Roscommon county football team

The Roscommon county football team represents Roscommon in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Roscommon GAA, the County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team compete in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Connacht Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.

Roscommon's home ground is Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon. The team's manager is Anthony Cunningham.

The team last won the Connacht Senior Championship in 2019, the All-Ireland Senior Championship in 1944 and the National League in 1979.

History

Roscommon were a glamour team of the 1940s, winning back to back All Irelands, and have contributed some of the great personalities to GAA history including 2 Presidents - Dan O'Rourke (1946–49) and Dr Donal Keenan (1973–76).

Roscommon's rise from Junior status to Senior All-Ireland champions in the four years leading up to 1943 was one of the great romances of its time. In the All Ireland final they drew with Cavan, before winning the replay with two quick goals from Frankie Kinlough and Jack McQuillan. Kinlough scored the goal and Donal Keenan the points the following year when Roscommon beat Kerry. Roscommon were captained by Jamesie Murray from Knockcroghery.

Legend tells how Roscommon lost a six-point lead in the final three minutes of the 1946 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final against Kerry, Tom Gega O'Connor and Paddy Kennedy scoring the goals. Roscommon were beaten in the replay (Gerry Dolan made one of the greatest saves in Croke Park history against Laois in that year's semi-final). The injured team-captain, Jimmy Murray, was having blood wiped from his face to "look right" for the presentation when Kerry struck for two late equalising goals. Defeats in 1947, 1952 and 1953 semi-finals ended the party.

The 1940s successes were the pinnacle of Roscommon's achievements. They also reached the final in 1962. That year was memorable for they were losing the Connacht final to Galway by 5 points when Roscommon keeper Aidan Brady swung on the crossbar, breaking it in two. During the 15-minute wait to get it replaced, Roscommon moved the great Gerry O'Malley to midfield in a re-organisation and he inspired their comeback to enable them to win the Connacht Championship. However, Kerry, once again, led by the great Mick O'Connell defeated them in the All-Ireland final thanks in no small way to an off-the-ball incident which led to O'Malley being stretchered off very early in the game. Roscommon's next period of success came in the late 1970s when they won 4 Connacht titles on the trot from 77-80. they reached the final in 1980 against Kerry. They looked like causing an upset when John "Jigger" O'Connor's 35th-second goal helped them to an early 1-2 to 0-0 lead, but this was the Kerry team regarded as the greatest in history, and they eventually won by 1-9 to 1-6. A series of minor championships (1981, 1984, 1989 and 1992), and an All-Ireland Under-21 final in 1982, showed the impact of that success and in 1990 and 1991 Roscommon emerged from Connacht again, succumbing to Meath by a single point in the 1991 All Ireland semi-final.

Nine unsuccessful seasons followed before, in 2001, Roscommon regained the Connacht title following a brilliant win and performance over eventual All-Ireland champions Galway and a very dramatic end-of-match victory over Mayo. However, they failed to make any further progress in the 2001 All Ireland Championship and the decade that followed was amongst the least successful in the team's history.

On the field, outside of a very exciting run in 2003, the senior team failed to record any notable successes since their 2001 Connacht Championship title win until 2010. The success of the county's Minor team in winning the All-Ireland title in 2006 offered hope, however.

In 2010 Roscommon captured their 20th Senior Connacht football title. In the first round they defeated London in Ruislip 0-14 to 0-6. In the semi final played in Dr Hyde Park Roscommon beat Leitrim 1-13 to 0-11. In the final played in McHale Park, Roscommon overcame favourites Sligo on a scoreline of 0-14 to 0-13. Roscommon were subsequently beaten in the All-Ireland Quarter Final in Croke Park by Cork 1-16 to 0-10.

Roscommon made their return to Division 1 of the National Football League in 2016 and enjoyed a successful campaign picking up wins against Kerry, Cork, Donegal and Down, before losing a League semi-final to Kerry at Croke Park. However, they endured a disappointing Championship. A draw against Galway in the Connacht Final in terrible conditions brought them to a replay in Castlebar, where Roscommon went on to lose by 11 points. They exited the All-Ireland Championship with a 4th Round Qualifier loss to Clare.

Roscommon were subsequently relegated from Division 1 of the League in 2017 after losing all but 1 of their games. In 2018 Roscommon were promoted back to Division 1 by topping the Division 2 group and winning the Division 2 title in Croke Park against Cavan.

