Pádraig Pearses can still get the job done
ON THE PROWL: St. Brigid's forward, Conor Hand, sets off on a run during Sunday's county senior football final against Pádraig Pearses. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin
A drawn game is like having a wonderful dream, only to wake up realising you didn’t win the lotto and have to go out and buy another ticket.
For Pádraig Pearses and St. Brigid’s, they will have gone through so many emotions since Sunday. In my opinion, the defending champions will have the biggest regret as Frank Canning’s men spurned at least four golden chances to seal the deal.
St. Brigid’s will be relieved that they are still standing. It was an enthralling game, one Anthony Cunningham’s men hadn’t experienced throughout the season.
Sunday’s final lived up to expectations. It had everything, and as the clocks went back, we were given a county final that took us into the future as two great sides left everything out there in an effort to be number one in County Roscommon.
Six days is a short turnaround. It is the third time this season that a road-tested Padraig Pearses have finished level after 60 minutes in the championship. It’s also the third time in succession that these two heavyweights have finished level after normal time in a rousing knockout championship encounter.
After getting out of jail, St. Brigid’s might just feel that they have the momentum. But I’m not for changing horses.
Pádraig Pearses, who never know when they are beaten, will win the replay.
If the Roscommon Intermediate Football Championship was a game of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and if Éire Óg were in the hot seat and only had Phone a Friend left as a lifeline, the West Roscommon men would be ringing Oran.
Just like Éire Óg who have lost three finals in four years, Oran rode out the storm and were rewarded by reaching the Promised Land in 2020 after so much heartache over the years.
In their three county final defeats, Éire Óg have suffered two, one and four-point losses respectively, underlining how close they have come to climbing the mountain.
In each of their last two finals — against Castlerea St. Kevin’s and Strokestown — the West Roscommon men have hit 0-15. Failing to register a goal, however, has cost them dearly as one green flag could have got them over the line.
They did so much right against Strokestown on Sunday week last. Enda Crawley was outstanding from pillar to post at centre-back. They dominated midfield for large chunks of the game, with Ronan Cahill and Jamesie Greene ruling the roost.
Once again, Conor Cox hit double figures, bringing his final tally for the season to 0-64. Substitutes Brian Greene, Liam Creaton and Padraig Doory showed up well, which indicates the strength-in-depth that they have at their disposal.
Their Achilles heel was failing to turn enough possession into scores. If they can rectify that problem, they will enter 2026 with hope and renewed optimism instead of feeling sorry for themselves.
Getting their heads right will be the biggest problem when Brendan Greene tells them “we go again until we win it”. But if there is one man who can instil that belief into a side whose minds must be filled with doubt, it's Greene who is built on old-fashioned traditions of hard work and true grit, cutting out a lot of nonsense that some managers bring to table nowadays.
Strokestown, who were senior champions three years ago, were always going to be an obstacle clubs would struggle to clear. Next year, St. Dominic’s join Éire Óg, Tulsk and Fuerty as the leading lights, with St. Michael’s and St. Croan’s aiming to get in there and spoil the party.
Éire Óg will look at the 2026 starting list and deduce that, on their day, they are capable of beating any of them.
To date, it has been a case of “close but no cigars”. But Éire Óg just need to look at Oran who showed remarkable courage, resilience and conviction before climbing Mount Everest. They stayed the course until they got their hands on the Jamesie Murray Cup.
It’s a lesson the “Black and White” should heed and one that could yield a rich harvest for them in October 2026.
After St. Croan’s Junior A Football Championship success, Roscommon GAA Secretary Brian Mullin has completed the perfect medals haul with championship wins at junior, intermediate and senior levels.
Brian won a Dublin Senior Football Championship with UCD in 2006 in a team that also featured Kilbride’s John Hanley.
In 2009, the towering midfielder played a huge role in St. Croan’s intermediate championship win over St. Dominic’s. To put the cherry on top of the cake, he scored the all-important goal in the decider.
In 2014, Mullin won another intermediate championship with the Ballintubber/Ballymoe outfit, which eventually saw David Casey’s men end up in Croke Park in the All-Ireland intermediate football final against Ardfert from Kerry.
He had to wait 11 years to complete the box set as St. Croan’s beat Ballinameen in the Junior A final on Saturday week last, which rubber-stamped their passport back to the intermediate championship in 2026.
Mullin must be one of a select group of players in Roscommon, who have won junior, intermediate and senior club championship medals. If there are any more players out there, please get in touch.
On the weekend that the clocks went back an hour, my Tuesday Teaser gang didn’t need an extra hour in bed to find the answer.
Can you name the only Offaly footballer to have won three All-Ireland SFC medals. It was Martin Furlong in 1971, 1972 and 1982.
Liam Dooley, Ballyhaunis, was first to set his watch, with QPR, Frenchpark; Seán Farrell, Dublin; Murt Hunt, Ballyhaunis; Michael Scally, Ballaghaderreen; Lisa Flanagan, Frenchpark; Tony Reilly, Castlerea; Martin Walshe, Carrowbehy; David Callaghan, Castlerea; Bernard Duffy, Longford/Loughglynn; John Croghan, Bundoran; Fr. John McManus, PP Castlerea; PJ Martin, Kiltoom; Mary Gilfillan, Kilmore; Paddy Conlon, Taughmaconnell; Paddy Duignan, Castlerea; Paddy Boland, Youghal; Luigi, Ballyhaunis; Pat Deane, Williamstown; Mick Fetherston, Dublin; David Callaghan, Castlerea; Pat, Sligo; Mary McCarthy, Holloway; Kevin Flanagan, Dartford; Seán Heston, Toolan, and Michael Kearns, Clapham, also had the time spot on.
This week’s Teaser: Can you name the last Irish international soccer player to win a Champions League medal?
Answers by e-mail to willieefc@gmail.com or by text to 086 8356227. This week’s teaser came from Dublin.
Star pupil: Brian Stack — the St. Brigid’s joint captain was the coolest man amid all the chaos and madness to fire over the equaliser, bringing a pulsating county senior football final to a replay.
Crucial win for: Northern Harps and St. Barry’s in their respective Connacht LGFA junior and intermediate ladies’ football semi-finals.
Much do better: It’s the third game in a row that Shamrock Rovers have fluffed their lines in their efforts to clinch the League of Ireland Premier Division title.
Spot of bother: It was a bad weekend for Merseyside duo Liverpool and Everton.
Weekend highlight: The best Roscommon SFC final in years was played out on an immaculate Dr. Hyde Park pitch.
What a cracker: Take two, as the heavyweight clash between Pádraig Pearses and St. Brigid’s can’t come quickly enough.
“Don’t fall in love with success. Fall in love with the habits that bring success.”
Former Roscommon Gaels club footballer, Kieran Kilcline, scored 1-5 for Allen Gaels during their Leitrim IFC final success over St. Patrick’s Dromahair, setting up a home clash against Strokestown in the Connacht club semi-final.
Waterford United, Sligo Rovers and Galway United are level on 38 points heading into the last round of games, trying to avoid a Premier Division relegation play-off place.
