Roscommon clubs facing key appointments
Pádraig Pearses are on the lookout for a new manager following the departure of Frank Canning. Picture: INPHO/John McVitty
Pádraig Pearses spent last winter wondering what might have been after being caught cold by Coolera/Strandhill’s sucker punch. As a result, they let a wonderful opportunity to climb the Connacht Club SFC mountain for the second time in four seasons slip through their fingers.
A few weeks ago, the opportunity that came their way against St. Brigid’s in the county final wasn’t as gilt-edged. Yet, they will still have regrets about their failure to beat Anthony Cunningham’s men, especially in the drawn game.
After three years at the helm, manager Frank Canning has decided to step down. During his tenure, Pearses lost a championship semi-final against Boyle by a point, won the 2024 championship and lost this season’s county final after a replay.
While Pearses have lost experienced players, they have injected outstanding young talent into the team, which will serve the club with distinction over the next number of years.
The Pearses vacancy will attract plenty of interest as the club will feel that there are more county titles and Connacht club voyages to be unwrapped.
Under Canning, Pearses played some great football, and did so with courage and conviction. A desire not to be beaten was embedded within their character.
Meanwhile, after only one year in charge, Eamonn O’Hara had to leave his Boyle post as he was appointed Sligo joint manager with Dessie Sloyan. Over the past four years, the North Roscommon side have been the next best outside the big two of St. Brigid’s and Pádraig Pearses.
If Pearses have major regrets over the past two seasons, then Boyle will look back at the 2022 SFC final defeat to Strokestown as the one that got away.
In 2023, Boyle lost another final by a single point — this time to St. Brigid’s. This summer, they blew a seven-point lead with seven minutes remaining against Pádraig Pearses.
Put the full package together and Boyle are still a formidable side that, like Pádraig Pearses, will grab a lot of attention as they try to nail down a new manager.
After one year in the hot seat in Mountbellew/Moylough, will they try and tempt Fergal O’Donnell to take over his adopted club?
I’m sure Boyle will do everything they can to keep Donie Smith playing for another season as the North Roscommon side continue to dream of lifting the Fahey Cup.
Both Boyle and Pearses will want to appoint a manager with senior club experience and, better still, if he has an intercounty CV.
World on the ground is that Declan O’Flaherty is set to become the next Clann na nGael senior football manager, while Nigel Dineen has left his role as Elphin boss.
Five of this season’s 12 SFC clubs will appoint new managers over the coming weeks.
While Paul Carey got two bites of the cherry due to the senior football final going to a replay, the Pádraig Pearses ace wasn’t able to reel in Ciarán Lennon as the Clann na nGael sharpshooter kept his place at the top of the leaderboard to end up as the Roscommon SFC Golden Boot winner.
After his five championship games, Ciarán Lennon posted 3-31, three ahead of St. Faithleach’s forward, Diarmuid Murtagh, on 2-31.
Approaching the county final, the smart money was on Paul Carey to overtake the Clann player. He had 1-32 in his bank account. In his previous three games, the Pearses forward had hit 1-26. All he required was 0-6 to top the charts.
But the St. Brigid’s defence did a superb job in policing Carey. Over the two games, he only managed 0-3, which saw him finish on 1-35, leaving Lennon to grab the limelight.
The Clann na nGael and Roscommon forward reached the summit, despite playing three games less than his Pearses counterpart.
While Michael O'Leary and Ryanair have gone fully digital with their boarding passes, my passengers can still board the Teaser flight the old way.
Can you name the man who won an All-Ireland senior football medal as a player before managing the same county to win an All-Ireland senior hurling title?
It was Cork’s Jimmy Barry Murphy who won an All-Ireland SFC title in 1973 and then went on to manage the hurlers to All-Ireland glory in 1999.
QPR, Frenchpark, was first to check-in, with Pat Deane, Williamstown; Murt Hunt, Ballyhaunis; Michael Scally, Ballaghaderreen; John Croghan, Bundoran; Liam Dooley, Ballyhaunis; Mark Gilfillan, Kilmore; Paddy Conlon, Taughmaconnell; Martin Walshe, Carrowbehy; Vincent Moran, Portahard, Frenchpark; Bernard Duffy, Longford/Loughglynn; David Callaghan, Castlerea; Seán Farrell, Dublin; Tom Mullaney, Boyle; Paddy Boland, Youghal; Paddy Duignan, Castlerea; Luigi, Ballyhaunis; David Mullen, Dublin/Fourmilehouse, and Pat, Sligo, also boarding on time.
