Managerial movement on club circuit
Pádraig Pearses supporters Chris and Thomas Hurley supporting their team at the recent Connacht SFC Club Final against Coolera/Strandhill at Markievicz Park. Pic: Bernie O'Farrell
The club managerial merry-go round for the new season is underway with some high profile appointments already secured. is on his way to as the experienced manager guided Roscommon Gaels to the county final in 2019 where they were defeated by Pádraig Pearses.
Since then, the popular Roscommon Gaels coach has been plying his trade in with Coralstown/Kinnegad and Moate for the past four seasons. After being relegated from senior this season it’s a real coup for Tulsk to capture a coach of such high calibre and they will be aiming to bounce straight back up with neighbours Strokestown in the same race.
After five years involved with Western Gaels senior football team Padraig Cassidy has stepped aside. The loyal clubman was selector with Fergal O'Donnell for two years before taking over the pilot seat and during those three years the Gaels survived relegation play-offs ending up with one point victories, proving little separates staying up and going down from senior football.
Western Gaels have shopped locally with taking over the reins, He gained valuable experience in 2022 as part of ’ backroom team that won the Fahey Cup, bringing the senior championship back to . His first mission will be to try and keep the Sky Blues out of the trap-door dog fight in 2025.
If the West Roscommon club are trying to stay afloat, Oran are trying to break the quarter-final barrier which has proven mission impossible for the past four years and as has moved on, has being entrusted with the baton of power. The mid-Roscommon club lost their quarter final encounters on penalties in 2023 and this season conceded two injury time goals to Michael Glaveys as Oran snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. knows the squad is capable of jumping that troublesome quarter-final fence; it is a matter of getting his players to buy into that belief.
When next year’s club championship draws are made, one club in for a reality check is St. Croan’s who will be applying their trade in the Junior A championship. The mid-Roscommon club believes they have appointed a safe pair of hands as former goalie Vinny Egan is entrusted to be the man to get them back to football.
Right now, Padraig Pearses’ chins are on the canvas after their recent Connacht club championship final defeat to /Strandhill of Sligo. The pain and disappointment will take time to pass and that feeling of regret stuck at the bottom of their stomachs is going to go nowhere soon.
It will be a long game over the winter months and into early spring for the players and management but once the club championships draws for 2025 are made, the pain will ease and once they hit the green grass the process will start all over again. If somebody told Padraig Pearses six years ago, they would win three Roscommon club titles, play in three Connacht club finals, and win one they would have taken it.
In the players’ mindset it’s always the one that gets away that will occupy their thoughts until they right that wrong. When a team is feeling down, they need a challenge to re-charge the batteries and one mountain this team has yet to climb is winning back to back senior club titles.
The goal for 2025 should be putting that historic double together. But they know St Brigid’s will be roaring like an angry lion, Roscommon Gaels will be better after another year under while and Clann na nGael will always be in the hunt.
Pádraig Pearses have a serious cohort of young emerging talent, and the experienced lads are going no place. Right now, the cut is deep and bleeding but come next summer ’s men will be raring to go.
While opinions on the new Roscommon jersey are mixed I have to admit I really like it. It’s different but the moment I saw the jersey, it caught my attention. While there was no survey conducted, it seems that supporters either love it or hate it with no middle room that it might grow on you.
I always say our young supporters are a great judge of jerseys. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating and with Christmas approaching the amount of new Roscommon jerseys will deliver ought to tell the tale. Come Roscommon‘s opening Allianz NFL game against Down on Sunday January 26, expect plenty of them on show in & Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park. For me it’s a winner. (Hint hint Dympna!!!).
With four away games in , Navan, Cork and Mullingar in next season’s Allianz NFL Division Two campaign, Roscommon know it will be a battle to get promoted.
Of the four teams left in the All-Ireland senior club championship race, Loughrea are the only side to have reached the final, losing out to Ballyhale Shamrocks in 2007. Na Fianna came through a tough Dublin campaign and followed that up by winning the Leinster title for the first time in their history. They defeated the champions of Laois, Wexford and Offaly and gained real belief along the journey.
That Leinster campaign could prove crucial as the Dublin holders have proved their mettle while Loughrea have been idle since winning the Galway championship. The Galway showdown was a novel occasion as Loughrea struck late to beat Cappataggle.
Verdict Na Fianna
A few weeks back nobody saw this train coming down the track as Cushendall of Antrim and Ballygunner of Waterford were on the guest-list to be playing in the All-Ireland club semi-final. Gate crashers Sarsfields and Slaughneil didn’t read the script as both turned over their experienced opponents with outstanding victories.
After the high of beating Cushendall, Slaughtneil had to call on all their reserves in edging past Portaferry in the Ulster decider. We have seen in this season’s All-Ireland club championship that teams who produce big performances can be vulnerable the next day out and, in this regard, Cork champions Sarsfield will need to be alert.
Coming down from the clouds of beating Ballygunner will test the Rebels as Slaughtneil avoided an Ulster final upset after reaching for the stars in the previous game. Both sides will break new bread on Sunday as neither has ever reached the All-Ireland club final.
If this was an inter-county fixture Cork would be overwhelming favourites to beat Derry and wouldn’t even be on the same dance floor. At club level the dynamics are different, and this is no foregone conclusion.
Verdict: Sarsfields
