ALL AROUND THE Hyde, the shiny, happy people were bathing and reflecting, emitting and transmitting.
The weatherman wouldn’t have said it was a scorcher. A late shower even crept in on the Connacht final and some fans were sensible enough to pack the woolly hats.
But there was a warmth in people’s bones. In the main stand, people were enraptured by what they just witnessed; the Rossies earnestly playing the role of respectable suitor to the Nestor Cup, only for Galway to come and take the initiative, six points ahead through the rugged Damien Comer and the way he might roof a shot to the net with ten minutes to go.
They kept the faith. They kept nabbing the two-pointers. Paul Carey, Daire Cregg and Diarmuid Murtagh showed their resilience.
They put the seal on it with the final score of the game. It had all the subtle skills on display of the modern game; patience in possession, scanning the field for angles, backdoor-cuts leaving the Galway defence pulled in all directions, and angled running with the second and third pass in mind.
In the end, it all felt so primal.
An emotional Roscommon fan at the final whistle. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
In the main stand, Roscommon fans had smiles plastered to their faces like they had no choice in the matter.
All around the faces scanned the scenes. Happy face encountered and reflected a happy face. Their satisfaction was doubled in what they were seeing. Reflecting and multiplying. It was a rave. A rave in The Hyde. Karl Hyde in Da Hyde.
The provincials will never die a death. As we have made the point about local rivalry, this stuff is just too baked in to the identity of the GAA.
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To say it means little when Sam Maguire is being handed out just exposes a person as a skinflint, a parsimonious scrooge, a vacuum of craic.
One thing about the provincial championships however is how different they can all feel.
Whether real or imagined, the Connacht football final has a very west of Ireland, hippy feel. There is no edge in the air. It’s more an innocence and a determination to get the best out of the day.
Munster hurling finals are living history that everyone to some extent seems to be aware of.
The Leinster football championship got the jump leads last year and was all the better for it as it had become the worst competition in any sport, ever.
We will revisit this topic, but the Ulster final is the one that you could easily get a slap to the lug for no reason whatsoever. Once you enter the Clones town environs, you could get jostled or punched, you just have to make your peace with the terms and conditions.
There is a purity in Roscommon town.
*****
If ever there was a time for Padraic Mitchell to ask for a pay rise, this would be it.
The Games Manager for the county managed to shake off a bad head on Monday morning and make it to Knockcroghery to St Dominic’s GAA club, the home of midfielder Keith Doyle and defender Eoin McCormack.
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
There waiting for him were 180 kids, all excited and screaming and hopped up after the day before.
“There was just tremendous energy there today I have to say. The kids were just ecstatic about the whole thing,” he said.
The numbers involved are impressive for such a small county, and it was delivered through their coaching and games initiatives. Afterwards, Mitchell and his colleagues were set to sit down after lunch and plan what the next couple of weeks are going to look like, how they will capitalise on the enthusiasm and energy that’s fizzing through the county.
Away from the flagship senior team, the minors won the provincial title when they defeated Galway on Friday evening. The U20s beat Mayo in their decider 12 days ago and have an All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry looming this Wednesday night.
There is a lot going on.
*****
On Sunday night, Roscommon town was ablaze.
They were enjoying the night for what it was, but oddly enough, there was no conversation about the potential for Roscommon to win an All-Ireland.
But there was chat about manager Mark Dowd. It’s fair to say that a provincial title now grants him the status of being widely known, after previously flying under the radar, even after a spring in charge of a Division 1 team.
Mark Dowd. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
He wouldn’t care one way or the other though.
“With home-grown local fellas, it definitely makes a difference,” says Mitchell.
“Because most GAA people in this county, they all know Mark. They would have met him on a sideline, met him coaching.
“And he is a very approachable guy. People have a greater sense of belonging when there are local people involved, when it’s your own county. They can claim a bit more ownership of it all.”
He adds, “There was a real outpouring of delight for Mark and the lads. Every conversation I had last night, it always came back to Mark Dowd and how delighted people were for him. That was nearly the first thing people were saying, so there is a genuine affection for these guys.”
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Where is their ceiling?
It’s not being thought of outside the group. Humility forbids.
In less than two weeks, they will be bringing Tyrone down to the Hyde. Two years ago, they went up to Omagh and beat the Red Hands, just three years after they had won the 2021 All-Ireland.
It’s interesting to take these two counties as a case study. Tyrone is a fanatical GAA county, as is Roscommon. The odd thing is that Tyrone GAA has turned inwards.
The fans have gradually retreated away since the early flushes of Mickey Harte success. Instead, they concentrate their devotion on their clubs and the sheer amount of activity going on within these structures.
