Deadly duo will be missed up front
Ciaráin Murtagh's scoring threat is a huge loss to Roscommon this season. Picture: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
You never miss the water until the well run dries.
As the Roscommon senior footballers embarked on another season in the air dome at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence last Friday evening, they commenced their journey without two key players.
Ciaráin Murtagh has stepped away from the Rossies’ set-up this season, while Cian McKeon has gone to Australia. Both shoes will be hard to fill as both players were crucial to the Roscommon gameplan under Davy Burke. They offered so much in the half-forward line.
Ciaráin Murtagh has been one of Roscommon’s outstanding forwards over the past decade. From being a brilliant underage player, he became an outstanding senior footballer.
The St. Faithleach’s forward paraded that touch of class that separates great footballers from good ones. His decision making was quick, decisive, sharp and clever. He could pick out a defence-splitting pass in a packed ballroom. On numerous occasions, he came up with crucial goals. Above all else, however, his foot-passing and point-taking from long distance was, as the late Jimmy Magee might have said, in a “different class”.
If you walked into a bookies on the morning of any Roscommon league or championship game, you could chalk Ciaráin Murtagh down for four-plus scores every day. More often than not, you would be back to collect your winnings.
After recovering from his injury in the 2022 county senior football final, Cian McKeon bounced back to have a great 2023 with Roscommon. By the close of play, he was one of the first names on the teamsheet due to his pace, strength and ball-winning ability. Those crucial attributes were decorated with some neat and tidy point-taking by the Boyle native.
Without Ciaráin Murtagh and Cian McKeon in Division One, Roscommon are going to have to find at least 0-6 from other players to fill the vacuum. To compensate for the missing duo, the likes of Ben O’Carroll and Daire Cregg will be a year older and wiser, and Cathal Heneghan is back from injury.
All that firepower, and more, will be needed over the coming months.
As I start another Tuesday Teaser campaign, can I wish you all a very joyous and peaceful New Year filled with magical sporting moments.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you with the right answers every week.
This week’s Teaser: Can you name the last county to become a first-time winner of the All-Ireland SFC?
Answers by e-mail to willieefc@gmail.com or by text to 086 8356227. This week’s Teaser comes from Dublin.
When the World Darts Championship started on December 15th, not too many people had heard of Luke Littler. If they did, they probably might have guessed that he was taking part in a Christmas pantomime.
By Christmas week, plenty of young adults and U-16s were changing their letter to Santa and looking for a dartboard instead.
Luke Littler had become a household name, knocking out world champions with the same calmness as if he was going down to the local shop for a pint of milk. A darts genius had been born at just 16 years of age.
Within seconds of the clock ticking past midnight on New Year’s Eve, one of the greatest sporting stories of the year was unfolding. A child who wasn’t old enough to vote had reached the World Darts final as the whole world was glued to the Ally Pally in London.
One can imagine that every sitting room and utility room is now the Ally Pally, decorated with a dartboard. Suddenly darts has become the most popular sport for teenagers since the beginning of the New Year.
Luke Littler has inspired a new generation of dart throwers. If it gets kids away from the television and mobile phones, then this boy wonder will be remembered forever. He has given every young person the right to dream that they can achieve whatever they want.
Darts is back — you better believe it.
It was all the craze for a good few years before it went into hibernation. But it's back.
I received a lovely surprise over the Christmas period when a Whatsapp message from a secondary school teacher invited me to be part of the Athlone Community College senior boys’ football team’s Last Man Standing competition.
For several years, every club and organisation were running Last Man Standing in conjunction with Premier League games. Several punters had at least two or three on the go at the same time.
If it’s well-organised, it can be a nice little fundraiser for any club when the right people are in charge. Athlone CC has hit the jackpot as up to 300 hopefuls have joined.
It creates great excitement each week, seeing how your chosen team get on. It started for the New Year’s Eve round of games in the Premier League with over 80 per cent of the runners and riders on Manchester City and Aston Villa (my choice). Both duly obliged with Villa making us all sweat by snatching a late winner against Burnley. If Villa had slipped up, there would have been carnage with more fallers than a Grand National race.
Well done to Athlone CC for setting it up. I’m seeing how long I can stay in the race as there are 234 still remaining after the opening round of games. For next weekend, all 10 Premier League games are hard to predict but I’m taking the chance that Chelsea will beat Fulham at home.
Star pupil: Brian Derwin’s expertly-taken first-half goal proved so crucial as St. Brigid’s kept Castlehaven’s second-half comeback at bay to reach their third All-Ireland senior club football final, this time against Glen of Derry.
Crucial win for: Glen who defeated Kilmacud Crokes in the All-Ireland club senior football championship semi-final to nail down a second successive final appearance.
Much do better: It might only be the FBD Insurance Connacht senior football competition, but Mayo losing to London is an early season blow for Kevin McStay’s side before they commence their Division One League campaign away to Galway.
Spot of bother: Three successive defeats, including being knocked out of the FA Cup, has seen Arsenal’s wobble continue into the New Year.
Weekend highlight: Two outstanding performances by Roscommon duo, St. Brigid’s and Castlerea St. Kevin’s, in the All-Ireland club senior and intermediate football championships last weekend.
Castlerea were very unlucky against Cill na Martra, while St. Brigid’s closed the deal to reach Croke Park on Sunday week.
Both performances proved that Roscommon club football can compete at the top table.
What a cracker: Newcastle United have hit a dodgy patch while Manchester City need a win to keep pace with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table As a result, Saturday's clash at St. James’ Park has goals written all over it.
“A wise man once said: Hate has four letters but so does love. Enemies has seven letters but so does friends. Lying has five letters but so does truth. Cry has three letters but so does joy. Negativity has ten letters but so does positivity. Life is two-sided, so choose the better side of it.”
With this being an Olympic year, the last time the Olympic Games were held in Paris (1924) was the first time that Ireland competed as a nation.
It’s great to see Cathal Heneghan back in a Roscommon jersey.
Let’s hope that the talented Michael Glaveys player has an injury-free 2024 as he offers so much to the Roscommon attack.
