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Roscommon GAA thread

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Replying To yew_tree:  "I'm no expert on our neighbours but to me they look poorly managed. Roscommon punch well above their weight when you consider their population in my opinion and that's a compliment but with the current crop of players they have I'd argue they are underachieving.

Bottom line if the current Cork and Roscommon teams both play to their absolute best ability next weekend then I believe the rossies will take them."
No expert but you got a lot of that right. Don't heed the Meath man's silly post. Roscommon have some generationally good players and we've underachieved with them alright. We have a relatively small population but we also had a relatively small population in 1943, in 1944, in 1946, in 1962, and in 1980.

endgame (Roscommon) - Posts: 2451 - 05/06/2025 20:57:15    2615208

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Replying To yew_tree:  "I'm no expert on our neighbours but to me they look poorly managed. Roscommon punch well above their weight when you consider their population in my opinion and that's a compliment but with the current crop of players they have I'd argue they are underachieving.

Bottom line if the current Cork and Roscommon teams both play to their absolute best ability next weekend then I believe the rossies will take them."
I would say Ur more of an expert than a lot of what post on here yewtree
Good luck to mayo next week
Too

rossy15 (Roscommon) - Posts: 656 - 05/06/2025 22:55:38    2615225

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Replying To 32_4_1:  "Cork are that price, as they have far greater ability. Poorly managed, often lack direction and fight, but if the mood takes them could beat Roscommon well. Roscommon are well managed, play close to their ability, fight hard, yet are still only at the level or thereabouts of a misfiring Cork. Roscommon are playing to their extreme, if Meath and Cork suddenly decide to pick it up and click, would beat Roscommon heavily tbh.

The bookies know this. Refer back to previous recent wins over Meath and Cork until the cows come home. If Meath and Cork decide to perform on any given day, Roscommon simply aren't on their level!"
Where you at the recent game between Meath v Roscommon?To say we'd hammer Roscommon if we wanted too is a mile off in my opinion.While we could've won it at the end,we could also have lost it.Yes,we did have a spell in the first half when we scored heavily but we conceded 2 goals and in truth they could've had another 1 or 2 goals but for poor handling and decisions. We've been in division 1 for one year only the last I dont know how many years while Roscommon have been there alot more.Roscommon have some fine footballers and if they click they would do damage to teams as well.Lets not get ahead of ourselves, while things are looking up for Meath (hopefully that keeps going)let's keep our heads and feet on the ground and continue working hard and keep talk of hammering teams (nonsense in my opinion)to ourselves.

Proudroyal (Meath) - Posts: 366 - 05/06/2025 23:13:12    2615227

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Replying To endgame:  "No expert but you got a lot of that right. Don't heed the Meath man's silly post. Roscommon have some generationally good players and we've underachieved with them alright. We have a relatively small population but we also had a relatively small population in 1943, in 1944, in 1946, in 1962, and in 1980."
I'd say we had a bigger population than a lot of Counties in the 1940s.
Now only 5 Counties have less than us.

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2383 - 05/06/2025 23:47:55    2615231

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Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "I'd say we had a bigger population than a lot of Counties in the 1940s.
Now only 5 Counties have less than us."
There was a census in 1946, a year of course that Roscommon reached the All Ireland Final. Roscommon's population in 1946 was 72,510, marginally higher than our current population of circa 70,000. By comparison, Mayo's population in 1946 was 148,120 and is now around 137,000. The big population increases have been in eastern counties like Meath and Kildare. Roscommon is not failing to reach All Ireland semi finals and finals due to lack of population. Roscommon is a traditional gaa county. We have in Brigid's one of the best clubs in the country and I'm a North Roscommon man. We have improved hugely the performances of our underage county teams since the early 2000s. The senior team continues to underperform what a lot of us here think they're capable of and I don't know the reason for that. We've been nowhere in Connacht since 2019 and 4 in a row Galway are no world beaters. I think the Roscommon senior football team should be doing better.

endgame (Roscommon) - Posts: 2451 - 06/06/2025 13:55:22    2615335

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Replying To endgame:  "There was a census in 1946, a year of course that Roscommon reached the All Ireland Final. Roscommon's population in 1946 was 72,510, marginally higher than our current population of circa 70,000. By comparison, Mayo's population in 1946 was 148,120 and is now around 137,000. The big population increases have been in eastern counties like Meath and Kildare. Roscommon is not failing to reach All Ireland semi finals and finals due to lack of population. Roscommon is a traditional gaa county. We have in Brigid's one of the best clubs in the country and I'm a North Roscommon man. We have improved hugely the performances of our underage county teams since the early 2000s. The senior team continues to underperform what a lot of us here think they're capable of and I don't know the reason for that. We've been nowhere in Connacht since 2019 and 4 in a row Galway are no world beaters. I think the Roscommon senior football team should be doing better."
In 17, 18 and 19 we shipped some Quarter Final hammerings .

