ON ST PATRICK’S DAY 2013, Ronan Stack was the fresh-faced kid in the St Brigid’s team.
The youngster rubbing shoulders with the club’s celebrated names of Mannion, Kilbride and Dolan, as they became the first Roscommon side to lift the Andy Merrigan Cup.
Now the club that draws players from Kiltoom and Cam, a community just outside Athlone, will return to the exalted stage of an All-Ireland final.
Stack is the only starting player that overlaps between the finalists of 2013 and 2024. Goalkeeper Cormac Sheehy was on the squad then, substitute Eoin Sheehy came off the bench in that final win over Ballymun Kickhams eleven years ago.
The wing-back remains a critical component of a defence that is now anchored by his younger brother Brian, an All-Star nominee last year for his stellar showings for Roscommon.
“A career really flies by in a blink of an eye,” said Stack, standing in the cold winter sunshine yesterday, reflecting on a semi-final success over Cork’s Castlehaven.
“You’re a young lad and then you’re a veteran. It’s great to be back at this level.”
He is now surrounded by an emerging wave of St Brigid’s players. When the Roscommon U20 team contested the All-Ireland final in 2021 against Offaly, Ruaidhrí Fallon, Robbie Dolan and Ben O’Carroll flew the flag for St Brigid’s.
Yesterday that trio excelled. There were other sparkling displays from the likes of Pearse Frost and Conor Hand, all feeding into a victory that pushed a new generation of St Brigid’s players into the national limelight.
The club have now qualified for a third All-Ireland final. Between 2005 and 2016, they won four Connacht senior titles and contested another four provincial finals.
Those high standards were not easy to maintain, they claimed Roscommon honours in 2017 and 2020, but Covid scuppered an assault on Connacht on the latter occasion.
This season they have grabbed their chance.
“The majority of the team are younger, I supposed (they) watched that team (of early 2010s) and wanted to be there themselves. There’s no short cuts. They’ve all put in the work and they’ve all wanted to be there. Being able to see success makes young lads want it themselves.
“It’s just a pleasure for me to play with them. At the later stage of my career to be still going and have Brigid’s competing at this level is absolutely brilliant.”
That’s three from five now for St Brigid’s in All-Ireland semi-final ties. They lost to Crossmaglen in 2007, beat Nemo Rangers in 2011, were defeated by neighbours Garrycastle in 2012, and then saw off Crossmaglen in 2013.
The latest victory was built on a blistering first-half performance, in front 1-5 to 0-2 after 17 minutes.
It proved too costly a period for Castlehaven to endure. The West Cork side charged into the contest in the second half, clawing at the St Brigid’s advantage.
But they were never ahead in the game and only level at throw-in in Semple Stadium at 1.45pm. A battle-hardened side that required extra-time for wins in Munster over Clare’s Cratloe and Kerry’s Dingle, found the semi-final stage represented the end of the road.
For the fourth time, a Castlehaven team were unable to plot a route past the All-Ireland semi-final and advance to Croke Park.
Predecessors lost in 1990 to Baltinglass, 1995 to Kilmacud Crokes and 1998 to Erin’s Isle. The luckless sequence continues in Thurles, the third such semi-final defeat at the Tipperary stadium.
“I thought we played outstanding football there in the second half,” said manager James McCarthy.
“We brought it down to one. If we levelled it, I think there would have been only one winner. But that’s a good Brigid’s team. That team is going to take some beating in the final.”
The electricity generated by St Brigid’s early attacking play warmed their support on a freezing January day. Castlehaven conjured up their own attacking moments through Brian Hurley, typically influential, and Cathal Maguire.
But placed balls were difficult in the conditions, the pitch coated in frost on one side and bathed in sunshine on the other. Castlehaven could not convert enough of those opportunities, while Jack Cahalane and Rory Maguire slammed thunderbolts against the crossbar.
McCarthy was disappointed in defeat and also pragmatic in gauging their achievements this season.
“We are after a great year, a great four years with this bunch of lads. I couldn’t ask for more from them. We have a young team and we are very proud of them. We are going to go home now and celebrate (the year).
“Afterwards there on the pitch you could see there was as big a Castlehaven crowd on the pitch as the opposition, which is a great sign of our families and supporters. We are all in it together down there.
“There is more about football than when you win and bring a parish and people together. I know they are going home disappointed, but sport is unbelievable what it does for people.”
Stack and St Brigid’s know the wonder of these club victories. They weathered the Castlehaven storm successfully in the second half and coped with their own third-quarter wobble.
Now a trip up the M6 to Croke Park is in the offing once more. Derry’s Glen are fresh opponents to cross paths with.
A return to All-Ireland final day.
Lindelof looks way out of his depth and he cost £40 million quid? And the United fans laugh at Liverpool for spending the same on the Ox. What a deluded shower they have become.
@Micheal Thomas: he cost 31 million.
@FPL Thommo: Ah right it’s ok so. Not as big a flop as we thought! Just a £31 mill flop but the article above says £40 mill if you read it but that could be a step too far for ya!
@Micheal Thomas: Lindelöf played every week for Benfica, had the best stats for a defender in the Portuguese league and won 3 leagues titles. On paper very impressive.
Chamberlain was a bit part player for Arsenal and cost nearly 10mil more. Your point doesn’t really hold up.
@MarkSul: Haha in the mighty Portuguese league? He is been found out now. Hopefully he will start every league game from now on but don’t think Mourinho has lost it yet.
