Mark Dowd has earned his stripes
CHOSEN ONE: Mark Dowd's pedigree at intercounty and club levels has earned him a shot at the biggest gig in Roscommon GAA.
In a nutshell, Mark Dowd has been operating at a high level on the intercounty senior, U-21 and minor circuits, alongside at senior club level in three different counties over the last 19 years. His credentials are crystal clear.
He has managed Roscommon to Connacht U-21 success, he has won a Mayo senior club title with Ballaghaderreen, he has been part of a backroom team that won the Fahey Cup in 2022 and has club experience in Galway.
And of course, he was part various Roscommon management teams that lead the county to All-Ireland success in 2006 and Connacht senior football titles in 2010 and 2019.
If Mark was in line for any other intercounty gig, you’d have to conclude that he has earned his stripes to make the step-up to the biggest gig in town.
Once Roscommon made the decision to stay inside the county to choose Davy Burke’s successor, Mark Dowd was an obvious choice. The Strokestown man is now the designated leader of the county’s flagship football team. But he will need good men with him, given the Division One campaign on the horizon early next year.
All the top intercounty managers surround themselves with quality personnel. Roscommon supporters wanted one of their own, and now they have been granted their wish. But they will need to be patient with Mark Dowd over the next few years.
The Strokestown native has been involved with great managers over the years. He will have learned what works and what doesn’t and, most importantly, he’ll know the pitfalls lying in the long grass.
Fair play to him for taking on the challenge. It would have been easier to stay with Roscommon Gaels in their quest to win a senior championship over the next few years.
Overall, it’s wonderful to see the likes of Andy Moran, Eamonn O’Hara and Mark Dowd taking on top jobs, which will bring great excitement and interest to next year's Connacht championship.
Roscommon players who might have been thinking of retiring might give it another year under the new manager. The county has some exciting talent coming out of the last few U-20 teams, so the raw material is there. It's up to Mark Dowd to harness that, and make sure Roscommon remain competitive in the race for the Sam Maguire Cup.
At the end of this season's Roscommon Senior Football Championship, a cabinet reshuffle looms as current ministers move onto different portfolios.
Mark Dowd will leave his Roscommon Gaels post to take over the Roscommon senior football team. Iain Daly is odds on to be part of Dowd’s backroom team and, consequently, will vacate his Michael Glaveys hot-seat.
Eamonn O’Hara, after only one year with Boyle, will be moving on as joint manager with Dessie Sloyan of the Sligo senior football team.
There is speculation that John Rogers, current coach with the Roscommon U-17 footballers, will be part of Mark Dowd’s management set-up, meaning minor manager Shane Moran will have a front bench vacancy to fill.
With plenty of roadworks around the county over the summer, my Teaser drivers were desperately trying to avoid the numerous diversions in place.
Apart from this season, when was the last time the Dublin hurlers lasted longer than the county’s football team in the championship? The answer was 1961.
Michael Scally, Ballaghaderreen, was first to reach his destination. Liam Dooley, Ballyhaunis; Fr John McManus, PP Castlerea; QPR, Frenchpark; John Croghan, Bundoran; Murt Hunt, Ballyhaunis; Pat, Sligo; Martin Walshe, Carrowbehy; Paddy Conlon, Taughmaconnell; Mary Gilfillan, Kilmore; Mick Fetherston, Dublin; Luigi, Ballyhaunis, and Seán Farrell, Dublin, also knew the back roads to avoid delays.
This week’s Teaser: Can you name the only three managers to beat Pep Guardiola away from home in the Premier League with two different clubs?
Answers by e-mail to willieefc@gmail.com or by text to 086 8356227. This week’s teaser came from London.
Star pupil: Brendan Quinn as the Roscommon Gaels goalkeeper made two outstanding saves during his side’s thrilling senior hurling championship victory over Tremane.
Crucial win for: the Roscommon Gaels senior hurlers who defeated Tremane to book a quarter-final berth against Pádraig Pearses.
Much do better: West Ham manager Graham Potter is under pressure due to his side’s poor start to the season.
Spot of bother: Too many one-sided games so far in the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Weekend highlight: Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers on the brink of securing Europa Conference League group stages football.
What a cracker: With the stakes so high, expect tension, drama, excitement when Western Gaels and Elphin clash in the SFC survival battle next Friday evening.
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
Of the 36 games played to date in the Roscommon Senior, Intermediate and Junior A football championships, there have been 21 home wins, 15 away wins and no draws.