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2383 - 06/06/2025 14:44:10    2615343

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Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "In 17, 18 and 19 we shipped some Quarter Final hammerings ."
We did. We haven't won a championship game in Croke Park for 45 years and We haven't reached an All Ireland semi final for 34 years. I suppose the question we're talking about here is why.

endgame (Roscommon) - Posts: 2451 - 06/06/2025 15:05:02    2615349

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Replying To endgame:  "There was a census in 1946, a year of course that Roscommon reached the All Ireland Final. Roscommon's population in 1946 was 72,510, marginally higher than our current population of circa 70,000. By comparison, Mayo's population in 1946 was 148,120 and is now around 137,000. The big population increases have been in eastern counties like Meath and Kildare. Roscommon is not failing to reach All Ireland semi finals and finals due to lack of population. Roscommon is a traditional gaa county. We have in Brigid's one of the best clubs in the country and I'm a North Roscommon man. We have improved hugely the performances of our underage county teams since the early 2000s. The senior team continues to underperform what a lot of us here think they're capable of and I don't know the reason for that. We've been nowhere in Connacht since 2019 and 4 in a row Galway are no world beaters. I think the Roscommon senior football team should be doing better."
I think for Roscommon seniors to make the next step up you either need a high profile outside manager who will bring them on even further with regard to preparation, mentality, coaching, someone that has been in a top 4 team dressing room (very expensive and doesn't always work). Or, the more sustainable way, an in-county manager who drives for the above like a James Horan type. Would Cathal Cregg be someone who could fit the bill down the line? There's no point in appointing someone who's content with up and down from Div 1 and 2 and have no belief in getting to an all Ireland semi.

FullOfPorter (Roscommon) - Posts: 152 - 06/06/2025 15:20:13    2615353

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Replying To endgame:  "We did. We haven't won a championship game in Croke Park for 45 years and We haven't reached an All Ireland semi final for 34 years. I suppose the question we're talking about here is why."
How many championship games have Roscommon been favourties to win Croke Park over the last ten years? Clare a few years ago is the only one I recall. Would have reached All Ireland semi final if the format never changed, sure all you had to do was win Connacht to reach the last 4, harder to do now especially for underdogs.

Drax_the_destroyer (UK) - Posts: 479 - 06/06/2025 16:02:55    2615373

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Replying To FullOfPorter:  "I think for Roscommon seniors to make the next step up you either need a high profile outside manager who will bring them on even further with regard to preparation, mentality, coaching, someone that has been in a top 4 team dressing room (very expensive and doesn't always work). Or, the more sustainable way, an in-county manager who drives for the above like a James Horan type. Would Cathal Cregg be someone who could fit the bill down the line? There's no point in appointing someone who's content with up and down from Div 1 and 2 and have no belief in getting to an all Ireland semi."
Does Cathal work full time for the Connacht Council?
Probably wouldn't be allowed near a County role then.
If Davy moves on....how about John Rogers and steal Micky Harte from the Biffs as an advisor of some sort?
Or would coach Doran take the reins?

We could be losing 5 or 6 long time stalwarts after this season.
Some good underage teams/players the last few years so a mixture of youth and good experienced management could untap the potential.

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 2383 - 06/06/2025 16:31:15    2615384

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Replying To endgame:  "We did. We haven't won a championship game in Croke Park for 45 years and We haven't reached an All Ireland semi final for 34 years. I suppose the question we're talking about here is why."
In my opinion for roscommon to reach the last 4 we need to be in division 1 consistently. We are so similar to Monaghan and they went through years of failure in championship but were in division 1 for years and eventually that's stands to teams. We need to focus the next few years on league and get our young lads up to that level then I think championship form will come.

dave1988 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1257 - 06/06/2025 18:20:33    2615407

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Replying To Drax_the_destroyer:  "How many championship games have Roscommon been favourties to win Croke Park over the last ten years? Clare a few years ago is the only one I recall. Would have reached All Ireland semi final if the format never changed, sure all you had to do was win Connacht to reach the last 4, harder to do now especially for underdogs."
Ironically, Roscommon won Connacht in 2001, the year the back door as it was called and the quarter finals came in in football. A year earlier and we'd have been in a semi final. We haven't been favourites often in Croke Park I agree but underdogs can win matches too. Roscommon is too good a gaa county not to have won a championship match in Croke park in 45 years. Agree about Cathal Cregg. Think he works full time for the Connacht Council so doubt he could manage Roscommon.Cathal also has no management experience. It's hard to get a top class Manager in the premiership with all the millions never mind in gaa. Davy will go and he should go but not sure who'll replace him.