@Micheal Thomas: If he’s been found out after two games your comment about the Ox makes less sense. Whatever Lge he came from it looked and still could be a sound investment, has taken plenty of players a season to adjust to the PL. The Ox has played in d PL for years and has been just about average. Which makes the fee payed for him not a good investment. It was a panic buy to try to keep the Pool fans happy and most of them will admit they’re not.
@Micheal Thomas: Vidic, Evra and De Gea were a laughing stock at the start of their united careers too.
Lidelofs played two or three prem games. He may come good, he may not.
What’s for sure is the ox is absolute shite. Arsenal raped Liverpool.
@Micheal Thomas: I’m sure the article meant to say €40m, because his cost in pounds was 31m.
That’s a fact.
@MarkSul: Give me the Ox any day of the week over this spoofer. Mourinho knows he’s not up to it. Nearly November and it’s his 1st league start. There is no chance that he won’t line out next weekend to try and stop Harry Kane. When the likes of ‘Mike’ Smalling and Jones are still starting ahead of him at this stage of the season, you know he’s a guaranteed flop.
@FPL Thommo: Jaysus I didn’t think the exchange rate was gone as bad as that again overnight!
@MarkSul: @MarkSul: impressive on paper…doesn’t look so good when he plays on grass though!
@FPL Thommo: Stay classy there Thommo! Juve surely ‘raped’ United with Pogba! They’re still laughing a year later at what they got for him.
@FPL Thommo: then it would still be a mistake and 5m out. The £40m includes the add ons. Ox cost £35m, it was Chelsea who offered 40 but he wouldn’t sign. So get you facts right
@John Buckley: arguing over who was a worse signing….times are tough for liverpool and united fans. Although at least United have won a few things. It seems liverpool are literally only clinging onto uniteds mishaps to survive these days.
@Micheal Thomas: “There is no chance he won’t line out next week”. So you think he will start then or are you aware of what a double negative is? I’ve read your comments and it’s obvious who the real spoofer is here. A Liverpool fan with a profile picture of ex player Suarez in a Barcelona shirt. Get over it lad, the cannibal is gone for good so time to let it go :-)
@Brian: all I am doing is stating the correct facts. I am not arguing anything. You are as big an idiot as Thommo or are you the same person
@John Buckley: can you please point out where I said what ox’s price was?
Cheers
@FPL Thommo: can you please clarify how €40m = £35. Cheers
@John Buckley: again, where did I claim €40m is equal to £35?
Are you on drugs?
@John Buckley: also can you answer my first question please. You told me to get my facts right about the ox’s transfer fee. I never mentioned his fee.
Are you just going ignore your utter stupidity on that one?
@Micheal Thomas: So a player that’s fantastic in a crap league is no different to a crap player in a good league?
@FPL Thommo: the utter stupidity here is where you think £31m is the same as €40m. You should have taken the 35, you wouldn’t look quit the idiot you are
@John Buckley: so that would be a yes then. I don’t blame you really. You ridiculed me on something I didn’t even say and just ignored it then when you were called out on it to save face.
@FPL Thommo: I corrected you on the price of Linderof. I never said it was you that said the price of ox, I only stated a correct fact. Stop trying to hide from the fact that you made a huge error in your conversion of currency. It’s obvious I ridiculed you on the currency conversion.
@Micheal Thomas: shows what you know as he didn’t start yesterday ya tool he came on for an injured jones . Also he’s not even half a season in the PL , Chamberlain has had 7/8 seasons and scored 6 goals for a midfielder that’s robbing a living. Just admitted Ox signing was a joke.
Typical of United glory hunter fans calling for him to be sold already. Chap has only arrived. De Gea was awful when he first arrived too.
@Leon L.: who/where does it say they want him to be sold? Anyone with half a brain would realise he’ll be given time like any other player coming to a new club, go back to mammy dere like a good little suckler and dont be talking nonsense
@Leon L.: those statements are funny “typical fans calling for him to be sold”. Who? I don’t particularly like united but I’ve seen plenty of comments from fans and begrudgers about yesterday and not one comment said he should be sold. Liar.
Hargreaves is always bitter towards United, I never listen to anything he has to say
Don’t forget that everyone was saying that David De Gea was a dud and a waste of money when he first signed for United after his first season, and he turned out to be more than ok in the end, sometime a player just needs time to adjust, let just wait and see
@Tom Bolger: Correct Tom. Haven’t seen any genuine United fans on here calling for Lindelof to be sold. Like any new player he needs a run of games to get his form and confidence going. Remember Mkhitaryan in the first half of last season? Collectively United underperformed yesterday and I wouldn’t be quick to make a scapegoat of Lindelof like Hargreaves has done.
Does the same apply to Mata who needlessly gave the ball away for the first goal with no pressure on him.
@Malachy Rivers: I woulda though Mata’s mistake was the critical one for the first goal also.
I wouldnt write off the swede just yet. I’ll judge him after a season or two. Mata was at fault for the 1st Goal. So both goals were’nt entirley lindelofs fault. United are Lacked wingers that hug the touchline & put decent crosses into the box. Utd still need a comanding left back & an out & out left winger.
Mistakes will happen when the team as a unit are not doing exactly that , playing as a unit , unfortunately lindburg was the scape goat by not dealing with his side of the bargain ? Judge him when he settles in to the league ?