You’re gonna have to deal with Four Roads

“You can doubt the Chiefs, you can dislike the Chiefs, you can disrespect the Chiefs, but you’re gonna have to deal with the Chiefs!" — Mitch Holthus.

With Four Roads marching to their 38th county title, that quote from the commentator for the Kansas City Chiefs Radio Network feels like a good place to start.

Four Roads are clearly respected within Roscommon hurling circles but given the fact that the Tisrara-based side are the roll of honour leaders, and now four-in-a-row champions, their vice-like grip on the Mickey Cunniffe Cup shows no signs of relenting.

They are the benchmark and so, by default, they become the team everybody wants to beat.

Irish people like an underdog and often simply dislike a favourite. The four-in-a-row winning Limerick hurlers, the great Kilkenny teams under Brian Cody and Jim Gavin’s all-conquering Dublin side were deeply respected but ultimately, in their pomp, neutral observers across the land wanted them to lose.

This is human nature, but a team that simply know how to win or refuse to lose are the ones that are remembered. In this age of sport, where more action than ever before is beamed into our homes, we often don’t get to properly reflect on what we have just witnessed.

Of course, there are exceptions. Shane Lowry’s ice-cool putt to seal Europe’s retention of the Ryder Cup and the Seamus Darby-esque celebration that followed will still be widely discussed by the time the Roscommon Herald hits the shelves this week. But, so often, we are focussed on the next thing.

Many of the Four Roads players will be aiming to help St. Aidan’s overcome Ballinameen in this Saturday’s Junior A football semi-final. The world of sport moves quickly, and often there is little time for taking stock.

But it is important to stop and take note of what is an excellent achievement. Last Sunday in King and Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park, this current Four Roads outfit became only the second team to ever to reel off four county hurling titles on the bounce.

Micheál Kelly has done a fine job in his first year at the helm, but Four Roads’ success on the domestic scene is coming down to the club’s work at grassroots level.

Only four players that started in the ’22 county final were in from the off this time around. Out of the 20 players who saw game time last Sunday, just eight took to the field in 2022. That is a remarkable turnaround for a side that have continued to deal with the favourites tag and, more importantly, continued to win when needed most.

This was supposed to be a period of transition around Tisrara, and even though the chasing pack are tightly bunched, Four Roads remain the top dogs. The past four seasons have seen them face four different opponents in the final. Each time, they have found an answer.

Against Oran, they found a way once again. Conor Mulry was unplayable at times on the edge of the square. Michael T. McCormack started on him, Declan Leonard gave an honest effort, and Paul Kenny and Micheál Hussey operated as the spare man in front of Roscommon’s joint captain.

Yet, he still found a way to bag 0-6 — all from play — while teeing up Conor Morris for the crucial second goal. On Morris, that is a combined 4-10 he has bagged in the past two county finals.

Meanwhile, another example of mol an óige agus tiocfaidh siad (praise the youth and they will follow) was Daniel Bolger doing a fine job in tracking Oran’s dangerman Paddy Fallon.

Tommy Morris was given that unenviable task shortly after being introduced and didn’t look out of place. Bolger and Morris have a combined age of 38 — an example of the young players standing up for Four Roads in a year when they have done just that on numerous occasions.

Four Roads and indeed Roscommon’s record in the Connacht championship leaves a lot to be desired but the Tisrara-based side deserve to enjoy this one. With their age profile and ability to find a way to win, you can doubt them, dislike them, disrespect them, but you’re gonna have to deal with them.

That’s bad news for everyone else.