endgame (Roscommon) - Posts: 2451 - 06/06/2025 20:14:06    2615417

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Replying To Seanfanbocht:  "Does Cathal work full time for the Connacht Council?
Probably wouldn't be allowed near a County role then.
If Davy moves on....how about John Rogers and steal Micky Harte from the Biffs as an advisor of some sort?
Or would coach Doran take the reins?

We could be losing 5 or 6 long time stalwarts after this season.
Some good underage teams/players the last few years so a mixture of youth and good experienced management could untap the potential."
Yes Cathal works for Connacht GAA so that would rule him out. Plus his only coaching role has been a year with his clubs minor team. But would definitely be someone who could add to a set up for sure.
If Galway don't do much this year could there be a change there? Would Mickey Graham be someone who would be an option if so? Kevin Walsh? Both have plenty of experience managing and coaching at the top level? Not sure of Micky Harte, as suggested above, would be the answer. We need a long term project, not someone for a year or 2. Not to mention the media frenzy that would come with it.

D.Hyde (Roscommon) - Posts: 284 - 07/06/2025 08:02:12    2615446

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Replying To endgame:  "There was a census in 1946, a year of course that Roscommon reached the All Ireland Final. Roscommon's population in 1946 was 72,510, marginally higher than our current population of circa 70,000. By comparison, Mayo's population in 1946 was 148,120 and is now around 137,000. The big population increases have been in eastern counties like Meath and Kildare. Roscommon is not failing to reach All Ireland semi finals and finals due to lack of population. Roscommon is a traditional gaa county. We have in Brigid's one of the best clubs in the country and I'm a North Roscommon man. We have improved hugely the performances of our underage county teams since the early 2000s. The senior team continues to underperform what a lot of us here think they're capable of and I don't know the reason for that. We've been nowhere in Connacht since 2019 and 4 in a row Galway are no world beaters. I think the Roscommon senior football team should be doing better."
137,231 was the population of Mayo at last census in 2022. We seem to have more natives (I'm sure similar to Roscommon) living outside the county though. I'd love to see a figure on that. Are rural clubs in Ros struggling?

We have many rural clubs amalgamated at underage nowdays. In South Mayo you have Garrymore, Hollymount, Kilmaine, Davitts, Mayo Gaels all in this situation. Which some people might find surprising considering how close those areas are to Galway city.

The town teams are very strong like Claremorris and Ballinrobe in terms of playing numbers and things reflected in representation on county underage teams. The biggest towns have always been strong, Castlebar, Ballina…now Westport but clubs just in the edge of those towns have also improved significantly. kilmeena near Westport and of course Breaffy (practically a suburb of Castlebar) and Parke, Islaneady all doing well.

Would the picture be similar in Roscommon in terms of town teams?

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11622 - 07/06/2025 08:28:03    2615449

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Replying To yew_tree:  "137,231 was the population of Mayo at last census in 2022. We seem to have more natives (I'm sure similar to Roscommon) living outside the county though. I'd love to see a figure on that. Are rural clubs in Ros struggling?

We have many rural clubs amalgamated at underage nowdays. In South Mayo you have Garrymore, Hollymount, Kilmaine, Davitts, Mayo Gaels all in this situation. Which some people might find surprising considering how close those areas are to Galway city.

The town teams are very strong like Claremorris and Ballinrobe in terms of playing numbers and things reflected in representation on county underage teams. The biggest towns have always been strong, Castlebar, Ballina…now Westport but clubs just in the edge of those towns have also improved significantly. kilmeena near Westport and of course Breaffy (practically a suburb of Castlebar) and Parke, Islaneady all doing well.

Would the picture be similar in Roscommon in terms of town teams?"
I think rural clubs in North Roscommon have struggled with numbers. There have been some underage amalgamations such as Elphin/Ballinameen. Boyle, the county's second town in now punching its weight much more. Haven't won the county senior club title since 1927 but lost a couple of finals narrowly recently and have the Smiths, Daire Cregg and Cian McKeon on the county senior team. South Roscommon clubs are vibrant probably benefitting from their proximity to Athlone. Brigid's, Clann and Pearses all going well.

endgame (Roscommon) - Posts: 2451 - 07/06/2025 10:25:10    2615455

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