Kilbride’s young guns sow seeds for rich harvest
Evelyn Feeley and Roisín Farrell supporting the Kilbride junior footballers during their championship quarter-final against Ballinameen in Tulsk on Saturday evening. Picture: Bernie O'Farrell
When a club wins a county minor football title, there is no guarantee further glory will materialise down the road. For certain clubs, however, such success can be the catalyst that sows the seeds for a rich harvest.
Over the past few weeks, Kilbride have won county minor and U-16 Division Two football titles, which was badly needed for a club chasing the dream of getting back to the good times.
The club’s flagship team find themselves playing in the Junior A championship and lost out to Ballinameen in the quarter-finals on Saturday evening, meaning the Mid-Roscommon side will commence 2027 trying to navigate another route back to intermediate football.
Over the past two years, Roscommon have won back-to-back Connacht U-17 football championships, with Kilbride contributing five players. In 2025, Cian Trimble, Luke and Marc Shally played significant roles in the young Rossies’ provincial success, and this year Dara Kelleher and Jack Lally performed pivotal roles in completing the double.
Going forward, this is massive for Kilbride. To have that quality, when combined with the current players, means the future is bright.
Kilbride remind me of Michael Glaveys and Oran, who 15 years ago found themselves playing junior championship football. But their lighthouse was outstanding minor teams that won county titles.
The clubs invested in these young players and, while minor teams can’t save lots of clubs, they did in Ballinlough and Oran.
It was the Mid-Roscommon club who struck first, with their batch of graduates from minor-winning teams claiming Junior A honours in 2012, which kickstarted their revival. Now they are an established senior club in their sixth successive year in the top-flight of Roscommon club football.
Michael Glaveys escaped from the bottom rung of the ladder in 2014. By 2017, they had the Roscommon and Connacht intermediate titles in the trophy cabinet. This year was their ninth on the trot in the senior football championship, which is an incredible testament to how they turned water into wine.
It all began with a good minor team that caught the imagination of the club, and the rest is history.
Kilbride are now at the same crossroads and, if they follow the example of Glaveys and Oran, their journey back to the promised land has already begun.
There is no doubt that this season’s county minor winners are a team with the potential to become the men to light the fire.
Roscommon minor footballers have won the last two Connacht U-17 football championships, confirming the Primrose and Blue have quality young footballers at this age group.
On the weekend before last, there were three outstanding club minor finals. All this suggests underage football in the county is in a healthy state, with cracking deciders in the Division One, Two and Three finals.
Extra time was called for in the Division One and Three showdowns. At the end of the day, Padraig Pearses, Kilbride and St. Brigid’s won gold, but Roscommon Gaels, Oran/St Croan’s and Boyle contributed to the feel-good factor surrounding underage football.
It’s a testament to the coaching at club level before the players move on to development squads, which gives them the love of representing their county.
On the week that Strictly Come Dancing returned, my Teaser line-up was ready for the ballroom.
Can you name the first goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League? It was Tim Flowers and Ian Walker on the opening day of the 1992 season, as Southampton and Spurs drew 0-0.
QPR, Frenchpark, was first to take to the floor, with Liam Dooley, Ballyhaunis; John Croghan, Bundoran; PJ Martin, Kiltoom; Murt Hunt, Ballyhaunis; Martin Walshe, Carrowbehy; Pat, Sligo; Mary Gilfillan, Kilmore; Mick Fetherston, Dublin; Luigi, Ballyhaunis; Paul O’Grady, Ballaghaderreen; Paddy Boland, Youghal; Mary McCarthy, Holloway; Kevin Flanagan, Dartford; Sean Toolan, Heston; Marcus Ward, Lytham, and Michael Kearns, Clapham, scoring high marks from the judges.
This week’s Teaser: Can you name the only three Premier League clubs who have never played in a European competition?
Answers by email to willieefc@gmail.com or by text to 086 8356227. This week’s Teaser came from Athlone.
Star pupil: Ronan Garvin — the talented Ballinameen forward has suffered three bad knee injuries but was back to his best as the North Roscommon men dismantled Kilbride in Tulsk on Saturday evening.
Crucial win for: St. Michael’s who defeated neighbours Kilmore, after extra-time, to reach the intermediate football championship semi-final.
Much do better: Michael Glaveys will have serious regrets after blowing a wonderful chance of reaching the senior football championship semi-finals, letting Pádraig Pearses wriggle off the hook in normal time due to wasteful finishing.
Spot of bother: The concession of goals cost Oran and Roscommon Gaels big time in their respective senior football championship quarter-finals.
Weekend highlight: A fantastic weekend of club football action as the senior, intermediate and Junior A championships reached fever pitch with some cracking games.
What a cracker: If the evidence provided in the group stages court room stands up, there is every chance that Sunday's Roscommon senior hurling championship semi-finals could have the jury’s verdict on a knife-edge with close and exciting encounters.
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