Roscommon beat Galway in the 2017 Connacht Senior Football Championship final on a scoreline of 2-15 to 0-12.

On 5 September 2018 after 3 years in charge Kevin McStay stepped down as Roscommon manager, "I feel I have brought the team as far as I can at this stage and a new voice and direction is now required" he said on his departure. Anthony Cunningham, former Galway hurler and hurling manager took over from McStay. Roscommon won the Connacht title in Cunningham's maiden year at the helm, defeating Galway in Salthill to claim their 23rd JJ Nestor Cup.

Roscommon in the Connacht championship in 2020 will play London in the Quarter-Final they rest of the draws won't take place until mid-late October 2020.

Current squad
No. Player Position Club
1 Darren O'Malley Goalkeeper Micheal Glaveys
2 David Murray Right Corner Back Pádraig Pearses GAA Roscommon
3 Seán Mullooly Full Back Strokestown
4 Conor Daly Left Corner Back Pádraig Pearses GAA Roscommon
5 Niall Daly Right half Back Pádraig Pearses GAA Roscommon
6 Conor Hussey Centre Back Michael Glaveys
7 Ronan Daly Left Half Back Padraig Pearses
8 Tadhg O'Rourke Midfield Tulsk
9 Shane Killoran Midfield Elphin
10 Hubert Darcy Right Half Forward Pádraig Pearses GAA Roscommon
11 Cathal Cregg Centre Forward Western Gaels (c)
12 Niall Kilroy Left Half Forward Fuerty
13 Ultan Harney Right Corner Forward Clann na nGael
14 Conor Cox Full Forward Listowel Emmets
15 Diarmuid Murtagh Left Corner Forward St. Faithleachs
No. Player Position Club
16 Colm Lavin Substitute Eire Og
17 Gary Patterson Substitute Michael Glaveys
18 Brian Stack Substitute St Brigid's
19 Enda Smith Substitute Boyle
20 Fintan Cregg Substitute Elphin
21 Andrew Glennon Substitute Michael Glaveys
22 Conor Devaney Substitute Michael Glaveys
23 Donal Smith Substitute Boyle
24 Colin Compton Substitute Strokestown
25 Cathal Heneghan Substitute Michael Glaveys
26 Cian McKeon Substitute Boyle

Squad as per Roscommon v Mayo, 2019 Connacht Senior Football Championship Semi-Final

Current management team

Players

Notable players

All Stars

Roscommon have 15 All Stars.

  • 1972: M. Freyne
  • 1974: Dermot Earley
  • 1977: P. Lindsay
  • 1978: Harry Keegan
  • 1979: T. Heneghan, D. Murray, Dermot Earley
  • 1980: Harry Keegan, G. Connellan, D. Murray
  • 1985: Paul Earley
  • 1986: Harry Keegan
  • 1989: T. McManus
  • 1991: E. Gavin
  • 2001: F. Grehan

Competitive record

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

This is Roscommon's record in All-Ireland SFC finals.

Year Venue Result Attendance
1943Croke Park  Roscommon 2-7   Cavan 2-247,193
1944Croke ParkRoscommon 1-9   Kerry 2-479,245
1946Croke ParkKerry 2-8    Roscommon 0-1065,661
1962Croke ParkKerry 1-12    Roscommon 1-675,771
1980Croke ParkKerry 1-9    Roscommon 1-663,854

Roscommon won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in:

National Football League

This is Roscommon's record in National Football League finals.

Year Venue Winning Team Score Losing Team
1974 Croke Park Kerry 0-14 v 0-8 Roscommon
1979 Croke Park Roscommon 0-15 v 1-3 Cork
1981 Croke Park Galway 1-11 v 1-3 Roscommon

Roscommon won the National Football League in:

  • 1979

Honours
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References
  1. "Connacht SFC final: rampant Rossies stun terrible Tribe". Hogan Stand. 9 July 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  2. "Smith the hero as Rossies' first-half blitz proves a bridge too far for Sligo". Irish Independent. 9 April 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  3. "Roscommon claim third Connacht U21 title in five years". Hogan Stand. 5 April 2014. Archived from the original on 5 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  4. "Roscommon take Connacht Under-21 title". RTÉ Sport. 5 April 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  5. "Connacht Minor Football Championship: Roscommon survive late fightback to down Mayo". www.thescore.ie. 15 July 2012. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
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