Senior Football Championship Profiles
Chairman of Carlow GAA Jim Bolger with Sponsors of the Carlow SFC Aaron O'Byrne of MLM Motors with SFC captains. Back - Niall Lowry (Tinryland), Gavin Healy (Palatine), Dara Curran (Rathvilly), Mark Furey (Éire Óg), Ciaran Cunningham (Bagenalstown Gaels), Tadhg Roche (Old Leighlin) Front: Edward Byrne (Mount Leinster Rangers) and Billy Lawlor (Clonmore)
Ahead of the start of the Michael Lyng Motor Senior Football Championship on Thursday evening, Kieran Murphy spoke with a representative from each of the eight teams
Captain: Shane Clarke
Manager: Eddie Scally
Players in/out: Justin Manning is back from Australia and Darren Hickey is in. Danny Doyle is playing in London.
If you don’t win the championship, who will? “Old Leighlin could come in under the radar,” says Ciaran Cunningham.
First game: Mount Leinster Rangers
If they were a Premiership club? Everton. A club with a big name who can damage other people’s chances but cannot carve out the ultimate victory.
Prediction: They meet old friends (MLR) in the first round. This fixture could decide who goes into the relegation final. After their semi-final exit in the senior hurling championship, the Bagenalstown side will have had more time to concentrate on their football which could be key.
Captain: Eddie Byrne Manager: Chris Conway
Players in/out: No player movement
If you don’t win the championship, who will? “Rathvilly will be the team to beat,” says Eddie Byrne. “Rathvilly and Éire Óg are always there and cannot be written off. Old Leighlin have built up a good team over the last few years.”
First game: Bagenalstown Gaels
If they were a Premiership club? Newcastle United. Just like Rangers they have a reputation but are not fulfilling it.
Prediction: Rangers tend to blow hot and cold in the football championship. They could end up in the relegation final.
Captain: Aaron Amond Manager: Brian Loughran from Kildare.
Players in/out: Nobody has retired and there are no serious injuries. No-one has retired. There are a number of young players coming through such as Ben Stanley and Matt Burke.
If you don’t win the championship, who will? “If I was to say anyone, I would have to say Éire Óg,” says Tadgh Roche.
First game: Tinryland If they were a Premiership club? Arsenal have enjoyed success in the past but they are failing to challenge the big boys now. There are signs however that things are improving.
Prediction: They should make the quarter-final but while they have some tremendous footballers, they may lack physicality when the going gets really tough in the knock-out stages.
Captain: Danny Moran Manager: John Nolan from Wexford
Players in/out: Cathal Gaffney, Barry Power, Conor McGrath and a few others have gone away. Paul Broderick has hung up his boots. A few young lads have come up from minor. Whether they will figure, it is too early to say.
If you don’t win the championship, who will? “It is very open. A hard question. Any of the eight could win it. I won’t pick anyone,” says defender, Niall Lowry.
First game: Old Leighlin
If they were a Premiership club? Tottenham Hotspur. Once one of the top clubs in England and still a side who demand respect but that is as far as it goes with them.
Prediction: They should come out of the group but the loss of Paul Broderick could hurt them. Then again, perhaps other players will do a bit more now that their leading scorer has hung up his boots.
Captain: Shane Murphy Manager: Ciaran Walsh
Players in/out: Pretty much the same as last year but Shane McGrath is out and Con Murphy has a cruciate issue.
If you don’t win the championship, who will? “Rathvilly,” says Billy Lawlor.
First game: Éire Óg
If they were a Premiership club? Leicester City have just been promoted and will bother some of the sides in the top division. Clonmore will do really well to avoid relegation.
Prediction: Clonmore are in one tough group. They may have had a really good league campaign where they took some big scalps but this is the real test. They could end up in the relegation play-off where anything can happen.
Captain: Mark Furey Manager: Turlough O’Brien
Players in/out: Jordan Morrissey is gone abroad. There are younger lads coming through from the under 20s. Alex Delaney would be one. No huge changes really.
If you don’t win the championship, who will? “I would have to say Rathvilly. Based on last year when it went to penalties, games between us have always been tight. They have quality all over,” says Mark Furey.
First game: Clonmore
If they were a Premiership club? No matter how well or how badly they are going, Manchester City will always command huge respect and can make winning look easy. Same for Éire Óg.
Prediction: The YI’s will make the quarter-finals at least and from there they should go all the way to the final.
Captain: Ciaran Moran Manager: Paud O’Dwyer and Eddie McGarry
Players in/out: David Reid is playing junior this year. Jamie and Tomás Kenny are back while Ciaran Moran has recovered from injury.
If you don’t win the championship, who will? “Rathvilly,” says Gavin Healy.
First game: Rathvilly
If they were a Premiership club? Chelsea are the kind of side who raise their heads and win something or make a cup final now and again but they lack consistency.
Prediction: It is hard to see them beat either Rathvilly or Éire Óg. The Clonmore game is key.
Captain: Josh Moore Manager: JJ Smith and Kevin Byrne
Players in/out: Eric Molloy and Darragh Murphy are both back with the club this year.
If you don’t win the championship, who will? “I would say Éire Óg,” says Dara Curran.
First game: Palatine
If they were a Premiership club? Liverpool. If any side can break the dominance of Manchester City then Liverpool are the ones. The same for Rathvilly and Éire Óg where the Wicklow border side have no fears of the Teach Asca side.
Prediction: They lost to Éire Óg on penalties at the semi-final stage last year. They are determined to turn that around and could end up as champions.
THURSDAY 22ND AUGUST
Michael Lyng Motors Senior Football Championship Round 1, all at Netwatch Cullen Park.
Palatine v Rathvilly, Netwatch Cullen Park, 7.30pm
FRIDAY 23 AUGUST
Clonmore v Éire Óg, 7.15pm
Old Leighlin v Tinryland,8.35pm
SATURDAY 24 AUGUST
Bagenalstown Gaels v Mt. Leinster Rangers, 6.30pm.
