Nine years waiting for overnight success

Gavin Cummiskeyon how Roscommon shredded the formbook to beat Sligo and claim their first Connacht senior football final title since 2001

ANYONE WHO managed to sit through a Roscommon National League game or saw the hard work they made of London in Ruislip on May 30th could only be astonished by Sunday’s achievement. The dash they displayed in beating Sligo to capture the Connacht football title seemed to come out of nowhere.

It is a prime example of the unpredictable nature of sport. It proves tradition will always count for something and, of course, how the unfamiliar and heavy burden of favouritism can stall momentum, as it did Sligo’s after impressive defeats of Mayo and then Galway.

But still, how did Roscommon do it? They were relegated from Division Three just two months ago. Even the management were struggling for inspiration.

On the bus journey to McHale Park the Sunday papers were scanned. No hope. The league performances and the flat displays against London and Leitrim were used as evidence.

“We were relegated so we were under pressure against London and Leitrim,” selector Declan Hoare explains. “People thought we would get turned over. The lads didn’t have the freedom to play, they were tense and tight. We went into the final under no pressure.

“You can’t but look at papers on a Sunday when you have a game. You’d hardly know Roscommon were playing. Now, I don’t mean to be disrespectful to the media as Sligo had earned their credit but the lads used that as motivation.

“It didn’t look like we had that performance after London and Leitrim but the older crew realised they might not get to another Connacht final, so they grasped it.”

Now, Roscommon have silverware and a panel with an average age of 24. For the “older crew”, all those punishing winters have finally paid off. For the kids, well, they expected this.

“They haven’t lost to Sligo growing up as minors or under-21s,” notes Hoare.

There was a watershed moment after the embarrassing 20-point hammering to Mayo last year. The panel held a meeting before the qualifiers and Donie Shine spoke. He promised the room Roscommon would be beating the likes of Mayo in the near future. His young comrades nodded in agreement.

“They have that belief. They are playing football to win something.

“To be honest, we didn’t think it would come within 12 months but it’s that type of confidence, mixed with the experience.”

Go back to 2001 and Roscommon’s last provincial title. Jonathan Dunning has won a few frees in his time but two have secured his place in Roscommon GAA folklore.

“Jonathan Dunning came on against Mayo in 2001 and it was him that caught the ball and won the free that he passed to Denis Gavin and he to Gerry Lohan,” said Hoare.

Lohan’s point proved decisive.

“His input yesterday was he came on (after 66 minutes) and won the free that Donie Shine put over to win the game.”

Nine years on, Dunning is the only survivor, although manager Fergal O’Donnell was captain then. And how about the 2006 All-Ireland minor final replay? That day nine of the current panel went down to Ennis and defeated a Kerry team that included Tommy Walsh.

“Five of that minor team started and three came on,” said Hoare who, like O’Donnell, was also part of the minor management team.

“Peter Domican is captain now, Stephen Ormsby at corner back, David Keenan, David O’Gara and Donie Shine. Paul Garvey, Colm Garvey and Kevin Higgins came on. But it’s unfair on the rest of them to only credit the minors of 2006.”

David Casey should not be playing Gaelic football; after seven knee operations he was told earlier this season to retire.

“We were in the dressingroom last March when David’s knee went again and he broke down crying thinking it was the end of his career. Dr Martin Daly did unbelievable work with him. He told him, ‘Listen, your knee could go at any stage. You could have one year left in you and could get back in six or seven weeks – if you want’. I never felt so sorry for a lad as I did that night. Look at him against Leitrim and again on Sunday; it’s just amazing that he has his Connacht medal.”

Other long-suffering players like Karol Mannion have let intercounty football dominate their lives since arriving on the panel in the wake of 2001. Careers and families have come second despite few rewards.

“You don’t get many opportunities to win a Connacht final, especially when Mayo and Galway aren’t involved,” Hoare continued. “We said ‘let’s just give it everything we’ve got’. We more or less put our lives on hold – the management and the players.

“No matter what Fergal asked of the lads; be it to drive from Dublin midweek just for a meeting, it was done.”

Now comes a greater challenge. In 2001 Galway crushed their joy in the All-Ireland quarter-final.

“Fergal got that through to them straight after the game. He said his biggest disappointment was the quarter-final against Galway when they just petered out of the game. That tarnished the Connacht medal.

“We will be focused on two weeks’ time. We were in Ennis with the minors in 2006 but yesterday was better. Just looking at the supporters and how much it meant to them. It is a different camp this morning.

“We may not be good enough and we won’t be favourites but we will try to do the jersey and our supporters proud; not tarnish the Connacht medals we have won.”

The management knew taking on this task two years ago was potentially a poisoned chalice but the mixture of youth and experience has now delivered Roscommon’s 20th Connacht title.

O’Donnell spoke candidly to The Sunday Times about his doubts before the game: “We thought we could go in and improve things and we’ve been disappointed that we haven’t done that. It’s hard to even say whether or not we’ve steadied the ship.”

Sometimes, clearly, it is better to rock the boat.