Tales of the unexpected, it has been that kind of week around Roscommon.
Given the gusto of the whooping and hollering at the final whistle in the Hyde last Sunday, you could imagine the biting repartee among Armagh fans leaving the ground included references to flying pigs and Roscommon winning the league.
Only then for Dr Eamonn Ansbro to emerge – the astronomer spent much of the past week on the media circuit talking about the 40 UFO sightings made by the Kingsland Observatory in Boyle over the last 22 years.
There have been, it would appear, decidedly more sightings of flying saucers in the skies above Roscommon during the last two decades than there have been of their county footballers perched atop Division One of the National Football League.
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Still, there are plenty of non-believers, mostly from Mayo and Leitrim, who would put more stock in little green men turning up at Croke Park on league final day than any footballers in primrose and blue. Nevertheless, it’s fair to say the start of Roscommon’s league campaign has been largely unexpected.
They were one of the pre-competition favourites for relegation, but three matches in they sit top of the pile following victories over Tyrone, Galway and Armagh.
Conor Devaney captained Roscommon to a Division Two League title at Croke Park in 2018. The Kilbride clubman announced his retirement in January of this year, after 117 appearances across 16 seasons with the county senior team. He heard the phrase “yo-yo team” used too often over the last decade. If it’s not spaceships, it’s yo-yos!
“It wasn’t annoying. The reality is that’s where we have been, just outside the top six,” says Devaney. “You look at our league and championship record over the years, we might beat one or two of the top six teams, but we were never consistent enough.”
Save for UFOs, Gay Sheerin has seen it all in Roscommon. He played in goal for the county, managed them and most recently returned as a selector during the tenure of John Evans. When the new management team took over in advance of the 2013 season, Roscommon were drifting in the backwaters of Division Three.
“I said it at the time,” recalls Sheerin. “‘Lads, you are only pissing about here if you think this is the league to be in. Or the division above it. The only place to be playing football for us is Division One. That’s where we need to be.’”
In 2015 they were promoted from Division Two to One. After playing a season in the top-flight, a player approached Sheerin saying in some ways Division One was easier as you were allowed play football, the pitches were better, the quality was higher, the learnings greater.
The problem for Roscommon though has been an inability to hang around there long enough, from 2017 until now their relationship with the league has been a sporting form of speed dating, endlessly hopping between the tables. In each of the last six seasons they have either been promoted or relegated. Neither hitched nor ditched.
Roscommon only named Davy Burke as their senior football manager in late October and it was one of the last appointments for the 2023 season. At 34, Burke is the youngest intercounty manager.
And with some players going travelling for the year and others out injured, there was uncertainty how the opening few weeks would go.
“You never know the value of a bush until it’s cut,” says Sheerin.
“Different players have come in and added to the strength of the squad. The fact Roscommon went and got a young manager, I think it was a very positive move. There is a real freshness around the place.”
One of Burke’s first moves was to call a trial. Despite only a 48-hour call-out, there was a full response and 28 players participated. Those unavailable asked to be considered again. The momentum has continued ever since.
Devaney’s retirement broke the last link to Roscommon’s All-Ireland winning minor team of 2006. But just like his group did back then, the senior team now is being revitalised by an influx of players from the side that contested the All-Ireland under-20 final in 2021 – the likes of Conor Carroll, Keith Doyle, Robbie Dolan, Daire Cregg, Ben O’Carroll, Adam McDermott and Colin Walsh.
“There definitely is a new batch coming through and adding to the squad of players already there,” says Devaney.
More than anything, the 2017 All Star nominee believes a noticeable change of approach has helped catapult Roscommon to the top of Division One.
“We are getting to a place where we are hard to beat, which wasn’t always the case,” he adds.
[ Roscommon play their cards right to maintain perfect recordOpens in new window ]
“The last three games, we have set ourselves up to be in a position at half-time where the game is close and in the second half we are giving the forwards a chance to go win those games.”
It certainly adds up. At half-time against Tyrone they led by three and progressed to win by five. Against Galway they were two points behind at the turnaround but won by the minimum. They trailed Armagh by one at half-time but won by three.
“We were conceding too much last year,” suggests Sheerin. “So the back line was the first thing you had to repair.” In their three league games so far, Roscommon have conceded 1-12, 0-8 and 0-12 respectively.
Sheerin feels the imprint of Mark McHugh can be seen in their defensive shape, he was a key link player between defence and attack on Donegal’s 2012 All-Ireland winning team.
As a former Roscommon goalkeeper, Sheerin reckons the impact of the current custodian has been significant as well. Conor Carroll is from Galway, and plays his club football with Oranmore/Maree, but declared for Roscommon under the parentage rule – his Dad is originally from Roscommon and is the brother of current chairman, Brian Carroll.
Conor was sub goalkeeper on the Galway minor team that contested the 2018 All-Ireland final and was part of their under-20 squad the following season, before switching allegiance.
“He has really good feet, good hands and has a good kick out,” says Sheerin. “He just brings that bit of quickness to it.”
Roscommon aren’t safe from relegation just yet, but it would take quite the dramatic slide for them to fall through the trapdoor this season. Any utterances from the camp will be about consolidating their top-flight status, but privately Roscommon must now see a possible pathway to a league final?
The county’s only Division One NFL title was mined way back in 1979.
“You look at anybody’s CV when they finish playing, isn’t that what they look at, national medals?” remarks Sheerin, who is one of just a handful of Roscommon men with such a garland. “It is highly valued and treasured, absolutely.
“Mary Earley said to me after Roscommon won the league in 1979, ‘I remember the dark days in Division Four, losing down in Limerick’. So, playing in Division One, staying there and being competitive there, that is for the benefit of the young players and those coming after you. That’s where they will learn the most.”
Devaney would like to see his former team-mates to go after the league title.
“I think you consider it now, to be honest,” he says. “For any Roscommon player, winning a National League would be huge because it’s so rare. So why not go for it?
“Especially if they can win in Monaghan. That is going to be an extremely tough game, but if they win there then you should really be looking at a league final.”
Sheerin has been at every game so far and will be in Clones on Sunday. Devaney will be there too, and he was at the Hyde for the win over Armagh.
“The players have been going out and expressing themselves. Robbie Dolan scored the point of the game against Armagh with the outside of his right. It’s great to see,” says the former captain.
If they can win on Sunday, in terms of the league, for Roscommon the sky is the limit.
“The Monaghan game is big,” adds Sheerin. “After that, then you can start looking ahead.”
To a possible first league final appearance since 1981.
Tales of the unexpected, to be continued.
