Roscommon hoping to embrace a rarified setting once again

Jimmy Murray, Dermot Earley, the McManus' – names synonymous with Roscommon football.

Murray was captain when the Rossies claimed their two All-Irelands in the 1940s. The county also has 23 Connacht titles and a few league successes to its name. It would be a slight to say the Primrose and Blue are punching above their weight, given that they occupy the same province as Galway and Mayo. They love nothing more than to take down the 'Big Two’; they have done it so often in the past.

Roscommon followers don’t lack confidence. Colourful characters are aplenty, namely Paddy Joe Burke, the barber from Roscommon town. "Following the Rossies, there’s nothing like it," says Paddy Joe, in one of his many YouTube contributions

"Big match day, small match day, I just love to see the team coming out on to the field, love to see everything associated with the Rossies. Nobody beats the Rossies, we are the Rossies – simply the best".

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Well, nobody has so far beaten the Rossies in 2022. A successful league campaign has them back in the top flight for next year. The added bonus was beating Galway in the Division 2 final. On Saturday next, in the view Benbulben and Queen Maeve’s grave, they begin their championship campaign at Markievicz Park against Sligo.

Another great Roscommon fan is Séamus Duke, local journalist and broadcaster. A man steeped in the social, political and sporting whirl of his area. A knowledgeable character, with a distinctive voice to match.

Last December, Séamus published his