This week’s Teaser. Can you name the youngest ever men’s GAA All-Star?
Answers by email to willieefc@gmail.com or by text to 086 8356227. This week’s teaser came from Dublin.
Star pupil: Diarmuid McGann who was in outstanding form, scoring 1-7 for Strokestown as the Black and Amber reached the Connacht IFC final.
Crucial win for: the Republic of Ireland men’s soccer team — no explanation needed.
Much do better: The concession of three goals will focus St. Brigid’s minds ahead of Sunday week’s Connacht Club SFC final against Maigh Cuilinn.
Spot of bother: Heartbreak for St. Croan’s who lost out in a sudden death penalty shootout to Kiltimagh in their Connacht Club JFC semi-final.
Weekend highlight: Nobody saw the train driven by Troy Parrott coming down the track as the Republic of Ireland soccer team did the impossible by beating Portugal and Hungary within four days.
What a cracker: If Strokestown and Kilmeena bring their A game to the table, then we are in for a Connacht Club IFC final cracker in Castlebar on Sunday.
“People are like books — some deceive you with their cover, and others surprise you with their content.”
That Roscommon clubs have reached the last five Connacht IFC finals with two wins (St. Faithleach’s and Castlerea St. Kevin’s ) and two defeats (St. Dominic’s and Elphin).
St. Brigid’s produced as good a performance as any Roscommon side on the provincial stage against Ballina on Sunday last.
In a nutshell, it was a football masterclass.
If the current two-year cycle continues in Connacht Club IFC finals, then Strokestown are set to climb the mountain by following in the footsteps of St. Faithleach’s in 2021 and Castlerea St. Kevin’s in 2023.
But the Black and Amber face a massive challenge to keep the trend going in 2025 as Kilmeena have been on a football merry-go-round over the past five years.
They won the Mayo, Connacht and All-Ireland Junior Football Championships in 2021/2022. They captured the county intermediate championship in 2023, were relegated from senior last year but bounced straight back up this season by playing brilliant football.
In the Connacht Club Championship, they scored 44 times against Caltra and Coolaney/Mulinabreena. They registered 0-20 from play against the Sligo champions last Saturday.
For long spells against Allen Gaels, especially against the wind in the first half, Strokestown played their best football of the season. They looked really sharp and played with great fluency.
On the downside, they allowed the Leitrim holders back into the game before answering the tough questions with a strong finish.
Timmy Gibbons is like a fire brigade in defence, putting out fires from corner-back, Diarmiud McGann was back to his best, and Colm Neary is a Ferrari on two legs. Strokestown have conceded no goals in their past two games and their subs are making an impact.
Kilmeeena will be hitting the decks for a third week running after being brought to extra time by Caltra before comfortably seeing off Coolaney/Mulinabreena on Saturday. But winning has become a habit. The Mayo men have only lost once in 2025 in league and championship.
For Strokestown, one piece of the football jigsaw is still missing — a provincial title as they lost a senior final in 2002 and an intermediate decider in 2010.
Now is the time to find that missing piece.
A ding-dong local derby is on the cards here.
Kilbride have claimed great wins over Pádraig Pearses and St. Aidan’s. After being relegated to the Junior A Football Championship, an U-20 Division Two title would ease the pain and finish the year on a high for the Mid-Roscommon club.
Oran/St. Croan’s have been fancied from a long way out, such is the quality of players they have on board. The amalgamated side have nine St. Croan’s players who clinched Junior A championship glory.
Beating Castlerea St. Kevin’s after an extra-time thriller merely underlined their credentials.
After messing up during the intermediate football championship, Tulsk will want to end the season with silverware.
Both teams won their respective semi-finals with different experiences.
Michael Glaveys had to endure a heart-stopping sudden death penalty shootout win over Oran. St. Dominic’s had a much smoother journey with a convincing win over Tulsk, and that gives them the nod.
