. Whatever comes after this is purely bonus territory,” he concluded.
