It was all the way back in November 2005 when Salthill/Knocknacarra last got their hands on the Shane McGettigan Cup. That afternoon, former Mayo star Maurice Sheridan accepted the trophy at Pearse Stadium on behalf of a star-studded outfit whose home ground is situated just a stone’s throw away.
Current Salthill/Knocknacarra manager Finian Hanley lined out at full-back on that occasion, flanked by Cian Begley and Ruadhri McTiernan, as part of a defence that restricted Roscommon champions St Brigid’s to just five points in a convincing 1-10 to 0-5 victory.
Some 21 years on, the clubs renew acquaintances at the same venue this Sunday (throw-in 3.15pm ), with a place in the Connacht final at stake against the winners of Castlebar Mitchels and Fulham Irish.
When the sides last crossed paths, St Brigid’s had yet to taste provincial success at senior level. In the intervening 21 years, however, the Roscommon outfit have been crowned Connacht champions on six occasions and now sit third on the role of honour, behind only Corofin (10 ) and Clann na nGael (7 ).
Salthill/Knocknacarra, meanwhile, have failed to add a third provincial triumph during that period, having also topped the pile in 1990.
Provincial heavyweights
The bookmakers certainly favour the Roscommon champions, who are joint-second favourites for All-Ireland honours at 5/1 alongside Scotstown and Dr Crokes, with only Dublin’s Cuala shorter at 3/1. Crossmaglen Rangers are next at 10/1, while Salthill/Knocknacarra are further out at 14/1.
That standing reflects Brigid’s consistency. Beaten All-Ireland finalists earlier this year, they have collected back-to-back Roscommon titles and are bidding to retain their Connacht crown.
Their latest county success was far from straightforward, however. Damien Mulligan’s charges required extra-time to overcome neighbours Pádraig Pearses 1-25 to 2-16 in a pulsating decider, demonstrating their composure when the contest threatened to slip away.
Former Roscommon captain Brian Stack remains a commanding presence, while captain Ruaidhrí Fallon’s powerful running and Conor Hand’s ability to break defensive lines provide further dimensions. Ben O’Carroll and Bobby Nugent, meanwhile, are among the province’s most dangerous inside forwards.
That attacking quality was evident in their 2-24 to 0-9 Connacht quarter-final demolition of Sligo champions St Mary’s, with O’Carroll contributing 1-7, Nugent 1-4 and Hand four points.
Salthill/Knocknacarra should provide a sterner examination, although one concern for Mulligan surrounds full-back Pearse Frost, who departed the St Mary’s contest with a suspected arm injury.
Finian Hanley’s men have demonstrated considerable attacking quality themselves, most notably in their dramatic Galway final victory over Maigh Cuilinn. Substitute Tomo Culhane’s injury-time goal secured a remarkable 2-12 to 1-14 triumph after Peter Cooke appeared to have snatched victory for the defending champions.
Culhane’s return from injury has been transformative. Introduced during the opening half of the county final, he contributed 1-6 and followed that with another crucial goal in Salthill/Knocknacarra’s 3-16 to 2-15 Connacht quarter-final victory over Ballinamore Seán O’Heslin’s.
Robert Finnerty responded to being held scoreless by Eoghan Kelly in the Galway decider with two goals against the Leitrim champions.
That attacking variety is a major strength. Finnerty’s movement and finishing, Culhane’s scoring ability and Matthew Thompson’s creativity give Salthill several routes to goal with Cathal Sweeney and Daniel O’Flatherty’s ability to surge forward.
John Maher and Michael Kitt have also been influential around midfield, although they face a considerable examination against Brigid’s formidable middle third.
Stack’s influence from deep, Fallon’s athleticism and Hand’s movement provide the Roscommon outfit with plenty of options, while Salthill will need Maher and Kitt to up their game after their side’s struggles last time out.
Salthill's resilience
There are defensive questions for the Galway champions too. Conceding 2-15 against 14-man Ballinamore, including a late goal that reduced their advantage to two points, will hardly have pleased Hanley. Similar lapses against the lethal O’Carroll and Nugent could prove costly.
St Brigid’s will command considerable respect given their provincial pedigree and national ambitions, but Salthill/Knocknacarra have already demonstrated their ability to slay perceived beasts when overcoming Maigh Cuillin.
Elsewhere, Caherlistrane deserve considerable credit for their emphatic 2-18 to 1-11 Connacht Intermediate Football Championship quarter-final victory over Mayo champions Davitts in Castlebar.
Barry McCabe’s charges were superior in virtually every department, with Stephen Lawless and Kevin Nally influential around midfield, while their defence restricted Davitts to just five points from play.
The result extends Caherlistrane’s unbeaten run across league and championship to 14 matches and sets up a provincial semi-final against Roscommon champions Éire Óg.
It also raises another interesting question about the respective standards of Galway and Mayo club football. One result hardly settles that debate, but the way Caherlistrane dismantled their neighbours across the county boundary will certainly have raised a few eyebrows.
Elsewhere this weekend, Galway Junior Hurling champions Sylane will face Moytura of Mayo on Saturday in Tuam in the semi-final and the winners will square off against one of Naomh Eoin or Leitrim in the decider.
With Easky eliminated in Sligo, there will be a new champion crowned and Ronan Higgins’ men will rightfully be rated as favourites having the likes of Oran Martin, Sean Newell and Keelan Creaven in their ranks. There’s plenty of room for improvement on their county final-winning performance also for the North Galway men.