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Roscommon's magic football day at home proves the provincials will never die
ALL AROUND THE Hyde, the shiny, happy people were bathing and reflecting, emitting and transmitting.
The weatherman wouldn’t have said it was a scorcher. A late shower even crept in on the Connacht final and some fans were sensible enough to pack the woolly hats.
But there was a warmth in people’s bones. In the main stand, people were enraptured by what they just witnessed; the Rossies earnestly playing the role of respectable suitor to the Nestor Cup, only for Galway to come and take the initiative, six points ahead through the rugged Damien Comer and the way he might roof a shot to the net with ten minutes to go.
They kept the faith. They kept nabbing the two-pointers. Paul Carey, Daire Cregg and Diarmuid Murtagh showed their resilience.
They put the seal on it with the final score of the game. It had all the subtle skills on display of the modern game; patience in possession, scanning the field for angles, backdoor-cuts leaving the Galway defence pulled in all directions, and angled running with the second and third pass in mind.
In the end, it all felt so primal.
In the main stand, Roscommon fans had smiles plastered to their faces like they had no choice in the matter.
All around the faces scanned the scenes. Happy face encountered and reflected a happy face. Their satisfaction was doubled in what they were seeing. Reflecting and multiplying. It was a rave. A rave in The Hyde. Karl Hyde in Da Hyde.
The provincials will never die a death. As we have made the point about local rivalry, this stuff is just too baked in to the identity of the GAA.
To say it means little when Sam Maguire is being handed out just exposes a person as a skinflint, a parsimonious scrooge, a vacuum of craic.
One thing about the provincial championships however is how different they can all feel.
Whether real or imagined, the Connacht football final has a very west of Ireland, hippy feel. There is no edge in the air. It’s more an innocence and a determination to get the best out of the day.
Munster hurling finals are living history that everyone to some extent seems to be aware of.
The Leinster football championship got the jump leads last year and was all the better for it as it had become the worst competition in any sport, ever.
We will revisit this topic, but the Ulster final is the one that you could easily get a slap to the lug for no reason whatsoever. Once you enter the Clones town environs, you could get jostled or punched, you just have to make your peace with the terms and conditions.
There is a purity in Roscommon town.
*****
If ever there was a time for Padraic Mitchell to ask for a pay rise, this would be it.
The Games Manager for the county managed to shake off a bad head on Monday morning and make it to Knockcroghery to St Dominic’s GAA club, the home of midfielder Keith Doyle and defender Eoin McCormack.
There waiting for him were 180 kids, all excited and screaming and hopped up after the day before.
“There was just tremendous energy there today I have to say. The kids were just ecstatic about the whole thing,” he said.
The numbers involved are impressive for such a small county, and it was delivered through their coaching and games initiatives. Afterwards, Mitchell and his colleagues were set to sit down after lunch and plan what the next couple of weeks are going to look like, how they will capitalise on the enthusiasm and energy that’s fizzing through the county.
Away from the flagship senior team, the minors won the provincial title when they defeated Galway on Friday evening. The U20s beat Mayo in their decider 12 days ago and have an All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry looming this Wednesday night.
There is a lot going on.
*****
On Sunday night, Roscommon town was ablaze.
They were enjoying the night for what it was, but oddly enough, there was no conversation about the potential for Roscommon to win an All-Ireland.
But there was chat about manager Mark Dowd. It’s fair to say that a provincial title now grants him the status of being widely known, after previously flying under the radar, even after a spring in charge of a Division 1 team.
He wouldn’t care one way or the other though.
“With home-grown local fellas, it definitely makes a difference,” says Mitchell.
“Because most GAA people in this county, they all know Mark. They would have met him on a sideline, met him coaching.
“And he is a very approachable guy. People have a greater sense of belonging when there are local people involved, when it’s your own county. They can claim a bit more ownership of it all.”
He adds, “There was a real outpouring of delight for Mark and the lads. Every conversation I had last night, it always came back to Mark Dowd and how delighted people were for him. That was nearly the first thing people were saying, so there is a genuine affection for these guys.”
Where is their ceiling?
It’s not being thought of outside the group. Humility forbids.
In less than two weeks, they will be bringing Tyrone down to the Hyde. Two years ago, they went up to Omagh and beat the Red Hands, just three years after they had won the 2021 All-Ireland.
It’s interesting to take these two counties as a case study. Tyrone is a fanatical GAA county, as is Roscommon. The odd thing is that Tyrone GAA has turned inwards.
The fans have gradually retreated away since the early flushes of Mickey Harte success. Instead, they concentrate their devotion on their clubs and the sheer amount of activity going on within these structures.
Roscommon people identify with their county.
Oh, to be a Rossie!
*****
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